What are Pronouns and Their Different Kinds

What are Pronouns and Their Different Kinds | English Grammar for Hearing Impaired Students

What are Pronouns? (Pronouns की परिभाषा)

Pronouns are words that we use instead of nouns. They help avoid repeating the same nouns over and over. For example, instead of saying “Rita likes Rita’s cat,” we say “She likes her cat.” This makes our sentences smoother and easier to read.

Pronouns वे शब्द होते हैं जो noun के स्थान पर प्रयोग होते हैं। ये भाषा को सरल और दोहराव से मुक्त बनाते हैं।

List of Common Pronouns

Here are some commonly used pronouns in English for better understanding:

I
We
You
He
She
It
They
Me
Us
Him
Her
Them
My
Your
His
Our
Its
Their
Mine
Ours

Practice Time : What Are Pronouns?

Total Questions: 15

  1. Which of the following best defines a pronoun?
    A) A word that describes an action
    B) A word that replaces a noun
    C) A word that expresses emotion
    D) A word that joins sentences
  2. Why do we use pronouns in sentences?
    A) To avoid repeating nouns
    B) To replace verbs
    C) To form plural words
    D) To describe objects
  3. Which word is a pronoun in this sentence: “She is reading a book”?
    A) She
    B) Reading
    C) Book
    D) Is
  4. Identify the pronoun in this sentence: “They are playing outside.”
    A) Playing
    B) They
    C) Outside
    D) Are
  5. What does the pronoun “it” usually replace?
    A) A place
    B) An animal or object
    C) A group of people
    D) An action
  6. Choose the sentence that correctly uses a pronoun:
    A) Ramesh went to Ramesh’s house.
    B) Ramesh went to his house.
    C) Ramesh went house.
    D) Ramesh to went house.
  7. Which of these is NOT a pronoun?
    A) We
    B) Dog
    C) I
    D) You
  8. Select the correct pronoun to complete: “_____ am going to the market.”
    A) Me
    B) I
    C) Mine
    D) Myself
  9. In the sentence “This is my book,” which word is the pronoun?
    A) Book
    B) My
    C) This
    D) Is
  10. Which pronoun can replace “Rahul and I” in a sentence?
    A) They
    B) We
    C) Us
    D) Him
  11. Identify the pronoun: “Can you help me with this work?”
    A) Help
    B) Me
    C) Work
    D) With
  12. Which sentence uses a pronoun correctly?
    A) He is my friend.
    B) Him is my friend.
    C) His is my friend.
    D) Her is my friend.
  13. A pronoun is used instead of a:
    A) Verb
    B) Noun
    C) Adjective
    D) Conjunction
  14. In the sentence “We are going to school,” which word is the pronoun?
    A) School
    B) Going
    C) We
    D) To
  15. Which of the following is the main function of pronouns?
    A) To add detail
    B) To avoid repetition of nouns
    C) To show possession
    D) To describe a verb

Answer Key with Explanations

  1. B. Pronouns replace nouns, e.g., he, she, it.
  2. A. Pronouns avoid repeating nouns in sentences.
  3. A. “She” is the pronoun replacing a girl’s name.
  4. B. “They” replaces names of people.
  5. B. “It” is used for animals or objects.
  6. B. Correct use: “Ramesh went to his house.”
  7. B. “Dog” is a noun, not a pronoun.
  8. B. Correct sentence: “I am going to the market.”
  9. C. “This” is a pronoun pointing to the book.
  10. B. “We” can replace “Rahul and I”.
  11. B. “Me” is the pronoun in the sentence.
  12. A. “He is my friend” is correct usage.
  13. B. Pronouns are used instead of nouns.
  14. C. “We” is the pronoun in the sentence.
  15. B. Pronouns mainly avoid repetition of nouns.

Types of Pronouns

Type of Pronoun Pronouns Example Sentence Hindi Translation Video Resource
Personal Pronouns I, you, he, she, it, we, they She writes beautifully. वह सुंदर लिखती है। Watch Video
Possessive Pronouns mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs This notebook is mine. यह कॉपी मेरी है। Watch Video
Reflexive Pronouns myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves I taught myself to code. मैंने खुद को कोडिंग सिखाई। Watch Video
Demonstrative Pronouns this, that, these, those I think this is correct. मुझे लगता है यह सही है। Watch Video
Relative Pronouns who, whom, which, that, whose I know the girl who won. मैं उस लड़की को जानता/जानती हूँ जिसने जीत हासिल की। Watch Video
Interrogative Pronouns who, whom, which, what, whose What did she say? उसने क्या कहा? Watch Video
Indefinite Pronouns someone, anyone, everyone, nobody, something, anything, everything, nothing I saw someone at the gate. मैंने किसी को गेट पर देखा। Watch Video
Reciprocal Pronouns each other, one another They respect each other. वे एक-दूसरे का सम्मान करते हैं। Watch Video

Types of Pronouns (Pronouns के प्रकार)

Personal Pronouns (व्यक्तिगत सर्वनाम):

Personal pronouns replace specific people or things and show the speaker (first person), the listener (second person), or others being discussed (third person). They change with number and sometimes gender. Using them avoids repetition and makes sentences smoother. Examples below include all six: I, you, he, she, we, they.

I: I am studying for the test. (मैं परीक्षा की तैयारी कर रहा/रही हूँ।)

You: You are a helpful friend. (तुम एक सहायक मित्र हो।)

He: He plays cricket daily. (वह रोज़ क्रिकेट खेलता है।)

She: She writes beautifully. (वह सुंदर लिखती है।)

We: We live in Delhi. (हम दिल्ली में रहते हैं।)

They: They are at school now. (वे अभी स्कूल में हैं।)

Practice Time : Personal Pronouns

Total Questions: 15

  1. Which of the following is a personal pronoun?
    A) We
    B) This
    C) My
    D) Who
  2. In the sentence “I am a student,” which word is the personal pronoun?
    A) Student
    B) Am
    C) I
    D) A
  3. Choose the correct personal pronoun: “_____ are my best friends.”
    A) He
    B) We
    C) They
    D) It
  4. Which sentence uses a personal pronoun correctly?
    A) Him is going to the park.
    B) She is playing football.
    C) Her is my friend.
    D) Us went to school.
  5. Select the personal pronoun in: “They live in London.”
    A) They
    B) Live
    C) London
    D) In
  6. Which personal pronoun fits: “_____ am very tired.”
    A) Me
    B) I
    C) Us
    D) Him
  7. Identify the personal pronoun: “Can you help us with this project?”
    A) Help
    B) Us
    C) Project
    D) With
  8. Which of these is NOT a personal pronoun?
    A) He
    B) She
    C) It
    D) Myself
  9. Which personal pronoun completes: “Rahul and I are brothers. _____ play together every day.”
    A) He
    B) They
    C) We
    D) Us
  10. Which personal pronoun is used for a girl?
    A) He
    B) She
    C) It
    D) They
  11. Fill in the blank: “This is my book. It belongs to _____.”
    A) I
    B) Me
    C) We
    D) Us
  12. Which sentence contains TWO personal pronouns?
    A) She and I are friends.
    B) This is my pen.
    C) Who is at the door?
    D) The dog is barking loudly.
  13. Which personal pronoun should replace “Ramesh”?
    A) She
    B) He
    C) They
    D) We
  14. Identify the personal pronoun: “It is raining heavily.”
    A) Raining
    B) Heavily
    C) It
    D) Is
  15. Which personal pronoun would you use when speaking about yourself?
    A) You
    B) I
    C) They
    D) Him

Answer Key with Explanations

  1. A. “We” is a personal pronoun.
  2. C. “I” is the personal pronoun in the sentence.
  3. C. “They” is correct for plural friends.
  4. B. “She is playing football” is correct usage.
  5. A. “They” is the personal pronoun.
  6. B. “I am very tired” is correct.
  7. B. “Us” is the personal pronoun.
  8. D. “Myself” is reflexive, not personal.
  9. C. “We play together every day.”
  10. B. “She” is used for a girl.
  11. B. Correct: “It belongs to me.”
  12. A. “She” and “I” are both personal pronouns.
  13. B. “He” replaces “Ramesh.”
  14. C. “It” is the personal pronoun.
  15. B. “I” is used for oneself.

Possessive Pronouns (अधिकार दर्शाने वाले सर्वनाम)

Possessive pronouns show ownership and replace longer noun phrases to prevent repetition. They stand alone and do not take nouns after them (unlike possessive adjectives). Matching each personal pronoun are forms like mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs. Examples below connect I, you, he, she, we, they to their possessives.

I → mine: This notebook is mine. (यह कॉपी मेरी है।)

You → yours: The seat by the window is yours. (खिड़की वाली सीट तुम्हारी है।)

He → his: The blue helmet is his. (नीला हेलमेट उसका है।)

She → hers: The idea was hers. (विचार उसका था।)

We → ours: Victory is ours. (जीत हमारी है।)

They → theirs: That car is theirs. (वह कार उनकी है।)

Practice Time : Possessive Pronouns

Total Questions: 15

  1. Which of the following is a possessive pronoun?
    A) Mine
    B) My
    C) Me
    D) I
  2. Identify the possessive pronoun: “This book is mine.”
    A) This
    B) Book
    C) Is
    D) Mine
  3. Which sentence uses a possessive pronoun?
    A) This is my car.
    B) The car is mine.
    C) That car belongs to Ramesh.
    D) This is a car.
  4. Which of these is NOT a possessive pronoun?
    A) Yours
    B) His
    C) Her
    D) Theirs
  5. Fill in the blank: “This house belongs to us. It is _____.”
    A) Ours
    B) Us
    C) Our
    D) We
  6. Which word is the possessive pronoun in: “Is this pen yours?”
    A) Is
    B) This
    C) Pen
    D) Yours
  7. Choose the correct option: “The responsibility is _____.”
    A) Your
    B) Yours
    C) You
    D) Yourself
  8. Select the sentence with a possessive pronoun:
    A) That is his bag.
    B) That bag is his.
    C) This is my pen.
    D) Ramesh has a book.
  9. Which possessive pronoun completes: “This seat is not taken. It’s _____.”
    A) Her
    B) Hers
    C) She
    D) She’s
  10. Identify the possessive pronoun: “Those toys are theirs.”
    A) Those
    B) Toys
    C) Are
    D) Theirs
  11. Which of the following is ONLY a possessive pronoun?
    A) Our
    B) Hers
    C) My
    D) Your
  12. Choose the correct sentence:
    A) This notebook is mine.
    B) This notebook is my.
    C) This notebook is me.
    D) This notebook is I.
  13. Fill in the blank: “We won the match, so the victory is _____.”
    A) Ours
    B) Us
    C) Our
    D) We
  14. Which word is the possessive pronoun in: “Is this bag hers?”
    A) Is
    B) This
    C) Bag
    D) Hers
  15. Which possessive pronoun would replace “This bicycle belongs to Rahul”?
    A) His
    B) Him
    C) He
    D) Her

Answer Key with Explanations

  1. A. “Mine” is a possessive pronoun; “my” is an adjective.
  2. D. “Mine” shows ownership.
  3. B. “Mine” is possessive pronoun; “my” is adjective.
  4. C. “Her” is possessive adjective, not pronoun.
  5. A. “Ours” correctly shows possession.
  6. D. “Yours” is the possessive pronoun.
  7. B. “Yours” is correct, not “your.”
  8. B. “That bag is his” → “his” is possessive pronoun.
  9. B. “Hers” is the correct possessive pronoun.
  10. D. “Theirs” shows possession of toys.
  11. B. “Hers” is only pronoun; “our/my/your” are adjectives.
  12. A. “This notebook is mine” is correct.
  13. A. “Ours” shows possession of victory.
  14. D. “Hers” is the possessive pronoun.
  15. A. “His” replaces “belongs to Rahul.”

Reflexive Pronouns (स्वयं को दर्शाने वाले सर्वनाम)

Reflexive pronouns reflect the action back to the subject, showing that the doer and receiver are the same. They are required after certain verbs or for emphasis. For our set: myself, yourself, himself, herself, ourselves, themselves map to I, you, he, she, we, they.

I → myself: I taught myself to code. (मैंने खुद को कोडिंग सिखाई।)

You → yourself: You should believe in yourself. (तुम्हें खुद पर विश्वास करना चाहिए।)

He → himself: He introduced himself. (उसने खुद का परिचय दिया।)

She → herself: She prepared herself for the exam. (उसने परीक्षा के लिए खुद को तैयार किया।)

We → ourselves: We organized it ourselves. (हमने इसे खुद आयोजित किया।)

They → themselves: They blamed themselves for the mistake. (उन्होंने गलती के लिए खुद को दोषी ठहराया।)

Demonstrative Pronouns (संकेतक सर्वनाम)

Demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) point to specific things and show distance in space or time: near vs. far; singular vs. plural. We can combine them with our personal pronouns in sentences to make meaning clear and natural, as shown below.

I: I think this is correct. (मुझे लगता है यह सही है।)

You: Can you pass that? (क्या वह दे सकते हो?)

He: He bought these yesterday. (उसने ये कल खरीदे।)

She: She prefers those. (उसे वे पसंद हैं।)

We: We will choose this later. (हम यह बाद में चुनेंगे।)

They: They returned those. (उन्होंने वे वापस कर दिए।)

Relative Pronouns (संबंधबोधक सर्वनाम)

Relative pronouns (who, whom, which, whose, that) connect extra information to a noun, creating relative clauses. They help us describe people or things more precisely. Below, each sentence features I, you, he, she, we, they along with a relative pronoun.

I: I know the girl who won. (मैं उस लड़की को जानता/जानती हूँ जिसने जीत हासिल की।)

You: You met the author whom we invited. (तुम उस लेखक से मिले जिसे हमने बुलाया था।)

He: He bought the phone which has 5G. (उसने वह फ़ोन लिया जो 5G वाला है।)

She: She found the boy whose bag was lost. (उसे वह लड़का मिला जिसका बैग खो गया था।)

We: We chose the book that you recommended. (हमने वह किताब चुनी जो आपने सुझाई।)

They: They visited the museum which reopened. (उन्होंने वह संग्रहालय देखा जो फिर से खुला।)

Interrogative Pronouns (प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम)

Interrogative pronouns (who, whom, which, what) are used to ask questions about people or things. They replace the unknown item we want to identify. Each example includes one of I, you, he, she, we, they to reinforce usage in natural questions.

I: Who am I to judge? (मैं कौन होता/होती हूँ निर्णय करने वाला?)

You: Which will you choose? (तुम कौन-सा चुनोगे?)

He: Whom did he call? (उसने किसे फ़ोन किया?)

She: What did she say? (उसने क्या कहा?)

We: Which route should we take? (हम कौन-सा मार्ग लें?)

They: Who are they waiting for? (वे किस का इंतज़ार कर रहे हैं?)

Indefinite Pronouns (अनिश्चित सर्वनाम)

Indefinite pronouns (someone, anyone, everyone, nobody, etc.) refer to nonspecific people or things. They help when the exact identity is unknown or unimportant. Pairing them with I, you, he, she, we, they in full sentences builds fluency and clarity.

I: I saw someone at the gate. (मैंने किसी को गेट पर देखा।)

You: Can you ask anyone for help? (क्या तुम किसी से भी मदद माँग सकते हो?)

He: He told everyone the news. (उसने सबको खबर दी।)

She: She trusts nobody easily. (वह आसानी से किसी पर भी भरोसा नहीं करती।)

We: We need something to write with. (हमें लिखने के लिए कुछ चाहिए।)

They: They brought everything we asked. (वे सब कुछ ले आए।)

Reciprocal Pronouns (परस्पर सर्वनाम)

Reciprocal pronouns (each other, one another) show mutual action or feeling between two or more people. Use them when subjects act both as doers and receivers. The examples include pairs and groups so that I, you, he, she, we, they are all represented naturally.

You & I: You and I help each other with homework. (तुम और मैं एक-दूसरे की मदद करते हैं।)

He & She: He and she respect each other. (वह और वह एक-दूसरे का सम्मान करते हैं।)

We: We encourage one another in practice. (हम अभ्यास में एक-दूसरे को प्रोत्साहित करते हैं।)

They (two people): They blamed each other for the error. (उन्होंने गलती के लिए एक-दूसरे को दोष दिया।)

They (group): The teammates congratulated one another. (खिलाड़ियों ने एक-दूसरे को बधाई दी।)

Rules and Tips (प्रमुख नियम और सुझाव)

  • Always match the pronoun with its noun in number and gender.
  • Use “it” for animals and objects.
  • Use “they” when talking about more than one person or thing.
  • Do not use double subjects like “Rita she is coming” — it’s incorrect.
  • Reflexive pronouns should refer back to the subject (e.g., “He hurt himself.”).

Fill in the Blanks (रिक्त स्थान भरें)

  1. ________ is going to the market. (Ravi)
  2. I saw Tina and Rahul. I gave the book to ________.
  3. She cooked dinner by ________.
  4. This is my pen. That one is ________.
  5. ________ is knocking at the door? (question)

Answers:

  1. He
  2. Them
  3. Herself
  4. Yours
  5. Who

Explanation: Each blank uses a suitable pronoun that agrees with the noun it replaces. “He” replaces Ravi, “them” replaces Tina and Rahul, and so on.

Common Error Correction (सामान्य त्रुटियाँ)

  • Incorrect: Me went to the park.
    Why incorrect: “Me” is an object pronoun, but here a subject pronoun is needed.
    Correct: I went to the park.
  • Incorrect: Him is playing football.
    Why incorrect: “Him” is used as an object pronoun, but in this sentence it is the subject.
    Correct: He is playing football.
  • Incorrect: Myself am happy.
    Why incorrect: “Myself” is a reflexive pronoun, not a subject.
    Correct: I am happy.
  • Incorrect: She hurt himself.
    Why incorrect: Reflexive pronoun must match subject.
    Correct: She hurt herself.

Find the Error (त्रुटियाँ खोजें)

  1. Me is a good singer.
  2. They is going home now.
  3. He enjoyed myself a lot.
  4. It are raining heavily.
  5. That books is yours.

Answers with Detailed Explanation:

  1. Incorrect: Me is a good singer.
    Why incorrect: “Me” is an object pronoun; subject is needed.
    Correct: I am a good singer.
  2. Incorrect: They is going home now.
    Why incorrect: Plural subject needs plural verb.
    Correct: They are going home now.
  3. Incorrect: He enjoyed myself a lot.
    Why incorrect: Reflexive pronoun mismatch.
    Correct: He enjoyed himself a lot.
  4. Incorrect: It are raining heavily.
    Why incorrect: Singular subject needs singular verb.
    Correct: It is raining heavily.
  5. Incorrect: That books is yours.
    Why incorrect: Singular demonstrative needs singular noun.
    Correct: That book is yours.

Match the Columns – Pronouns (6 Sets)

Instructions: For each set, match Column A with Column B.

Set 1: Personal Pronouns → Role/Meaning

Column AColumn B
A1. IB1. Female singular person spoken about
A2. YouB2. Group of people other than speaker/listener
A3. HeB3. Speaker + at least one other person
A4. SheB4. Male singular person spoken about
A5. WeB5. Second person (listener/reader)
A6. TheyB6. First person singular (the speaker)

Set 2: Possessive Pronouns → Ownership

Column AColumn B
A1. mineB1. belongs to her
A2. yoursB2. belongs to them
A3. hisB3. belongs to you
A4. hersB4. belongs to him
A5. oursB5. belongs to us
A6. theirsB6. belongs to me

Set 3: Reflexive Pronouns → Matches Subject

Column AColumn B
A1. myselfB1. they → ________
A2. yourselfB2. she → ________
A3. himselfB3. you (singular) → ________
A4. herselfB4. I → ________
A5. ourselvesB5. he → ________
A6. themselvesB6. we → ________

Set 4: Demonstratives → Choose by Distance/Number

Column A (Cue)Column B (Demonstrative)
A1. ______ is my pen (near, singular)B1. those
A2. ______ are your friends (far, plural)B2. this
A3. ______ is a beautiful photo (far, singular)B3. these
A4. ______ are fresh mangoes (near, plural)B4. that
A5. ______ was an unforgettable day (past)B5. these
A6. ______ is exactly what we need (immediate)B6. this

Set 5: Relative Pronouns → Best Use

Column AColumn B
A1. whoB1. possession (person/thing)
A2. whomB2. people (object case)
A3. whoseB3. people (subject case)
A4. whichB4. things/animals
A5. thatB5. people or things (defining clause)
A6. whoeverB6. any person, unspecified

Set 6: Pronoun–Antecedent Agreement

Column A (Sentence)Column B (Pronoun)
A1. Rahul forgot ______ notebook.B1. their
A2. The players carried ______ trophies.B2. his
A3. Riya and I finished ______ project.B3. its
A4. The committee gave ______ decision.B4. our
A5. Either Suman or her sisters will bring ______ tickets.B5. their
A6. Every student must submit ______ assignment.B6. his or her

Answer Keys

  • Set 1: A1–B6, A2–B5, A3–B4, A4–B1, A5–B3, A6–B2
  • Set 2: A1–B6, A2–B3, A3–B4, A4–B1, A5–B5, A6–B2
  • Set 3: B4→A1, B3→A2, B5→A3, B2→A4, B6→A5, B1→A6
  • Set 4: A1–B2, A2–B1, A3–B4, A4–B3, A5–B4, A6–B6
  • Set 5: A1–B3, A2–B2, A3–B1, A4–B4, A5–B5, A6–B6
  • Set 6: A1–B2, A2–B5, A3–B4, A4–B3, A5–B5, A6–B6

Passage Practice (अभ्यास गद्यांश)

Passage 1: Tina is my best friend, and we have known each other for many years. She lives in Delhi with her family… (etc.)

Questions:

  1. Who is the main person mentioned in the passage?
  2. List all the pronouns used in the passage.
  3. Which pronoun is used for Tina’s dog?
  4. Which pronoun refers to both the speaker and Tina together?

Answers:

  1. Tina
  2. my, we, she, her, I, it, us
  3. “it”
  4. “we”

Passage 2: Rahul and I are classmates… (etc.)

Questions:

  1. Who are the two people mentioned?
  2. Which pronouns are used for Rahul?
  3. Which subjects do they help each other with?
  4. Which pronoun shows mutual action?

Answers:

  1. Rahul and the speaker
  2. he, him
  3. Math and Science
  4. “each other”

Free Educational Resources for Students

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