Pronouns
In a nutshell
A pronoun is a word which can replace a noun in a sentence. Replacing nouns with pronouns makes your writing less repetitive and flow better. In this summary, you will learn how to spot pronouns and when to use them correctly.
Subject and object pronouns
Most of the time you use pronouns without even thinking about it. There are two groups of pronouns you should know.
Subject pronouns (use these when the person or thing is doing the action) | Object pronouns (use these when the person or thing is receiving the action) |
| I | me
|
| you | you
|
| he | him
|
| she | her
|
| it | it
|
| we | us
|
| they | them
|
Replacing nouns with pronouns
Pronouns are used to replace nouns to avoid repetition and to make a sentence flow better.
Example
| Ben was hungry, so Ben decided to make a sandwich. |
| Ben was hungry, so Ben decided to make a sandwich. | Ben was hungry, so he decided to make a sandwich. |
Example
| Lisa bought a cake, and Lisa ate the cake.
|
| Lisa bought a cake, and Lisa ate the cake.
| Lisa bought a cake, and she ate it.
|
Tip: Only use a pronoun to replace a noun when it's obvious who or what you're referring to. If not, you might make your sentence more confusing.
