Pronouns
What is a Pronoun?
In grammar, a
pronoun is defined as a word or phrase that may be substituted for a noun or noun
phrase, which once replaced, is known as the pronoun’s antecedent. How is this
possible? In a nutshell, it’s because pronouns can do everything that nouns can
do. A pronoun can act as a subject, direct object, indirect object, object of
the preposition, and
more.
Without pronouns,
we’d have to keep on repeating nouns, and that would make our speech and
writing repetitive, not to mention cumbersome. Most pronouns are very short
words.
Examples include:
Ø He
Ø She
Ø They
Ø It
Ø We
Ø Who
As mentioned,
pronouns are usually used to replace nouns, however they can also stand in for
certainadverbs, adjectives, and other
pronouns. Anytime you want to talk about a person, animal, place or thing, you
can use pronouns to make your speech or writing flow better.
Types of Pronouns
Pronouns can be
divided into numerous categories including:
Ø Indefinite pronouns – those referring
to one or more unspecified objects, beings, or places
Ø Personal pronouns – those associated
with a certain person, thing, or group; all except you have distinct forms that
indicate singular or plural number
Ø Reflexive pronouns – those preceded
by the adverb, adjective, pronoun, or noun to which they refer, and ending in –self or –selves
Ø Demonstrative pronouns – those used
to point to something specific within a sentence
Ø Possessive pronouns – those
designating possession or ownership
Ø Relative pronouns – those which refer
to nouns mentioned previously, acting to introduce an adjective (relative)
clause
Ø Interrogative pronouns – those which
introduce a question
Ø Reciprocal pronouns – those
expressing mutual actions or relationship; i.e. one another
Ø Intensive pronouns – those ending in –self or –selves and
that serve to emphasize their antecedents
Pronoun Rules
There are a few
important rules for using pronouns. As you read through these rules and the
examples in the next section, notice how the pronoun rules are followed. Soon
you’ll see that pronouns are easy to work with.
Ø Subject pronouns may be used to begin sentences.
For example: We did a great job.
Ø Subject pronouns may also be used to rename
the subject. For example: It was she who decided we should go to Hawaii.
Ø Indefinite pronouns don’t have antecedents.
They are capable of standing on their own. For example: No one likes the sound
of fingernails on a chalkboard.
Ø Object pronouns are used as direct objects,
indirect objects, and objects of prepositions. These include: you, me, him,
her, us, them, and it. For example: David talked to her about the mistake.
Ø Possessive pronouns show ownership. They do
not need apostrophes. For example: The cat washed its whiskers.
Examples of
Pronouns
In the following
examples, the pronouns are italicized.
1.
We are going on vacation.
2.
Don’t
tell me that you can’t go with us.
3.
Anybody who says it won’t be fun has
no clue what they are talking about.
4.
These are terribly steep stairs.
5.
We ran into each other at the
mall.
6.
I’m not
sure which is worse: rain or snow.
7.
It is one of the nicest Italian restaurants in
town.
8.
Richard
stared at himself in the mirror.
9.
The
laundry isn’t going to do itself.
10. Someone spilled orange juice all over the countertop!
Daftar Pustaka :
http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/pronouns-2/
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