List of Pronouns in English (Types + Examples)

Pronouns are words that represent nouns in the sentences. They are one of part of speech in English grammar. Learning pronouns by their types will definitely help you to lear pronouns by type and how they function in the sentences. Also, it is best to learn new words to expand basic vocabulary.

In this article, you will learn a complete list of pronouns used in the English language. Also, you will find some example sentences to learn how each type of pronoun works when we use them in communciation.

List of Pronouns in English

English pronouns can be divided into several types according to how they function in a sentence. The table below provides a quick list of pronouns in English organized by type.

Quick Personal Pronoun Reference

Personal pronouns change according to their grammatical function. This table makes the differences easier to see.

Note: Words such as my, your, his, her, its, our, and their are commonly called possessive adjectives or, more precisely, possessive determiners when they appear before nouns, as in my book and their house. They should not be confused with standalone possessive pronouns such as mine, yours, hers, ours, and theirs.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns refer to specific people, animals, things, or groups. Their form can change depending on whether the pronoun is the subject or object of a sentence.

The main personal pronouns in English are:

Subject Pronouns

A subject pronoun performs the action of a verb or functions as the subject of a sentence.

The subject pronouns in English are:

I, you, he, she, it, we, they

Examples:

• I study English every day.

• You speak very clearly.

• He works at a bank.

• She enjoys reading novels.

• It looks beautiful.

• We are learning English grammar.

• They live near the school.

In the sentence “She enjoys reading novels,” she is the subject pronoun because it tells us who performs the action.

Object Pronouns

An object pronoun receives the action of a verb or follows a preposition.

The object pronouns in English are:

me, you, him, her, it, us, them

Examples:

• Sarah called me yesterday.

• I will help you with your homework.

• We invited him to the party.

• I saw her at the library.

• Please put it on the table.

• The teacher gave us extra practice.

• I spoke to them after class.

Compare these examples:

She called him.

• She is a subject pronoun because she performs the action.

• Him is an object pronoun because he receives the action.

Another example is:

They invited us.

Here, they is the subject pronoun and us is the object pronoun.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns show that something belongs to or is associated with someone or something. They replace a noun phrase and can stand alone without a noun after them.

The main possessive pronouns in English are:

mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs

Possessive Pronouns vs. Possessive Determiners

Possessive pronouns are often confused with possessive determiners (also traditionally called possessive adjectives). The important difference is that a possessive determiner comes before a noun, while a possessive pronoun replaces the noun phrase and can stand alone.

Notice that his has the same form in both uses:

His phone is new.
The new phone is his.

Also, its is normally used as a possessive determiner before a noun, as in “The dog wagged its tail.” English does not normally use its as an independent possessive pronoun in the same way that we use mine, yours, or theirs.

Examples of Possessive Pronouns in Sentences

• That seat is mine.

• The final decision is yours.

• This umbrella is his.

• The red suitcase is hers.

• The responsibility is ours.

• Those books are theirs.

Possessive pronouns help avoid unnecessary repetition. For example:

Instead of: This is my laptop, not your laptop.
We can say: This laptop is mine, not yours.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of a sentence. We use them when the person or thing performing an action is also the person or thing receiving the action.

The reflexive pronouns in English are:

myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves

How Reflexive Pronouns Work

A reflexive pronoun normally refers to the subject of the same clause.

For example:

David cut himself while cooking.

In this sentence, David performs the action, and himself refers back to David.

Another example:

Sara looked at herself in the mirror.

Here, herself refers back to the subject Sara.

Examples of Reflexive Pronouns in Sentences

• I made this cake myself.

• Be careful not to hurt yourself.

• He blamed himself for the mistake.

• She taught herself Spanish.

• The machine turns itself off automatically.

• We prepared ourselves for the journey.

• Please make yourselves comfortable.

• The children dressed themselves.

Common Mistake: Myself vs. Me

Do not use myself simply as a more formal replacement for me.

Incorrect: Please contact John or myself if you have questions.

Correct: Please contact John or me if you have questions.

Use myself when it refers back to I or when it is used for emphasis.

Reflexive: I accidentally hurt myself.
Emphasis: I completed the entire project myself.

Intensive Pronouns

Intensive pronouns are used to emphasize a noun or pronoun in a sentence. They have the same forms as reflexive pronouns, but their grammatical function is different.

The intensive pronouns in English are:

myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves

Reflexive vs. Intensive Pronouns

Reflexive and intensive pronouns look identical, but they are used differently.

A reflexive pronoun is necessary to the basic meaning or grammatical structure of the sentence because it refers back to the subject.

She taught herself to play the piano.

Here, herself receives the action of taught and refers back to she.

An intensive pronoun, on the other hand, simply adds emphasis.

She herself organized the event.

Here, herself emphasizes she. If we remove it, the sentence still makes sense:

She organized the event.

A simple way to identify an intensive pronoun is to remove it from the sentence. If the sentence remains grammatically complete and keeps its basic meaning, the pronoun is probably being used intensively.

More Examples of Intensive Pronouns

• I myself saw what happened.

• You yourself made this decision.

• The chef himself served our meal.

• Maria herself designed the website.

• We ourselves completed the work.

• The players themselves cleaned the field.

Intensive pronouns are especially useful when you want to emphasize that a particular person or thing did something personally.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are used to point to specific people, things, or ideas. The four demonstrative pronouns in English are:

this, that, these, those

The choice depends on whether we are referring to something singular or plural and generally whether it is perceived as near or farther away.

Examples of Demonstrative Pronouns

• This is delicious.

• That belongs to me.

• These are my new shoes.

• Those were the best days of my life.

• This is exactly what I needed.

• That sounds like a good idea.

• These are ready to use.

• Those belong to our neighbors.

This vs. That

Use this to refer to one thing that is relatively near or immediate and that for one thing that is relatively farther away or less immediate.

This is my phone.
That is your phone over there.

These vs. Those

Use these for more than one nearby thing and those for more than one thing farther away.

These are fresh apples.
Those are the mountains we visited last year.

Demonstrative Pronouns vs. Demonstrative Determiners

The words this, that, these, and those can also appear directly before nouns. When they do, they function as demonstrative determiners rather than pronouns.

Compare:

Pronoun: This is expensive.
Determiner: This laptop is expensive.

Pronoun: Those are mine.
Determiner: Those books are mine.

A demonstrative pronoun stands on its own, while a demonstrative determiner modifies a noun.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to people, things, or amounts without identifying exactly who or what they are. Common indefinite pronouns include someone, anyone, everyone, nobody, something, anything, each, both, many, few, several, and none.

List of Indefinite Pronouns

Here are common indefinite pronouns in English:

Examples of Indefinite Pronouns in Sentences

• Someone is waiting outside.

• Anyone can learn English with regular practice.

• Everyone enjoyed the lesson.

• Nobody knew the answer.

• Something smells delicious.

• Anything is possible with enough practice.

• Nothing was damaged.

• Each received a certificate.

• Both were correct.

• Many attended the meeting.

• Few understood the question.

• Several have already arrived.

• None were available.

• Either will work for me.

• Neither was suitable.

Singular and Plural Indefinite Pronouns

Many indefinite pronouns ending in -one, -body, and -thing are grammatically singular.

For example:

Everyone is ready.
Someone has left a bag here.
Nothing was missing.

Pronouns such as both, few, many, and several are plural.

Both are correct.
Several have applied.

Some indefinite pronouns, including all, any, most, none, and some, can take singular or plural agreement depending on what they refer to.

Some of the water is gone.
Some of the students are absent.

Using Singular “They” with Indefinite Pronouns

In modern English, they, them, and their are commonly used when referring back to a singular indefinite pronoun when the person’s gender is unknown or irrelevant.

For example:

Someone left their phone on the table.

Everyone should bring their notebook.

This usage is natural and widely accepted in contemporary English.

Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses that give more information about a person, thing, or noun phrase mentioned in a sentence.

The main relative pronouns in English are:

who, whom, whose, which, that

Examples of Relative Pronouns in Sentences

• The teacher who helped me was very kind.

• The person whom you called is unavailable.

• I met a writer whose books are very popular.

• This is the movie which we watched yesterday.

• The cake that she made was delicious.

• The students who studied regularly passed the test.

• The phone that I lost has been found.

• She bought a house which overlooks the lake.

Who vs. Whom

Who is generally used as the subject of a relative clause.

The woman who lives next door is a doctor.

Here, who performs the action lives.

Whom is traditionally used as an object.

The woman whom I met was a doctor.

Here, I is the subject of met, while whom is its object.

In everyday English, who often replaces whom, especially in informal speech.

Relative Pronouns vs. Interrogative Pronouns

Some words can function as either relative or interrogative pronouns depending on how they are used.

Relative: I know the woman who called you.

Interrogative: Who called you?

In the first sentence, who introduces a relative clause describing the woman. In the second, who is used to ask a question.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are pronouns used to ask questions about people or things. The main interrogative pronouns in English are:

who, whom, whose, which, what

Examples of Interrogative Pronouns in Sentences

• Who is standing at the door?

• Who won the competition?

• Whom did you meet yesterday?

• Whom should we contact?

• Whose is this notebook?

• Which would you like?

• Which is your favorite?

• What caused the problem?

• What do you need?

Who vs. Whom in Questions

Use who when asking about the subject of a sentence.

Who called you?

Use whom traditionally when asking about the object.

Whom did you call?

In modern everyday English, who is frequently used instead of whom, especially in conversation:

Who did you call?

This is common and natural in informal English.

Interrogative Pronouns vs. Interrogative Determiners

Words such as which, what, and whose can function differently when they appear before nouns.

Compare:

Interrogative pronoun: Which do you want?

Interrogative determiner: Which book do you want?

In the first sentence, which stands alone and functions as a pronoun. In the second, which modifies the noun book.

Another example:

Pronoun: Whose is this?

Determiner: Whose bag is this?

The easiest way to recognize an interrogative pronoun is to check whether it stands in place of the person or thing being asked about rather than directly modifying a noun.

Reciprocal Pronouns

Reciprocal pronouns are used when two or more people, groups, or things perform the same action toward one another. They express a mutual relationship or action.

English has two reciprocal pronouns:

each other
one another

Examples of Reciprocal Pronouns

• Sara and Ali help each other with their homework.

• The two friends respect each other.

• The players congratulated each other after the game.

• My neighbors often visit each other.

• The team members supported one another.

• The students shared their ideas with one another.

• The countries agreed to cooperate with one another.

• Good friends should listen to each other.

Each Other vs. One Another

Traditionally, each other was sometimes recommended for two people or things and one another for more than two.

For example:

The two sisters help each other.

The members of the team help one another.

However, this distinction is not a strict rule in modern English. Each other and one another are often used interchangeably.

Reciprocal vs. Reflexive Pronouns

Reciprocal pronouns should not be confused with reflexive pronouns.

Reciprocal: Tom and Jack helped each other.

This means Tom helped Jack, and Jack helped Tom.

Reflexive: Tom and Jack helped themselves.

This means each person helped himself rather than the other person.

The difference is that reciprocal pronouns express a mutual action, while reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject.

Archaic Pronouns

Archaic pronouns are older pronoun forms that are no longer commonly used in everyday modern English. You may still encounter them in historical writing, older literature, poetry, religious texts, and deliberately old-fashioned language.

Common archaic pronoun forms include:

Thou vs. Thee

Thou traditionally functions as a subject, while thee functions as an object.

Thou knowest the answer.

I will speak to thee.

This distinction is similar to the modern difference between I/me or he/him.

Thy vs. Thine

Thy and thine are older possessive forms related to modern your and yours.

Thy name is known.

The victory is thine.

These forms are useful to recognize, but English learners generally do not need to use them in normal modern conversation or writing.

Distributive Pronouns

Distributive pronouns refer to members of a group individually rather than treating the group as a whole. In traditional English grammar, the main distributive pronouns are:

each, either, neither

These words can stand alone as pronouns.

Examples of Distributive Pronouns

• Each has a different responsibility.

• Each was given an opportunity to speak.

• There are two routes, and either will take you to the station.

• I like both options, so either is fine.

• We considered both proposals, but neither was suitable.

• Neither has replied to my email.

Each, Either, and Neither as Determiners

The words each, either, and neither can also come directly before nouns. In that position, they function as determiners rather than pronouns.

Compare:

Pronoun: Each received a book.
Determiner: Each student received a book.

Pronoun: Either is acceptable.
Determiner: Either option is acceptable.

Pronoun: Neither was correct.
Determiner: Neither answer was correct.

In modern grammar, each, either, and neither may also be grouped with indefinite pronouns when they stand alone. However, the term distributive pronouns is still commonly used in traditional grammar and English-learning materials.

Examples of Pronouns in Sentences

Pronouns perform different functions depending on their type and position in a sentence. Here are examples of the major types of pronouns in English.

10 More Pronoun Examples

Here are some additional examples showing pronouns in everyday sentences:

1. I have an English class today.

2. Can you help me with this question?

3. This seat is yours.

4. He introduced himself to the new students.

5. These are much cheaper.

6. Nobody answered the phone.

7. The student who won the competition is my friend.

8. Which would you prefer?

9. The children shared their toys with one another.

10. Each received the same amount.

Notice that the same word can sometimes belong to different grammatical categories depending on how it is used. For example, who can be an interrogative pronoun in “Who called?” and a relative pronoun in “The woman who called is my teacher.”

Common Pronoun Mistakes

Pronouns may look simple, but some forms are commonly confused in everyday English. Here are several pronoun mistakes to watch for.

1. I vs. Me

Use I as a subject and me as an object.

Incorrect: Me and Sarah went to the store.
Correct: Sarah and I went to the store.

Incorrect: The teacher spoke to John and I.
Correct: The teacher spoke to John and me.

A useful trick is to remove the other person’s name:

I went to the store. ✓
The teacher spoke to me. ✓

2. Your vs. Yours

Use your before a noun. Use yours when the possessive form stands alone.

Correct: Is this your book?
Correct: Is this book yours?

Do not say:

Incorrect: This book is your.

3. Their vs. Theirs

Use their before a noun and theirs without a following noun.

Their house is beautiful.

The house is theirs.

4. Who vs. Whom

Use who mainly for subjects and whom traditionally for objects.

Who called you?

Whom did you call?

In everyday English, who is commonly used instead of whom in many object questions, especially in conversation.

5. Myself vs. Me

Do not use myself simply because it sounds more formal than me.

Incorrect: Please send the document to Sarah and myself.

Correct: Please send the document to Sarah and me.

Use myself when it refers back to I or adds emphasis.

I hurt myself.

I wrote the report myself.

6. Reflexive vs. Reciprocal Pronouns

Compare:

They looked at themselves in the mirror.

Here, themselves refers back to the subjects individually.

They looked at each other.

Here, each other shows that each person looked at the other person.

7. Subject vs. Object Pronouns

Do not use an object pronoun where a subject pronoun is required.

Incorrect: Her is my sister.

Correct: She is my sister.

Likewise, use an object form when the pronoun receives the action.

Incorrect: I called she.

Correct: I called her.

Learning the function of a pronoun in a sentence is often more useful than simply memorizing a list of forms.

Conclusion

Pronouns are essential words in English because they help us refer to people, things, and ideas without repeating the same nouns. Learning pronouns by type also makes it easier to understand how they function in sentences.

In this list of pronouns in English, we covered subject and object pronouns as well as possessive, reflexive, intensive, demonstrative, indefinite, relative, interrogative, reciprocal, and distributive pronouns.

As a quick review:

• I, you, he, she, it, we, they are subject pronouns.

• me, you, him, her, it, us, them are object pronouns.

• mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs are possessive pronouns.

• myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves can function as reflexive or intensive pronouns.

• this, that, these, those can function as demonstrative pronouns.

• who, whom, whose, which, and that can function as relative pronouns.

• who, whom, whose, which, and what can function as interrogative pronouns.

• each other and one another are reciprocal pronouns.

Instead of trying to memorize every pronoun at once, learn one type at a time and practice using the words in complete sentences. Understanding what a pronoun does in a sentence will help you choose the correct form when speaking and writing English.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pronouns

What is a pronoun?

A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun or refers to someone or something understood from the context. Examples include I, you, he, she, it, they, me, this, who, and someone.

What are the main types of pronouns?

The main types commonly taught in English include personal, possessive, reflexive, intensive, demonstrative, indefinite, relative, interrogative, and reciprocal pronouns. Traditional grammar may also include distributive pronouns as a separate category.

What are the seven subject pronouns?

The seven commonly listed subject pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, we, and they.

What are the object pronouns in English?

The object pronouns are me, you, him, her, it, us, and them.

For example:

She called me.

We invited them.

What are the possessive pronouns?

The main possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs.

For example:

This book is mine.

That house is theirs.

What is the difference between a noun and a pronoun?

A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea, while a pronoun can replace or refer to a noun or noun phrase.

For example:

Maria has a new laptop. Maria uses the laptop every day.

Using pronouns, we can say:

Maria has a new laptop. She uses it every day.

Here, she refers to Maria, and it refers to the laptop.

What is the difference between subject and object pronouns?

A subject pronoun functions as the subject of a clause, while an object pronoun functions as an object.

She called him.

In this sentence, she is the subject pronoun and him is the object pronoun.

Is “they” a singular pronoun?

Yes. They can be plural, but singular they is also commonly used when a person’s gender is unknown, irrelevant, or when they is the person’s pronoun.

For example:

Someone left their umbrella here.

Can the same word be more than one type of pronoun?

Yes. A word’s function depends on how it is used.

Who called you?

Here, who is interrogative.

The woman who called you is my teacher.

Here, who is relative.

Similarly, words such as this, that, which, each, and some can have different grammatical functions depending on the sentence.

You May Also Like

Continue learning about pronouns with these related English grammar guides:

• Object Pronouns: Definition & Examples — Learn how object pronouns such as me, him, her, us, and them function in sentences.

• Possessive Pronouns: Definition and Examples — Understand how mine, yours, hers, ours, and theirs express possession.

• Reflexive Pronouns: Definition & Examples — Learn when to use myself, yourself, himself, herself, and other reflexive forms.

• Me vs. I: How to Use Them Correctly — Understand when to use I as a subject and me as an object.

• Pronoun Cases in English — Learn how pronoun forms change according to their grammatical function.

• Types of Pronouns in English — Explore the major pronoun categories and how each type works.

• Object Pronouns: Definition & Examples
• Reflexive Pronouns: Definition & Examples
• List of Pronouns
• What are Possessive Pronouns? Definition and Examples