What is a pronoun? Types and examples
Short answer: A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun, so you do not repeat the noun: Mia is happy. She is ten. The main types are subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they), object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them), possessive words (my, mine, your, yours) and demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those).
At a glance
| Type | Words | Example |
|---|---|---|
| subject | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | She is happy. |
| object | me, you, him, her, it, us, them | I see him. |
| possessive adjective | my, your, his, her, its, our, their | This is my bag. |
| possessive pronoun | mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs | The bag is mine. |
| demonstrative | this, that, these, those | Look at that! |
| indefinite | everyone, nobody, something, anything | Everyone is here. |
How to tell
- Find the noun that is already clear from the sentence before, and replace it with a pronoun.
- Choose the form by its job: before a verb use I, he, she…; after a verb use me, him, her…
- Match the number and gender: boy → he, girl → she, thing → it, more than one → they.
- Check that it is clear which noun the pronoun replaces. If it is not, repeat the noun.
Examples
- Ben lost his key, so he looked for it.
he replaces Ben; it replaces the key; his shows who owns the key. - The cups are clean. Put them away.
them replaces the cups after the verb put. - Mia and I are friends. We play together.
We replaces Mia and I. - That is not mine. Is it yours?
mine and yours are possessive pronouns: they stand alone. - She gave me a book.
she is the subject; me is the object. - These shoes are old, but I like them.
them replaces the shoes. - Who called you?
who is a question word that stands in for a person. - Everyone is here.
everyone is an indefinite pronoun and takes a singular verb.
Common mistakes
Me and Ben are friends.→ Ben and I are friends.
As the subject, use I in careful English, and put the other person first.Her is my sister.→ She is my sister.
Use the subject form she before a verb.I see he.→ I see him.
After a verb, use the object form him.The dog wags it’s tail.→ The dog wags its tail.
Its (ownership) has no apostrophe; it’s means it is.This books are mine.→ These books are mine.
books is plural, so use these.
Pronoun or adjective?
Words such as my and this can come before a noun or stand alone. The job decides the name.
| Example | Word | Job |
|---|---|---|
| my bag | my | before a noun (possessive adjective) |
| The bag is mine. | mine | alone (possessive pronoun) |
| this book | this | before a noun (determiner) |
| Take this. | this | alone (demonstrative pronoun) |
Check yourself
- Which words are pronouns? “Ben called, so I answered him.”
Show the answer
I, him They stand in for people.
- Choose: “___ are my friends.” (They / Them)
Show the answer
They They is the subject form.
- Fix: “I see she.”
Show the answer
I see her. After a verb, use her.
The other parts of speech
Questions
What is the difference between a pronoun and a noun?
A noun names something (Mia, the book). A pronoun stands in for a noun (she, it). Use a pronoun when the noun is already known.
Is “it” always about things?
Mostly. It is also used for the weather and time (It is raining. It is six o’clock) and for animals when we do not know their sex.
Can “they” be used for one person?
Yes. Many speakers use they for one person when the gender is unknown or not stated: Someone left their bag. It is common and accepted.
Part of the Parts of speech guide in the 📘 Grammar tool. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30