A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun or noun phrase. Pronouns help us avoid unnecessary repetition and make sentences clearer. For example, instead of writing “Sara has a book. Sara reads the book every day,” we can write “Sara has a book. She reads it every day.”
This Class 9 English grammar lesson explains the main types of pronouns, including personal, possessive, reflexive, demonstrative, relative, interrogative, indefinite, reciprocal and distributive pronouns. It also explains the difference between possessive determiners and possessive pronouns.
What Is a Pronoun?
A pronoun usually refers to a person, place, thing or idea already mentioned or understood from context.
- Ali is a student. He studies English.
- The book is on the table. Please give it to me.
- Sara and Ayesha are friends. They study together.
The noun or noun phrase to which a pronoun refers is called its antecedent. In “Ali said he was ready,” Ali is the antecedent of he.
1. Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns refer to specific persons or things. They change form according to person, number and grammatical function.
| Person | Subject Form | Object Form |
|---|---|---|
| First person singular | I | me |
| First person plural | we | us |
| Second person singular/plural | you | you |
| Third person singular masculine | he | him |
| Third person singular feminine | she | her |
| Third person singular neutral | it | it |
| Third person plural | they | them |
Subject Pronouns
A subject pronoun performs the action or functions as the subject:
- She teaches English.
- They are preparing for the test.
- We visited the library.
Object Pronouns
An object pronoun receives the action or follows a preposition:
- The teacher called me.
- We helped him.
- She spoke to them.
2. Possessive Determiners and Possessive Pronouns
Possessive forms show ownership or relationship. Possessive determiners come before nouns, while possessive pronouns normally stand alone.
| Subject | Possessive Determiner | Possessive Pronoun |
|---|---|---|
| I | my | mine |
| we | our | ours |
| you | your | yours |
| he | his | his |
| she | her | hers |
| it | its | — |
| they | their | theirs |
Possessive Determiner Examples
- This is my book.
- That is her bag.
- They completed their work.
Possessive Pronoun Examples
- This book is mine.
- That bag is hers.
- These seats are theirs.
Important: Do not use an apostrophe in the possessive determiner its. “It’s” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has.”
3. Reflexive and Emphatic Pronouns
| Personal Pronoun | Reflexive/Emphatic Form |
|---|---|
| I | myself |
| we | ourselves |
| you | yourself / yourselves |
| he | himself |
| she | herself |
| it | itself |
| they | themselves |
Reflexive Use
A reflexive pronoun is used when the subject and object refer to the same person or thing:
- She introduced herself.
- He blamed himself.
- They enjoyed themselves.
Emphatic Use
The same forms can emphasize the subject:
- I myself checked the answer.
- The principal himself attended the meeting.
4. Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns point to specific persons or things.
| Pronoun | Number/Distance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| this | singular, near | This is useful. |
| that | singular, farther away | That is mine. |
| these | plural, near | These are fresh. |
| those | plural, farther away | Those belong to us. |
When the same words come before nouns, they function as demonstrative determiners:
- This book is useful.
- Those students are punctual.
5. Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses and connect them to nouns.
| Pronoun | Common Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | people as subject | The student who won is my friend. |
| whom | people as object, especially formal English | The teacher whom we met was kind. |
| whose | possession | The girl whose book was lost is here. |
| which | things/animals | The pen which I bought is blue. |
| that | people or things in many defining clauses | The lesson that we studied was easy. |
6. Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions:
- Who called you?
- Whom did you invite?
- Whose is this?
- Which do you prefer?
- What happened?
7. Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to persons or things without naming them specifically.
- Someone is at the door.
- Everybody enjoyed the lesson.
- Nothing was damaged.
- Many were absent.
- Few understood the question.
Words ending in -one, -body and -thing are normally singular:
- Everyone is ready.
- Something has happened.
8. Reciprocal and Distributive Pronouns
Reciprocal Pronouns
Reciprocal pronouns show a mutual action or relationship:
- The two friends helped each other.
- The team members supported one another.
Distributive Pronouns
Distributive pronouns refer to members of a group separately:
- Each received a certificate.
- Either will be suitable.
- Neither was correct.
When these words come before nouns, they function as determiners: each student, either answer, neither option.
Common Pronoun Mistakes
- Incorrect: Me and Ali went to school.
Correct: Ali and I went to school. - Incorrect: The teacher called Ali and I.
Correct: The teacher called Ali and me. - Incorrect: This book is her.
Correct: This book is hers. - Incorrect: Every student must bring their books, if strict traditional singular agreement is required.
Clear alternative: All students must bring their books. Modern English also widely accepts singular they in suitable contexts. - Incorrect: He did it hisself.
Correct: He did it himself. - Incorrect: The dog hurt it’s leg.
Correct: The dog hurt its leg.
Practice Exercise
Choose the correct answer:
- Ahmed and _____ are classmates. (I / me)
- The teacher called Sara and _____. (I / me)
- This pencil is not yours; it is _____. (my / mine)
- She completed the project by _____. (herself / her)
- _____ is knocking at the door? (Who / Which)
- The boy _____ won the race is my brother. (who / which)
- _____ of the two answers is correct. (Neither / None)
- The players congratulated _____. (each other / himself)
- _____ are the books I mentioned. (These / This)
- Everyone _____ ready. (is / are)
Show Answers
- I
- me
- mine
- herself
- Who
- who
- Neither
- each other
- These
- is
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pronoun?
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun or noun phrase, such as he, she, it, they or who.
What is the difference between “my” and “mine”?
“My” is a possessive determiner used before a noun: “my book.” “Mine” is a possessive pronoun that stands alone: “The book is mine.”
Is “her” always a pronoun?
No. It is an object pronoun in “I called her,” but a possessive determiner in “her bag.”
What is the difference between reflexive and emphatic pronouns?
A reflexive pronoun functions as an object referring back to the subject. An emphatic pronoun adds emphasis and can often be removed without changing the basic sentence meaning.
Is “neither” always a pronoun?
No. It is a pronoun in “Neither was correct,” a determiner in “Neither answer was correct,” and part of a correlative conjunction in “neither Ali nor Ahmed.”
Related English Grammar Resources
- Correct Use of Verbs – Rules and Quiz
- Direct and Indirect Narration
- 9th Class Active and Passive Voice
- 9th Class English Important Questions
- 9th English MCQs and Sample Papers
Educational note: This lesson is independently prepared for grammar revision. Terminology can vary slightly across school textbooks, so students should also follow the classifications and examples used in their prescribed English book.
