Pronoun and Errors in the Use of Pronoun.

Definition:

Pronoun can be defined as a word used in place of a noun. It is used to avoid noun
repetition.

Example: Ali is my friend. He lives in Karachi.

In the above given example Ali is a noun and the word he is pronoun as it is
representing Ali.

Antecedent:
An antecedent can be defined as a noun to which a pronoun represents.

Ali is antecedent of the pronoun he in the above given sentence.

Kinds of Pronoun

Type of Pronoun Definition Examples Notes

Refer to the person 1st Person: I,
speaking, the person we2nd Person:
Personal Pronouns -
spoken to, or the you3rd Person:
person/thing spoken of. he, she, it, they
Note: my, our, your,
mine, ours, yours, his, her, its, their are
Possessive Show possession (used
his, hers, its, possessive
Pronouns independently).
theirs adjectives, not
pronouns.
myself, ourselves,
Reflect the action back He hurt himself. –
yourself, himself,
Reflexive Pronouns to the subject; used as “himself” is a
herself, itself,
the object of the verb. reflexive pronoun.
themselves
myself, ourselves,
Same form as reflexive He himself joined the
Emphatic/Intensive yourself, himself,
pronouns but used to police. – “himself” is
Pronouns herself, itself,
emphasize the subject. emphatic.
themselves
Demonstrative Point out specific this, that, these,
This is my book.
Pronouns persons or things. those
Relative Pronouns Relate nouns to clauses who, which, that The man who
giving more information. came... – “who”
 Type of Pronoun Definition Examples Notes
connects clauses.
one, someone,
Refer to non-specific
Indefinite Pronouns everyone, all, Many were absent.
persons or things.
many, none
Interrogative
Used to ask questions. what, who, whom Who is there?
Pronouns
Refer to members of a
Distributive group one at a time; each, either, Each of the boys is
Pronouns always take a singular neither ready.
verb.
each other (for
Reciprocal Express mutual action two), one another They helped each
Pronouns or relationship. (for more than other.
two)

Pronoun Cases
Pronoun cases refer to the different forms a pronoun can take depending on its role in
a sentence. In English, there are three main pronoun cases:

1. Subjective Case (Nominative)

Used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence (the one doing the action).

Pronoun Example Pronoun Example

I I went to the store. It It is raining.

You You are kind. We We won the game.

He He runs fast. They They left early.

She She is my friend.

 2. Objective Case

Used when the pronoun is the object of a verb or preposition (the one receiving the
action).

Pronoun Example Pronoun Example

Me She saw me. It They fixed it.

You I like you. Us He helped us.

Him We called him. Them We met them.

Her I spoke to her.

3. Possessive Case

Used to show ownership or possession.

Possessive Pronoun Example Sentence

Mine The book is mine.
Yours This pen is yours.
His That backpack is his.
Hers The umbrella is hers.
Its* (Rarely used) — The choice was its, not ours.
Ours The victory was ours.
Theirs That house is theirs.

Errors in the Use of Pronoun:

Some common errors in the use of pronouns are the following:

1. Misplaced Antecedent
A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number and person.

Example: Ali should do his duty.

Boys should do their work.

One should do one’s duty.

 2. Clarity of Antecedent
 Ali told Ahmad that he was busy. (Who was nervous — John or
Antecedent of he is unclear Mark?)
(Ali/Ahmad?).  When John met Mark, John was
very nervous.
Correction: Specify the subject
When John met Mark, Mark was
clearly to avoid confusion. very nervous.
 I dropped my phone on the ice and (Now it's clear who is nervous.)
it cracked.  They say we will have a test
(What cracked? Ice or phone?) tomorrow.
(Who are “they”?)
 When John met Mark, he was very  The teachers say we will have a
nervous. test tomorrow.
(Clear antecedent.)

3. Two pronouns joined by AND should be in the same case.

Incorrect Sentence Correct Sentence Explanation

Me and she are going She and I are going to Both are subjects → Use subjective
to the market. the market. case (she, I).
The teacher called he The teacher called him Both are objects of the verb "called"
and me. and me. → Use objective case.
Her and I finished the She and I finished the Both are subjects → Use subjective
project. project. case (she, I).
The gift was for you The gift was for you and Both are objects of the preposition
and I. me. "for" → Use objective case.
Can them and we Can they and we come Both are subjects → Use subjective
come with you? with you? case (they, we).
Please send the email Please send the email Both are objects of the preposition "to"
to he and I. to him and me. → Use objective case.

3. Linking verbs like is, am, are, was, were take subjective/ nominative case of
pronoun after them.

It is me. This is her.

It is I. This is she.

The caller was him. The authors were them.

The caller was he. The authors were they.
It was us who made the mistake. The owner of the wallet is me.
The owner of the wallet is I.
It was we who made the mistake.
It was him in the photo.
That must be them at the door. It was he in the photo.
That must be they at the door.

4. A pronoun proceeded by than or as usually takes nominative/ subjective case.

Examples with "than"

1. They work harder than we. Examples with "as":

(= They work harder than we do.)
2. No one is more punctual than 1. She is as talented as he.
she. (= ...as he is.)
(= ...than she is.) 2. You are as determined as I.
3. I know more about the topic (= ...as I am.)
than he. 3. We are as ready as they.
(= ...than he does.) (= ...as they are.)
4. He can run faster than I. 4. The students were as confused
(= ...than I can.) as we.
5. Our team performed better than (= ...as we were.)
they. 5. No one worked as hard as she.
(= ...than they did.) (= ...as she did.)

5. Use the Objective Case of Personal Pronouns After "Let"

When a sentence starts with "Let", the pronoun that follows should be in the objective
case (me, him, her, us, them, you, it), not the subjective case (I, he, she, we, they).

Incorrect Sentence Correct Sentence Explanation

Let I do it. Let me do it. Use me (objective case).
Let he speak. Let him speak. Use him (objective case).
Let they come with us. Let them come with us. Use them (objective case).
Let we go now. Let us go now. Use us (objective case).

5. A collective noun used as an antecedent can take either a singular or plural

pronoun, depending on whether the group is being treated as a single unit or as
individual members.

1. The team won its game. (Singular)

  "Team" is considered a single unit, so we use "its".

2. The team took their seats after the break. (Plural)

 Here, the members of the team are doing individual actions (each taking a seat),
so "their" is correct.

3. The committee has reached its decision. (Singular)

 The committee is acting as one unit.

4. The committee disagreed among themselves about the proposal. (Plural)

 The members are acting individually, so "themselves" is used.

5. The jury gave its verdict. (Singular)

6. The jury were arguing among themselves. (Plural)

Note:
 acting together as one? → Use singular pronouns.
 acting as individuals? → Use plural pronouns.

6. Relative pronoun that refers to plural antecedents takes plural verb.

Error: He is one of the students who takes part in every competition.

Correct: He is one of the students who take part in every competition.

1. Students who study regularly succeed in exams.

 "Who" refers to "students" (plural), so we use the plural verb "study" and
"succeed".

2. Books that are well-written sell quickly.

 "That" refers to "books" (plural), so the verb is "are", not "is".

3. The players who were injured missed the game.

 "Who" refers to "players" → use "were" (plural).

4. Cars that have electric engines are more eco-friendly.

  "That" refers to "cars" → verb "have" is plural.

5. People who live in cities often commute long distances.

 "Who" refers to "people" → use "live" (plural).

7. The verb after relative pronoun must agree with the noun before relative
pronoun.

1. ❌I like the men who is honest. ✅ She is one of the students who
✅ I like the men who are honest. have failed.
The verb agrees with "students",
2. ❌ The boy who play football is my
which is plural, so use have.
friend.
5. ❌ I know a man who live in Paris.
✅ The boy who plays football is my
✅ I know a man who lives in Paris.
friend.
"Man" I s singular, so use lives.
"Boy" is singular, so the verb
6. ❌ These are the people that knows
should be plays.
the truth.
3. ❌ The girls who walks to school are
✅ These are the people that know
late.
the truth.
✅ The girls who walk to school are
"People" is plural, so the verb
late.
should be know.
"Girls" is plural, so the verb should
7. ❌ It is the dog that chase the cat.
be walk.
✅ It is the dog that chases the cat.
4. ❌ She is one of the students who
"Dog" is singular, so the verb
has failed.
should be chases.

8. A pronoun which acts as the object to a verb or a preposition must be in the

objective case.

As object of a verb As object of a preposition

1. She called me. 1. The gift is for her.

o "Me" is the object of the verb o "Her" is the object of the
"called". preposition "for".
2. The teacher praised him. 2. He sat beside me.
o "Him" is the object of the o "Me" is the object of the
verb "praised". preposition "beside".
3. They invited us to the party. 3. It was between him and me.
o "Us" is the object of "invited". o Both "him" and "me" are
objects of the preposition
"between".
If the pronoun is not doing the action (but receiving it), it must be in the objective
case.

9. The interrogative pronoun Who is the nominative case and Whom is the
causative case. They must be used accordingly.

They must be used according to whether the pronoun is functioning as the subject
(who) or the object (whom) in the sentence.

Using "who" (subject / Using "whom" (object /

nominative case) objective case)

1. Who is coming to the meeting? 1. Whom did you invite to the

“Who” is the subject of is coming. party?
2. Who wrote this book? “You” is the subject, “whom” is the
“Who” is the subject of wrote. object of invite.
2. To whom should I address the
letter?
“Whom” is the object of the
preposition to.
3. Whom are they talking about?
“Whom” is the object of about.

10. Possessive pronouns in their genitive case (showing ownership) do not take an
apostrophe (').

This book is mine, not yours. That jacket is hers.

The cat licked its paws. Is this their house or ours?

11. Order of more than one pronouns of different persons used in a sentence is
as follows:

Second and first.

Second and third.

Third and first

Second, third and first.

 This order is reversed for some unpleasant action.

Why This Order?

1. Second person (you) is addressed first (respectful to the listener).

2. Third person (he/she/they) comes next.
3. First person (I) comes last (shows humility).

Examples – for pleasant or neutral actions: 231

1. You, he, and I are planning the event.

2. You and she will attend the meeting with me.
3. You, they, and I have been invited.

❗ Reversed Order for Unpleasant or Blameful Actions:

When the action is negative, blameworthy, or unpleasant, the order is usually

reversed to:

First person, Third person, Second person (132)

➤ I, he, and you

This shows ownership of fault or acceptance of blame, often reflecting humility.

Examples – for unpleasant or blameful actions:

1. I, he, and you are responsible for the mistake.

2. I and she broke the vase.
3. I, they, and you missed the deadline.

12. The following indefinite pronouns are always singular and take singular
verbs:

Anyone, anybody, nobody, every one, each, either, neither and one.

Examples:

Everyone is invited to the party. Anybody is welcome to join.

Each of the students has a locker. Neither of the options works for me.
Nobody knows the answer. Either of the books is fine.
One of the boys is missing. Everyone has finished their homework.

(Note: "their" is sometimes used as a gender-neutral singular pronoun in modern

English.)

13. The following indefinite pronouns are always plural:

Both, few, many, others, several.

Both are invited to the wedding. Many were absent today.

✅ "Both" is plural → verb "are" ✅ "Many" is plural → verb "were"

Few have understood the Several have already applied.

instructions. ✅ "Several" is plural → verb "have"
✅ "Few" is plural → verb "have"
Others were waiting outside.
✅ "Others" is plural → verb "were"

Tip:
Even though these pronouns don't name specific numbers, they always refer to more
than one, so they require plural agreement.

14. The following indefinite pronouns may act as singular or plural according to
the noun after them:

Some, all, none, any, most. (SANAM)

Rule:
Indefinite pronouns like some, all, none, any, most take a singular verb when
referring to a singular (uncountable) noun, and a plural verb when referring to a
plural (countable) noun.

With Singular (Uncountable) Nouns — 2. All of the milk was spilled.

Use Singular Verbs: ✅ "Milk" is uncountable → verb is
"was"
1. Some of the water is gone. 3. None of the sugar has been
✅ "Water" is uncountable → verb is used.
"is" ✅ "Sugar" is uncountable → verb is
"has"
 4. Most of the information is 2. All of the students have arrived.
correct. ✅ "Students" is plural → verb is
✅ "Information" is uncountable → "have"
verb is "is" 3. None of the books were missing.
✅ "Books" is plural → verb is
"were"
4. Most of the cars are new.
✅ "Cars" is plural → verb is "are"
5. Any of the answers are
With Plural (Countable) Nouns — acceptable.
Use Plural Verbs: ✅ "Answers" is plural → verb is
1. Some of the apples are rotten. "are"
✅ "Apples" is countable → verb is
"are"

15. When a pronoun comes before a gerund (a verb ending in -ing used as a
noun), the pronoun should be in the possessive case.

A gerund functions like a noun, so the word before it (especially if it's a pronoun) must
show ownership — hence, it takes the possessive form.

📚 Examples:

1. I appreciated his helping me with the work.

✅ “Helping” is a gerund → use possessive pronoun his
2. Do you mind my leaving early today?
✅ “Leaving” is a gerund → use my
3. We were surprised by their arriving late.
✅ “Arriving” is a gerund → use their
4. She didn’t like our interrupting her.
✅ “Interrupting” is a gerund → use our
5. There’s no excuse for your shouting.
✅ “Shouting” is a gerund → use your
Test.
Find out the errors in the use of Pronoun and correct the following sentences:

1. Only one of my friend has gone.

2. Let you and I play cricket.
3. She is more intelligent than me.
4. I should not have done it but for he.
5. Those who seek they find.
6. It is not me who is to be blamed.
7. Whom do you think stood first?
8. They who respect others they are respected.
9. The Jury must do their duty.
10. The committee have sharp differences among it.
11. Who would you like to see?
12. I, you and he went there.
13. Everybody must not waste their time.
14. None but the brave deserves respect.
15. You and he have done me wrong.
16. None remain to mourn his death.
17. Death has done her job.
18. The moon has his beauty.
19. He stopped himself from moving.
20. I wish he happy Eid Mubarak.
21. We like my new car.
22. Several found his books thrown down.
23. The maid and housekeeper does not like their job.
24. The secretary and the cashier brought his pen.
25. My niece has done his duty.
26. Zia and Zaka love one another.
27. Only a few do his duty honestly.
28. Some of the food have lost its taste.
29. He objected to me shouting at him.
30. Each of those who is there should keep quiet.
31. Take the radio out of the car and fix it.
32. The supervisors told the workers that they would receive a bonus.
33. Witness called the television but they did not answer.
34. Neither of the boys did their homework.
35. You, he and I stole the books.
36. The team was having their lunch.
37. Your books and I books are same.
38. Ali killed him because of joblessness.
39. It was her who knocked at the door.
40. She was as happy as me.