Pronouns — Advanced Notes (English) Exam-focused • Mobile-first • SEO optimized for rsetu.link

Introduction

Intro (English): Pronouns are the power tools of sentences — they replace nouns to avoid repetition, show possession, ask questions, and link clauses. This chapter explains every pronoun type, case (subject, object, possessive), agreement rules, and exam strategies. Clear diagrams, 8 step-by-step solved examples, and a full practice set make this page exam-ready.

Definition & Practical Theorem

Definition: A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun or noun phrase (antecedent) to avoid repetition and improve flow.

Practical test (theorem-like): If replacing a word with he/she/it/they preserves meaning and grammaticality, that word was functioning as a noun phrase (and can be replaced by a pronoun).

Types of Pronouns (with examples & rules)

1. Personal Pronouns

Subject: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Object: me, you, him, her, it, us, them.

2. Possessive Pronouns & Determiners

Possessive determiners: my, your, his, her, its, our, their. Possessive pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs (stand alone).

3. Reflexive & Intensive

Reflexive: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves — used when subject and object are same. Intensive: same forms used for emphasis ("She herself agreed").

4. Demonstrative Pronouns

this, that, these, those — point to specific nouns (near/far, singular/plural).

5. Relative Pronouns

who, whom, whose, which, that — link clauses; watch case: use 'whom' for objects.

6. Interrogative Pronouns

who, whom, whose, which, what — used to ask questions.

7. Indefinite Pronouns

someone, anyone, everybody, nobody, something, nothing — can be singular or plural depending on meaning (everyone = singular).

8. Reciprocal Pronouns

each other, one another — indicate mutual action.

Case, Agreement & Common Pitfalls (Rules & Examples)

Case: choose subject vs object form — "She saw him" (not 'he'). For compound subjects/objects, use object case after prepositions: "between you and me" (not 'I').

Agreement: pronoun must agree with antecedent in number and gender: "Every student must submit his or her homework" or use singular 'they' as modern neutral alternative: "Every student must submit their homework."

Diagrams — Replace with inline SVGs

Recommended diagrams to embed as inline SVG: pronoun-type tree, pronoun-case table, antecedent–pronoun agreement flowchart. Paste SVG markup directly into the HTML where the placeholders are.

Solved Examples (8 step-by-step)

1. Example 1: Choose correct pronoun: "___ gave me the book — John or Mary?"
   Solution: "Who gave me the book — John or Mary?" Use 'who' for subject of clause.
   उपाय: विषयासाठी 'who' वापरा. 'Who gave...' म्हणजे कोण दिलं.
2. Example 2: Case: "It is I / me who am responsible."
   Solution: Formal: "It is I who am responsible." Conversational: "It's me who is responsible." Explain agreement with verb 'am' when 'I' is used.
   उपाय: शुद्ध रूप 'It is I who am...' पण बोलक्यात 'It's me who is...' सुद्धा वापरतात.
3. Example 3: Reflexive usage: "She prepared ____ for the test." (she/her)
   Solution: "She prepared herself for the test." Reflexive used when subject equals object.
   उपाय: subject आणि object एकच असल्यामुळे 'herself' वापरा.
4. Example 4: Relative pronoun: "The man ____ car was stolen reported it."
   Solution: "The man whose car was stolen reported it." 'Whose' shows possession.
   उपाय: मालकी दाखवण्यासाठी 'whose' वापरतो.
5. Example 5: Indefinite pronoun agreement: "Everyone must bring ____ own pen."
   Solution: "Everyone must bring his or her own pen." Or use singular 'they': "Everyone must bring their own pen."
   उपाय: everyone = एकवचनी; परंतु 'they' neutral म्हणून स्वीकृत आहे.
6. Example 6: Demonstrative: "Is this/these your books?" (one book vs many)
   Solution: "Is this your book?" (singular) vs "Are these your books?" (plural).
   उपाय: जवळचे एक 'this', जवळचे अनेक 'these'.
7. Example 7: Pronoun after preposition: "Between you and I / me?"
   Solution: "Between you and me." Use object case after preposition.
   उपाय: preposition नंतर object case — me वापरा.
8. Example 8: Reciprocal: "They respect each other / one another?"
   Solution: Both valid; 'each other' for two, 'one another' often for more than two, but usage overlaps.
   उपाय: दोन लोकांसाठी 'each other', अनेकांसाठी 'one another'.

Practice Questions (+ Summary Table & Answer Key)

Time yourself for 15 minutes. Mix of gap-fill, error correction, and identification.

Summary Table (Quick reference)

Answer Key

Exam-focused Tips & SEO Strategy

Focus on case, antecedent agreement, reflexives, and relative pronoun selection. Use keyword-rich subheadings and natural phrases such as "pronouns notes", "police bharti notes", "railway notes", "ssc notes", "neet notes" — but avoid stuffing. Add exam-specific mini-FAQs for SSC/Police/Railway for targeted snippets.

Classroom Example (English + Marathi)

English (teacher explains): "A pronoun replaces a noun to avoid repetition — e.g., 'Rita took Rita's book' becomes 'Rita took her book.' The pronoun 'her' replaces 'Rita's'."

Resources & Next steps

Replace SVG placeholders with inline SVG diagrams for crisp printing. I can embed SVGs you paste here. Want me to add extra 8 advanced practice MCQs tailored for SSC/Police/Railway/NEET? I will also create printable worksheets and flashcards if needed.