Master English Pronouns and Possessives

Subject and Object Pronouns

• Many sentences in English have a subject, a verb, and an object. Both the subject and the object can be nouns.
• We can replace nouns with pronouns.
• Pronouns used as subjects are sometimes different from pronouns used as objects.
• A pronoun can refer to a noun or to a noun phrase (a noun plus a group of words related to the noun).
• We use object pronouns after prepositions.
• Remember to use the correct pronoun forms.

Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns

• We put a possessive adjective before a noun. We use a possessive pronoun alone; there is no noun after it.
• We use possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns to show that something belongs to somebody.
• Be careful when using its/it's and their/they're. They are pronounced the same, but the meanings are different.

Reflexive Pronouns

• We use reflexive pronouns as objects when the subject and the object of the verb or preposition refer to the same person or thing.
• Reflexive pronouns often come after specific verbs and phrases.
• We can use them with the preposition by when we mean "alone" or "without any help."
• We do not usually use reflexive pronouns with verbs such as dress, wash, and shave. We use them only when something is unusual or requires a lot of effort.

Another, The Other, Other, Others, and The Others

• We use another and the other as adjectives before nouns.
• We use another and the other as pronouns.
• We use the adjective other (without an 's') with a plural noun.
• We use the pronoun others (with an 's') when there is no noun that follows.

One and Ones

• One is singular; ones is plural.
• One/ones and some/any are indefinite (like 'a'). It and they/them refer to something definite (like 'the').

Indefinite Pronouns

• Use someone/somebody (for a person), something (for a thing), and somewhere (for a place) in affirmative statements.
• Use anyone/anybody/anything/anywhere for questions and negative statements.
• Use no one/nobody/nothing/nowhere in place of not anyone/anybody, not anything, and not anywhere.
• We use the adjective every with singular count nouns.
• Use everyone/everybody/everything/everywhere in affirmative statements and questions.