Pronouns

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. Instead of saying Maria went to Maria's house, you can say Maria went to her house. Common pronouns include I, you, he, she, it, we, and they. Pronouns make speaking and writing much smoother.

Types of Pronouns

Subject pronouns like I, he, she, and they are used as the subject of a sentence. Object pronouns like me, him, her, and them receive the action. Possessive pronouns like my, his, her, and their show ownership. Each type has an important job in a sentence.

Using Pronouns Clearly

When you use a pronoun, the reader needs to know who or what it refers to. This is called the antecedent. If you write Tom and Jake went to the store and he bought milk, the reader does not know who he is. Make sure your pronouns are clear so your writing is easy to understand.

Fun Facts

• The word I is always capitalized in English, but many other languages do not capitalize their word for I.
• English has fewer pronoun forms than many other languages.
• The word pronoun means for a noun in Latin.

Did You Know?

The English language used to have the word thou as a pronoun for you, but it fell out of common use hundreds of years ago.