Pronoun

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence to avoid repetition and make

communication clearer.

Examples:
John is a doctor. He works at a hospital. (Here, "he" is a pronoun that replaces "John".)

Types of Pronouns:
I. Personal Pronouns: Used to represent specific people or things.
Subject Pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, them
II. Possessive Pronouns: Show ownership or possession.
mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
III. Reflexive Pronouns: Used when the subject and object are the same.
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
IV. Demonstrative Pronouns: Point to specific things
this, that, these, those
V. Interrogative Pronouns: Used to ask questions
who, whom, whose, which, what
VI. Relative Pronouns: Introduce relative clauses and connect them to the main clause
who, whom, whose, which, that
VII. Indefinite Pronouns: Refer to non-specific persons or things.
someone, anyone, everyone, nobody, something, anything
VIII. Reciprocal Pronouns: Express mutual actions or relationships.
each other, one another

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 Personal Pronoun

Person Singular Plural

1st Person (speaker) I We
2nd Person (spoken to) You Your (same for singular and plural)
3rd Person (spoken of) He/She/It They

• I → in present tense → plural (take plural verb).

• I → in past tense → singular (take singular verb).
• You → always → plural (take singular verb).

❖ Present tense
he/ she → has
I/ they → have
❖ Past tense
i/he/she → was
we/ they → were

Subjective Objective Possessive Possessive

(Nominative) (Accusative) (Genitive) Adjective
I Me Mine My
We Us Ours Our
You You Yours Your
He Him His His
She Her Hers Her
It It its Its
they them theirs their

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Pronoun Order Rules in English:
➢ Rule 231 – Positive (Unity/Good Actions, friendly, helpful, or polite situations):
2nd person → 3rd person → 1st person: (You, he/she/they, and I)
➢ Rule 123 – Negative (Division/Bad Actions/ mistakes, faults, or punishments):
1st person → 2nd person → 3rd person (You, he, I).

Examples:

He and I
1) I and he are friends.

You, she and I

2) I, you and she can manage this situation.
You and I
3) I and you want to help the poor.
I and you
4) You and I have committed a crime.
You, they and we
5) We, you and they are leaving for Dhaka.
I, you and he
6) You, he and I will be punished.
You, he and I
7) I, you and he will love the mangoes.

Objective Case of Pronoun

➢ When a pronoun follows a verb, use the objective case.

➢ When a pronoun follows a preposition, use the objective case.

After verb use objective case of

pronoun
1) Let me go.

→ Let us go.

2) She said to me. After preposition use objective case

of pronoun

→ Talk to me.

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Examples:

1) He abused me.
Vrb Obj. case Pnoun

2) You allowed him and me to go.

Vrb Obj. case Pnoun

3) The man saved Saad and her.

Vrb Obj. case Pnoun

4) She was laughing at you and him.

Prp Obj. case Pnoun

5) Divide the sweets between Summon and him.

Prp Obj. case Pnoun

6) He depends on me.
Prp Obj. case Pnoun

7) Let them speak.

Vrb Obj. case Pnoun

Meaning of Prepositions in English and Bengali:

Preposition/Conjunction Meaning

Like (verb, preposition) Similar to মত, মততো

Unlike Different from বিপরীত,আলোদো
Except Excluding- ছোড়ো, িযতীত
Except for With the exception of ছোড়ো, িযতীত
But (preposition) Except- ছোড়ো, িযতীত
But for If not for, নো হতল, িযতীত

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Examples: "Like" as a Verb (Takes Possessive
Case)

1) She likes her mother.

Vrb Poss. case Pnoun
(সে তোর মোতে ভোতলোিোতে।) "Like" as a Preposition (Takes
Objective Case)

2) She, like me, is intelligent.

Prp obj. case Pnoun

(সে আমোর মততোই িুদ্ধিমোন।) "But" as a Conjunction (Joining

Two Sentences)

3) I came, but she left.

Conj.

(আবম আেলোম, বেন্তু সে চতল সেল।) "But" as a Preposition (Takes

Objective Case

4) No one can help you but me.

Prp obj. case Pnoun

(সতোমোতে সেউ েোহোয্য েরতত পোরতি নো, আবম ছোড়ো।)

"Except" as a Preposition (Takes
Objective Case)
5) No one can help you except me
Prp obj. case Pnoun
"Except for"/"But for" as
(সতোমোতে সেউ েোহোয্য েরতত পোরতি নো, আবম ছোড়ো।) Prepositions (Takes Objective
Case). Both mean: Without me, it
wouldn’t be possible
6) No one can do this except for/ but for me.
Prp obj. case Pnoun

(আমোর ছোড়ো এটো সেউ েরতত পোরতি নো।)

"Like" as a Preposition (Takes

7) She looks like me. Objective Case)
Prp obj. case Pnoun

(সে আমোর মততো সদখতত।)

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Subjective Case of Pronoun:

He is better than I. (UK→ formal).

Conj. Sub. Case of Pnoun

He is better than me. (US→ informal).

Conj. Obj. Case of Pnoun

When we compare two things with a conjunction (like than or as), the form of the pronoun
depends on its grammatical role in the sentence:

Subjective Case: Used if the pronoun is the subject of the implied clause after the comparison.
Objective Case: Used if the pronoun is the object of the implied clause after the comparison.
Possessive Case: Used if the comparison involves possession.

Example:

1) She is better than I (am).

2) He is taller than I (am).

3) You are smarter than she (is).

4) He is good as I/she (be).

Here comparison between two subject
which add by a conjunction.
5) She is as good as I/he (be).

6) They are as rich as we (are).

7) Nobody knows him better than I/she (be).

8) She is better than her then I (am).

9) When it comes to dancing, Prince is a good she (is).

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Comparison using conjunctions with subjective

➢ With subject → subjective case

➢ With object → objective case
➢ With possessive → possessive case

She respects you. he loves you.

Sub. Obj. Sub. Obj.

She respects me. he loves me.

Sub. Sub. Obj.

1) She respects you more than me.

Obj. Obj.

2) She loves you as much as me.

Obj. Obj.

3) Your books are better than mine. Comparison between two people’s actions.
Pos. case Pos. case (Who loves you more?): meaning: My love for
you is greater than her love for you.
4) His house is bigger than hers.
Pos. case Pos. case
Comparison between two objects of affection.
5) I love you more than she. (Whom do I love more?): Meaning: My love for
Sub. Sub.
you is greater than my love for her.
6) I love you more than her.
Sub. Obj. Obj.

Cleft Sentences with ‘It’ (Emphasizing the Subject or Object)

To emphasize the meaning “it is”, “there are” use temporary, after “it is” and “there are” normally
use subject case or form.
Informal (US): It was me. It was him. It was her.
Formal (UK): It was I. It was he. It was she.

Examples:
I
1) It is me who can saved your life.
he
2) It is him who has brought your home.

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 she
3) Was it her who did it for you?

we
4) It will be us who will buy a new house.

5) Blame him, it was he who choose the color.

he
6) I thought it was him

we
7) It was not us.

Advance:
➢ When the sentence ends immediately: Use the objective case (me, him, her) for informal
speech.
➢ When followed by a clause (who/that): Use the subjective case (I, he, she) for formal
speech.
It was me.
It was I who wrote the letter.

Demonstrative Pronoun

This → singular → that

Near far
These → plural → these

• Such (kind) → one.

1) These are my books.

2) These are your cows.

3) These are the keys I found on the floor.

4) He is my elder brother and as such he has the right to stop me.

5) Such is your mistake that he will not forgive you.

6) This is not my coat, mine is a black one.

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 Interrogative Pronoun

Pronoun: who, whom, whose, what.

Adverb: when, where, why, how.

✓ Who is there? Refer to a person-

pronoun

✓ Who are you?

Examples: Who were you speaking to?

1) To whom were you speaking? (formal)

Who was this done by?
2) By whom was this done.
Who were you talking about?
3) About whom were you talking?

Showing possessive/ ownership

4) Whose is this pen?

5) Which is your house?

6) What is the matter?

7) What do you want?

8) What happened?
Who ask for subject/ use subjective
form.
9) Who gave you these flowers?
sub
Whom use as object of preposition, use
10) About whom are you talking? objective form.
Obj.
Showing possessive/ ownership
11) Whose is this key?
Used to ask about a person's
✓ Who is he? → সে সে? identity.

Can be used to ask about

✓ What is he? → সে েী? (OR সে েী েতর? someone's profession, role, or
nature.

✓ Which is he? → সে সেোনটট?

Used when selecting or identifying
someone from a group.

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 Relative Pronoun

Use of Who/Whom

The word used to relate a noun and a pronoun is called a relative pronoun. A relative pronoun
relates to its antecedent

Who → subjective case

Human
Whom → objective case
Subjective case

1) I met Rohan who has just arrived.

Objective case

2) I met Rohan whom you invited.

3) This is the girl who works hard.

4) This is the girl whom all praise.

5) The man who lived there died yesterday.

In this sentence there are two
main verbs. Need two subjects,
6) I found my friend who recognized me at once. so” who” here subjective case.

7) The man who is honest is trusted.

Sub. + Predicate

❖ Maria is the girl whom he loves.

Objective case

• In this sentence, "Maria is" and "he loves" are two subject-verb pairs.
• "The girl" is not the subject of the second clause ("he loves"); instead, it is the object of the
verb "loves."
• Since "the girl" is the object, we use "whom" instead of "who."
• The girl is not performing the action; rather, the action is being done to her.

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 1. The boys who were lazy were punished.

2. I who am your friend will protect you.

3. I am the person who is to blame. Sub plural, so live

• "Who" refers to Ravi (a noun).
• "Who" is a relative pronoun that
introduces the clause "who is the
4. Those who live in the glass houses should not throw stone. captain of the team."
Sub m. verb obj
. • This clause gives extra information
about Ravi.
5. Ravi loves music who is the captain of the team. (incorrect)
• subjective case, so use "who" = not
"whom"
→ Ravi, who is the captain of the team, loves music. (correct)

6. The boy is the son of my friend who won the first prize. (incorrect)

→ The boy who won the first prize is the son of my friend. (correct)

• “Who won the first prize” (relative

clause) gives extra information about
“the boy who is the son of my friend”
• “won” & “is” both singular because
“the boy” subject is singular.
Use of Which

➢ Which" is used for non-living things, infants, and animals.

Examples:
1) The moment which is lost is lost forever.

2) The book which you bought is helpful.

3) This is the house which belongs to me.

M. Clause

4) The flowers which grow in this garden are not for sale.

5) This is the dog which bit me.

6) I have seen the car which black.

7) She has the picture which you needed.

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 ➢ "Which" can be used as a relative pronoun to refer to an entire preceding clause
or sentence.
"Which" refers to the entire
preceding clause, meaning "it was
not true that the girl was drunk."
Examples:
He said he saw me in the garden,
1) The girl was said to be drunk, which was not the case. which was a lie.
"Which" refers to the whole
statement "He said he saw me
2) He said he saw me in the garden, which was a lie. in the garden," meaning that
statement was false.

He said he saw me in the

3) You are here, which is important for the future.
garden, "Which"
which was a lie.to the whole
refers
preceding clause, meaning
4) He has paid off his debts, which is proof of his honesty. "The fact that he has paid off
his debts proves his honesty."

He said he saw me in the

garden, which was a lie.

➢ When referring to a choice among multiple options, "which" is used for both living
and non-living things.

"Which" is used to specify a

Examples: choice among her children.

1) The mother knows which of her children is hungry.

2) Which of the following teams won the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
(a) France (b) Germany • "Teams" should be plural because we
are referring to multiple teams.
(c) Argentina (d) England • "Which" is used to specify a choice
among teams

Use of Whose – Possessive (Relative form)

Whose is the possessive form of who.
In formal English, whose is traditionally used for people. However, in modern English, it is also
commonly used for animals and even objects.
Examples:
1) This is the boy whose father lives in London.

2) The boy whose family always supports you is my friend.

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 3) Reema is the girl whose parents are poor.

4) I have a dog whose name is Tommy. (Informal English – but widely accepted today.)

5) The dog whose name is Tommy. (Correct – informal but widely used)

→ The dog, the name of which was Tommy, was storming. (Correct – formal)

6) The triangle whose three sides are equal. (Informal, but commonly used in modern)

→ The triangle, the three sides of which are equal. (Correct – formal)

7) A house whose walls are painted looks beautiful. (Correct – informal)

→ A house, the walls of which are painted, looks beautiful. (Correct – formal)

Use of That

➢ Use that to refer to a person, animal, or thing (when combining them in one clause).
➢ Use that with words like all, none, everything, the few, the little.
➢ Use that after a superlative degree.
➢ Use that after sentences starting with who, which, whom, whose.

Examples:

➢ When referring to a person, animal, or thing, use that. That is used instead of who
or which when referring to both people and things together.

1) The yoga teacher and his dog that are generally seen around.

2) The man and his book that were seen yesterday.

3) The girl and her bag that were found near the station.

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➢ Use that after words like all, everything, nothing, the only, the same, any, the few,

the little.

1) All that glitters is not gold.

2) I have given you everything that I had.

3) She got the few books that she lost yesterday.

4) I do nothing that can hurt you.

5) This is the only medicine that can save her.

6) You have asked the same question that he has.

➢ Use that after a superlative degree.

1) She is the most beautiful girl that I have ever seen.

2) This is the worst movie that I have ever watched.

3) The tallest building that can be seen from here is Burj Khalifa.

4) You are the funniest man that I know.

5) This is the worst movie that I have ever watched.

➢ Use that after sentences starting with who, which, whom, whose.

1) What is there that is impossible for God?

2) Who is there that is making a noise?

3) What is it that has disturbed you?

4) Whose dress is this that looks beautiful?

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Use of What
➢ What is a relative pronoun that does not have an antecedent (a noun it refers to).
➢ It means "the thing(s) that" or "that which."
Examples:
1) I say what I mean.

2) I mean what I say.

3) What is done cannot be undone.

"whatever" is more natural

4) He found what he was looking for.
than "what" in this case.

5) You can wear whatever you want.

that that" is preferred in defining
6) You can take the pain what you like. clauses.

that
7) She has given me the book what you needed.
That/whom
8) You can talk to any person what you like.
who
9) The boy what was talking to you is my friend.

Indefinite Pronouns
Definition: They refer to people or things in a general, non-specific way.

someone, somebody, something, anyone, everyone, all, each, either, neither, none, etc.

Distributive Pronouns

Definition: They refer to individuals within a group one at a time.

each, either, neither, none

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Usage Rules & Corrections
None → 0 (Zero); (0 out of many) : Can be singular or plural.

Neither → 0 (Zero); (0 out of 2) : Singular.

Either → ½; (One out of two): always singular.

Any → 1/ many; (One out of many): usually singular.

Both → 2/2; (Two out of two): always plural.

All → Many out of many: always plural.

Examples:

1) Someone is waiting for you.

2) Anybody can dance.

3) One must not boast of one's success.

4) Some are born great.

5) I help everyone.

6) Everybody wants to succeed in life.

None
7) Neither of those six girls was wearing a red shirt. (singular)
None
8) Neither of the students were present. (plural)
To refer zero out of two;
Neither singular
9) None of the two boys came late.
Neither
10) None of the two options is correct. (singular) To refer one out of two;
Singular
Either
11) Any of the two dresses is fine for the party.
Any
12) Either of these three candidates can be selected. (singular)

13) Both of my hands are full. To refer all out of all, everyone;
Plural

14) All of my friends are coming to the party.

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 • Subject before preposition & verb must be
according sub.
15) Both of your hands are damaged. • Object after preposition.
sub pep Obj. verb p.p

is
16) Neither of my eyes are not hurting.
sub pep obj verb Neither use for negative
meaning. No need not.
17) None of them have not decided to come. (none can be singular or plural)
sub pep obj verb

18) Both of them are coming.

I. Both never use for a negative sentence instead use
neither
Neithe is II. Neither takes singular verb.
19) Both
r of them are not coming. III. Never use not with neither.

Indefinite & Distributive Pronouns

Indefinite Pronouns: Used to refer to people or things that are not specifically defined.

all, someone, anyone, everyone, nobody, each, either, neither

Distributive Pronouns: Used to refer to things one at a time (individually) rather than as a
whole group.

each, either, neither, none

"All" is not referring to specific

people/things, so it's indefinite.
Examples:

1) All is well. "All" refers to a specific group, making

Ind. pronoun
it defined.

2) All of them have come.

Distb. pronoun Everyone" is an indefinite pronoun
because it does not specify who.
3) Everyone is happy.
Ind. pronoun "Every one" should be two words
when referring to specific
4) Every one of us is happy. individuals within a group.)
Distb. pronoun
"Both" refers to two people, so it's
5) Both are coming. plural.
Ind. pronoun

6) Both of them are coming. Same meaning, but explicitly refers

Distb. pronoun to a defined group

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Use of "One, Ones, One's"

One → Subjective case (used as the subject of a sentence).

Ones → Objective case (used as the object of a verb or preposition).

One's → Possessive case (used to show ownership). (Note: Only pronouns take 's for
possession.)

Masculine pronoun "his" is

traditionally used when gender is
Examples: unknown,

1) Everybody should do his duty.

Masculine pronoun "his" is

2) Everyone should protect himself from the cold. traditionally used when gender is
unknown,
he
3) Each is free to do whatever she wants.

4) One should do one's duty.

Correct usage of "one's" for possession

5) One should respect one's parents.

6) One should keep one's promise.

➢ When "one" is used as a definite or distributive pronoun, the gender pronoun (his/her/its)
must match the noun it refers to. The possessive form follows the gender of the noun:

"His" → for masculine nouns

"Her" → for feminine nouns

"Its" → for animals or things

Examples:

1) One of my brothers has got his dream job.

i. Always use "has" after "One of..." because "one" is
singular.
2) One of my sisters has sold her flat. ii. The pronoun (his/her/its) must agree with the noun in
gender and meaning.

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 3) One of my dogs lost its patience.

4) One of my friends has given me his book.

5) One of them has done his duty.

➢ one" can function as a demonstrative pronoun when it replaces a previously mentioned

noun, especially in contrast with another.

Example:
Here, "one" and "ones" replace
1) This phone is expensive, but that one is cheaper. the noun "phone" and "shoes" to
avoid repetition.

2) I don’t like these shoes. Can I try those ones instead?

Reflexive Pronoun:

Singular Plural
1st person I; Myself We; Ourselves
2nd person You; Yourself You; Yourselves
3rd person He; Himself They; Themselves
She; Herself One; Oneself
It; Itself

➢ When the subject and object in a sentence refer to the same person, we use a reflexive
pronoun (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves).

Examples

1) I saw him. (Subject and object are different people.)

2) He saw me. (Subject and object are different people.)

3) I saw myself. (Subject and object are the same person.)

4) She killed him. (Subject and object are different people.)

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 5) She killed herself. (Subject and object are the same person.)

6) She killed her. (Here, "her" refers to a different person from "she.")

7) I am talking to you. (Subject and object are different people.)

8) I am talking to myself. (Subject and object are the same person.)

9) They hurt themselves. (Subject and object are the same group.)

10) She ruined herself. (Subject and object are the same person.)

11) I introduced myself to the president. (Subject and object are the same person.)

12) She is old enough to dress herself now. (Subject and object are the same person.)

13) You must take care of yourself. (Subject and object are the same person.)

14) Tell me something about yourself. (Correct usage.)

Saw" is a transitive verb because
it requires an object to complete
15) I saw myself in the mirror. its meaning.

❖ I enjoyed in the party. (Wrong sentence)

sub Tns. verb Pep. Obj. of pep
i. Enjoy" is a transitive verb.
I enjoyed the party. ii. So, "enjoy" requires an object.
sub Tns. verb Obj. of verb iii. But in the first sentence, there is no object for the
transitive verb "enjoyed."
I enjoyed food/music in the party iv. In the second sentence, removing the preposition
sub Tns. verb Obj. of verb Pep. Obj. of pep
makes "the party" the object of the transitive verb.
v. In the third sentence, an object is added after the verb
I enjoyed myself in the party. "enjoyed."
sub Tns. verb Ref. pno Pep.Obj. of pep
vi. In the fourth sentence, a reflexive pronoun is used.

Common Verbs That Use Reflexive Pronouns:

Absent, present, acquit, avail, reconcile, amuse, resign, avenge, revenge, enjoy, exert, pride,
apply, adopt, adjust, overreach, etc.

Examples:

1) She enjoyed herself at the party. i. Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and
object of the verb are the same.
ii. All the verbs in the examples are transitive, meaning
2) He absented himself from the party. they require an object.
iii. If the subject and object are the same, a reflexive
pronoun must be used.
3) My friend introduced himself to my parents.

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 4) We must avail ourselves of the opportunity.

5) He must have applied himself while he was in school.

6) The students exerted themselves.

Emphatic Pronouns
Emphatic pronouns are used to emphasize a noun or pronoun. They are the same as reflexive
pronouns but serve a different function—they add emphasis rather than act as the object.

Examples:

1) I saw him.

→ I myself saw him.

i. Emphatic pronouns are not necessary for the sentence
2) She inspected the house. to be grammatically correct but are used to add
emphasis.
→ She herself inspected the house. ii. They are identical to reflexive pronouns but serve a
different function.
iii. Their position in the sentence can change what is
3) You are to be blamed for this.
emphasized (subject vs. object).

→ You yourself are to be blamed for this

4) They are late.

→ They themselves are late.

5) I saw the president myself. (Here, "myself" emphasizes "I")

6) I saw the president himself. (Here, "himself" emphasizes "the president").

How to Identify Reflexive and Emphatic Pronouns

1. Reflexive Pronoun

✓ Acts as the object of the verb.

✓ Needed for the sentence to be grammatically correct.
✓ Without it, the sentence would be incorrect or lose its meaning.

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2. Emphatic Pronoun

✓ Used to emphasize the subject or object.

✓ If removed, the sentence remains grammatically correct.

Examples:

1) I enjoyed myself at the party. (✔ Reflexive, "myself" is the object of "enjoyed")

2) She killed herself. (✔ Reflexive, "herself" is the object of "killed")

3) I enjoyed at the party. (❌ Wrong- need object of verb)

i. If removing the pronoun makes the sentence incorrect

4) She killed. (❌ Wrong / Incomplete meaning) → Reflexive Pronoun
ii. If removing the pronoun keeps the sentence correct
but loses emphasis → Emphatic Pronoun
5) I myself saw him. (✔ Emphasizing "I")

6) She herself killed her husband. (✔ Emphasizing "she")

7) I saw him. (✔ Correct)

8) She killed her husband. (✔ Correct)

By- oneself/ myself/ herself/

✓ I was watching TV by myself.
himself. Refer alone.

✓ She passed through the jungle by herself.

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 Reciprocal Pronoun.
Each other- used for two

One another- used for more than two.

1) The two-brother loved each other.

2) We should all love one another.

3) He and I looked at each other.

4) The six men shouted at one another.

5) The couple spoke to each other.

6) All of them hate one another. Here each other/One another

both are correct but in formal
English each other is right answer.
❖ James & Mary love each other/ one another.

Exclamatory Pronoun

✓ The word "What" is used as an exclamatory pronoun when expressing strong emotions
such as surprise, shock, or disbelief.
✓ It is always followed by a noun.

Examples:

What! You do not know Suchix? (surprise)

What! She has got a new car? (shock)

What! Rohan has gone mad? (disbelief)

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Interjections (Wow! Alas! Bravo! etc.)

✓ Used to express emotions but do not function as pronouns.

✓ They stand alone or are followed by a sentence.

Examples:

1) Wow! She sang beautifully.

2) Alas! The old man passed away.

3) Bravo! You did an excellent job.

Difference Between Exclamatory Pronoun & Interjection

Feature Exclamatory Pronoun Interjection

Example What! You don’t know me? Wow! That's amazing!

Function Acts as a pronoun Acts as an emotion word
Position Followed by a noun or Usually stands alone
sentence

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