Pronouns with Exercises

When you are not sure of a person's gender, then the most appropriate pronoun to be used is 'they/them'. Although 'they/them' is generally used as a plural pronoun, in case of gender ambiguity, 'they/them' is widely accepted, and can be considered gramaatically correct. 

Some of the gender neutral pronouns include the following:

• It
• They
• Them
• Ze/zir
• Xe/xem

Using Pronouns in correct manner has the following benefits:

• Avoids repetition: Using pronouns appropriately can avoid repeating the nouns.
• Improves flow of sentence: Using pronouns help maintain the flow of the sentence and improves clarity.
• Supports sentence structure: Pronouns play important role in subject-verb agreement and sentence construction.

Pronouns are generally used after the first sentence, or after the first instance of Noun. Once the Noun is stated or the subject is introduced, Pronouns can be used as a substitute of the Noun. For example, Riya studies in Class 6. Her favourite subject is History. Here, the Pronoun 'Her' is used in the second sentence as a substitute to the Proper Noun, which is Riya.

Pronouns belong to the Parts of Speech section of English Grammar. Pronoun is one of the eight traditional types of Parts of Speech. The other seven types pf Parts of Speech include Noun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, Preposition, Conjuntion and Interjection. 

Pronouns for non-living objects in singular form are It and Its. In plural form, these pronouns are They, Them, These and Those. These pronouns are also applicable for living things whose gender cannot be determined such as animals, birds, etc. 

Both Him and His are pronouns for male people or living beings. His is a Possessive Pronoun. It indicates ownership or belonging. On the other hand, 'Him' is an objective case of pronoun. Him is at the receiving end and answers who is being acted upon. Example of His: This is his book. Example of Him: The book belongs to him. Example of usage of Him and His in the same sentence: The doctor called him to share his medical test reports.

Both Reflexive Pronoun and Intensive Pronoun end with 'Self' or 'Selves' such as 'Myself', 'Himself', 'Herself', etc. Reflexive pronouns are the object or indirect object of the main verb. On the other hand, the Intensive Pronouns emphasise a noun or a pronoun. Such sentences do not add value to the sentence.

There are over 10 types of pronouns. The major pronoun types are as follows:

• Personal Pronoun
• Subject Pronoun
• Object Pronoun
• Relative Pronoun
• Reflexive Pronoun
• Intensive Pronoun
• Interrogative Pronoun
• Indefinite Pronoun
• Demonstrative Pronoun
• Possessive Pronoun.