Beginner level

What Are Pronouns?

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. It makes sentences less cumbersome and less repetitive.

There are nine types of pronouns:

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  Personal pronouns (e.g., he, they)
  
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  Possessive pronouns (e.g., his, theirs)
  
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  Relative pronouns (e.g., which, where)
  
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  Demonstrative pronouns (e.g., this, these)
  
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  Emphatic pronouns (e.g., itself, himself)
  
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  Reflexive pronouns (e.g., itself, himself)
  
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  Indefinite pronouns (e.g., none, several)
  
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  Interrogative pronouns (e.g., which, who)
  
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  Reciprocal pronouns (e.g., each other, one another)
  

Personal Pronouns

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  A personal pronoun takes the place of people or things. The personal pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, we, and they.
  

Possessive Pronouns

A possessive pronoun shows possession. The possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs.

Be aware that my, your, his, her, its, our, and their (called possessive adjectives in traditional grammar but possessive determiners in contemporary grammar) can also be classified as pronouns because they too replace nouns.