Pronouns (Pronoun)

A pronoun is a part of speech that replaces or describes other parts of speech. There are a huge number of pronouns in the English language. They can be divided into the following groups:

Now let's look at each group of pronouns:

1. Personal pronouns. This is the most common group of pronouns and appears in almost every sentence of the English language, so try to learn them so that they come to mind. Personal pronouns are divided into two cases: nominative and objective.

A pronoun in the nominative case replaces the subject in a sentence, and in the objective case it replaces the object. Let's look at the personal pronouns in the table:

them [ðem] - to them, theirs

Where is l. - face; units h. - singular; pl. h. - plural.

I must go to you.- I have to go to you.
We should sleep every night.- We must sleep every night.
Did you see them?-Have you seen them?
You were there.- You were there.
He can work with her.- He can work with her.
She is having breakfast.- She's having breakfast.
It is the gold coin.- This is a gold coin.
They left us.- They left us.

Personal pronouns in English have a number of features:

• Personal pronoun I always begins with a capital letter, regardless of place in the sentence:
May I come in?- Can I come in?


Personal pronoun you used in singular and plural. In this case, the verb to be is always used in the plural, even if you is in the sentence singular:


You are beautiful.- You are beautiful.


If there are several personal pronouns in a sentence, then their order is as follows - 2 l. and 3 l. placed before 1 l., 2 l. placed before 3 l. in any cases (remember that pronouns always replace other parts of speech, so if instead of a pronoun there is a noun, then the word order is determined by the same rule):


You and your brother should do the homework.- You and your brother must do your homework.
He asked father and me.- He asked his father and me.


The objective case of personal pronouns can be in the genitive (whom?, what?), dative (whom?, what?), instrumental (whom?, what?) and prepositional (about whom, about what) cases, examples:


I did it for her.- I did it for her. (for whom?)
She gave me an apple.- She gave me an apple. (to whom?)
It was bought by us.- It was bought by us. (by whom?)
The bird cared about them.- The bird took care of them. (about whom?)


A peculiarity of the English language is that the division by gender in speech is expressed only with people. In other cases the personal pronoun is used It. It is put instead inanimate objects, animals or children. This greatly simplifies the process of learning a language, since we do not need to learn what kind of this or that noun in order to replace it with the corresponding pronoun, as we do in Russian. However, if we want to emphasize the gender of some phenomenon, animal, it is allowed to use pronouns he And she. Also pronoun It can be used as a formal subject (when there is no subject in the Russian translation - see general information about the sentence), examples:


I took a pen. It is black- I took the pen. She's black.
It is hot now.- It's hot now.

Possessive pronouns. They indicate that a noun belongs to an object or subject. Typically corresponds to the personal pronoun in a sentence. There are basic and absolute forms.

Basic form A possessive pronoun stands in a sentence together with a noun and characterizes its belonging.

Absolute form replaces a noun in a sentence, but it is implied that the noun has been previously spoken about. This allows you to get rid of unnecessary repetition of the same word in the text.

Please note that the possessive pronoun is used much more often in English than in Russian. In English, if we talk about parts of the body, items of clothing, personal belongings, then a possessive pronoun is required, although in Russian it is usually omitted:

He waves his hand.- He waves his hand.

Let's look at possessive pronouns:

mine

my you

your

yours

your he

his

his

his she

her

hers

her it

its

its

him, her you plural h.

your

yours

your we

our

ours

our they

their [ðeə(r)]

theirs [ðeəz]

their

Basic form examples:

I gave you my pen.- I gave you my pen.
You can go with your friend.- You can go with your friend.
It was his phone.- It was his phone.
We came to her mother.- We came to her mother.
The dog gives me its paw.- The dog gives me his paw.
They can't do our work.- They can't do our job.
They left me their child.- They left me their child.

Examples of absolute form:

This is her car. Mine is broken.- This is her car. Mine is broken.
Your table is dirty. Ours is cleaner.- Your table is dirty. Our table is cleaner.
I forgot my pencil. Can you give me yours?- I forgot my pencil. Can you give me yours?

Sentences with other possessive pronouns are constructed similarly. And also, if there is an adjective before the noun, then the possessive pronoun is placed before the adjective:

I like your red coat.- I like your red coat

Possessive pronoun its often confused with the combination it "s - the short form it is (I am). Its surface was damaged.- Its surface was damaged.
It is its hair.- this is her hair.

You need to look at the place in the sentence and the words nearby.

Also, reflexive pronouns act as determiners of nouns, so the use of articles with them is not allowed.

Reflexive pronouns. They show that the subject directs the action towards itself and is translated into Russian as an addition to the ending of the verb -sya (-s) or the pronoun itself, sebe, sam... . Each reflexive pronoun has a corresponding personal pronoun. All of them are shown in the table:

You hit yourself.
- You hit yourself.
he It happened by itself.
- It happened on its own.
you (plural) They will introduce themselves tomorrow.
- They will introduce themselves tomorrow.

However, when using reflexive pronouns you need to remember a number of rules:

Instead of a personal pronoun, there can be a corresponding noun:


My dog ​​opened a door itself.- My dog ​​opened the door itself.


Reflexive pronouns are not used with verbs, which themselves imply that the action is directed towards oneself, or towards each other. These include wash, bath, feel, shave, dress, undress, change, relax, hide:


She felt bad (you can’t say felt herself).- She felt bad.
They kissed at street.- They kissed on the street.


Reflexive pronouns cannot be used with prepositions of place. Since the personal pronoun in the objective case can also be translated itself, to itself, confusion may arise. In order not to be confused which pronoun to put (reflexive or personal pronoun in the objective case), use the rule: if in the Russian translation of a sentence you can put “sam”, then the reflexive pronoun is used, otherwise the personal pronoun in the objective case is used:


She spent all the money herself.- She spent all the money herself.
She put an ambrella in front of her.- She put the umbrella in front of her (you can’t tell in front).

Interrogative pronouns (words). Also a very common type of pronouns that is used in interrogative sentences. Let's look at the main ones:

What do you do? What are you doing? When could this happen? When could this happen? Why do we work here? Why do we work here?

how - how

How is it possible? How is this possible?

In general, English question words correspond to Russian ones, but there are a number of features:

Interrogative pronoun who acts as a subject, and is used when asking questions to people.


Who runs with him? -Who is running with him?

Although interrogative pronoun who has an objective case whom - whom, but increasingly fulfills this role itself in a sentence:


Who (whom) did they invite to us? -Who did they invite to us?

Pronoun which used in interrogative sentences when a choice from a limited number of items is offered:


Which lock of these three do you prefer? - Which castle of these three do you prefer?


But if we were talking about an unlimited number of locks of all types, the pronoun would be used what:

What lock do you prefer? - Which castle of these three do you prefer?

Relative pronouns. These pronouns are used in complex sentences and relate to subordinate clauses. Most of them also apply to interrogative pronouns. Unlike conjunctions, they act in a subordinate clause as a member of the sentence (usually the subject). Let's look at the basic relative pronouns:

Who- who, which. Used in sentences with animate objects - people: I saw the gardener who planted this tree. - I saw the gardener who planted this tree.


Whose- which (whose)

Indicates that an item belongs to some object:

We know a man whose spoon you took.- We know the person whose spoon you took.


Which- which. Applies to inanimate objects or animals:


Parents knocked the door which was closed.- The parents knocked on the door, which was closed.


That[ðæt] - which

Replaces previous pronouns who And which, and can refer to both animate and inanimate objects:

This was the writer that can"t finish his last book.- This was a writer who could not finish his last book.
Mother bought the new knives that were very sharp.- Mom bought new knives, which were very sharp.

Demonstrative pronouns. Point to an object or person. Basic demonstrative pronouns:

those [ðəʊz] - those

Demonstrative pronouns denote remoteness not only in distance, but also in time. In a sentence they can be as the following members of the sentence:

Subject:


This is my ball.- This is my ball.
Those were their friends.- These were their friends (Although this is translated, it means that the friends are in a different place).


Noun determiner:

These cars are very beautiful.- These cars are very beautiful.
I like that place.- I like that place.


Addition:

Remember this!- Remember this!
A doctor chose these. - The doctor chose these.

Please note that if the noun is preceded by a demonstrative pronoun in the form of a determiner, then there is no need to use the article, since the pronoun itself acts as an article.

Two more pronouns can be classified as demonstrative pronouns:

such - such
the same - the same

For example:

Such a big room looks nice.- Such a big room looks good.
It happened at the same time.- It happened at the same time.

Quantitative pronouns.

The most famous of this group are two quantitative pronouns, which can come before any noun in almost any situation: some

AND any["eni]. Therefore, if it is difficult to choose a determiner for a noun, you can always use one of these pronouns. They denote the quality or quantity of an object. Moreover, the pronoun some usually used in affirmative sentences, and the pronoun any in negative or interrogative sentences:
I have some question.- I have a question (some question).
I don't have any questions.- I don't have any questions.
Do you have any questions?- Do you have any questions?
Some boy calls you.- Some guy is calling you (quality).

Often when translated into Russian they are omitted as articles:

Some stranger asked you.- The stranger asked you.

There are a number of features with these pronouns:

In questions of requests, the pronoun is used some:


Will you give us some water?-Will you give us some water?


If the pronoun some stands before the numeral, then it is translated about, approximately:


Some twenty time he went past her.- He walked past her about twenty times.


Pronouns some And any before the preposition of is translated as some, any:


Some of them can go away.- Some of them may leave.
Did you see any of us there?- Did you see any of us there?


Pronoun any translated in affirmative sentences - any:


You can arrive there by any car.- You can come there in any car.

The remaining quantitative pronouns have similar qualities, so let’s summarize them in one table:

Pronoun	Condition of use	Examples
a lot of [ə lɒt ɒv] - a lot	In affirmative sentences before countable and uncountable nouns	She has a lot of problems.- She has a lot of problems. Workers brought a lot of coal.- The workers brought a lot of coal.
many ["meni] - a lot	In interrogative and negative sentences before countable nouns	Do you have many pairs of shoes?- Do you have a lot of shoes? There weren't many trees in the park.- There weren't many trees in the park.
much - a lot	In interrogative and negative sentences before uncountable nouns	Does he have much water?- Does he have a lot of water? They don't have much time.- They don't have much time.
few - few	In sentences before countable nouns	He gives few coins.- He gives few coins.
little ["litl] - little	In sentences before uncountable nouns	A plane has little fuel.- The plane has little fuel.
a little [ə "litl] - a little	There is a little tea in the cup.- There is some tea in the mug.
a few [ə fju:] - a little	I want a few new t-shirt.- I want some new T-shirts.

Often these pronouns are classified as adverbs, since they are translated into Russian by adverbs, and one cannot say that this would be a mistake (look at the formation of degrees of comparison of adverbs).

And there is another quantitative pronoun that determines nouns: several["sevrəl] - several

: Several new students took wrong books.- Several new students took the wrong books.

Indefinite and negative pronouns. This is the largest group of pronouns in the English language.

Look at the negative pronoun first no

Which is involved in the formation of other negative pronouns. It comes before a noun and denotes the absence of something categorically (that is, this issue is not discussed further):

I saw no children.- I haven’t seen any children.
A cat has no toys.- The cat has no toys.

To form indefinite and negative pronouns, they are used some, any And no. We must remember that in English there cannot be a double negative, that is, if in Russian we can say: Nobody can help me in English this sentence will contain only one negation: Nobody can help me or Anybody can"t help me. Also derivatives formed from particles -one And -body, mean the same thing. For clarity, consider these pronouns in one table:



I cooked something for you. -
I have prepared something for you.
Did the professor ask you anything? -
Did the professor ask you anything?
Somebody will come here. -
Someone will come here.
I don't see anyone. -
I don't see anyone.
He is somewhere over there. -
He's out there somewhere.
Did we meet anywhere else? -
Have we met somewhere else?


Pronouns each- every

AND every["evri] - although each has a similar meaning, they still differ in meaning:

Pronoun each selects an object from a group (therefore only used with countable nouns):


Each forester could do it differently.- Each forester could do this differently (each of the foresters separately).

Pronoun every in general whole value (all):


Every forester likes a forest.- Every forester loves the forest (all foresters).

Derivatives from every- (every):

everything["evriθiŋ] - everything

For better remembering, let's break the pronoun into two words: every - each and thing - thing. And if you add up both parts of the Russian translation: each + thing = everything, example:

I know everything about him.- I know everything about him. Everything will start here.- It all starts here.

everybody["evribɒdi] - everything

To remember, we will resort to the same method: every - each and body - body. And if you add up both parts of the Russian translation: each + body = everything, example:

Our teacher said to do this exercise to everyone.- Our teacher told everyone to do this exercise. Everybody likes ice-cream.- Everyone loves ice cream.

everywhere["evriweə(r)] - everywhere

: There were pencils everywhere.- There were pencils everywhere. It was dangerous everywhere.- It was dangerous everywhere.

Please note that all these pronouns correspond to 3l. units h. (from the word each), so the verb after them takes the appropriate form.

Pronoun one applies:

In the form of an indefinite personal pronoun and usually not translated into Russian:


One must not smoke here.- You can't smoke here.
One never can go faster this area.- No one can go faster in this area.


As a substitute word, to avoid unnecessary repetition of a word in a sentence:


I buy new book. This is one more interesting.- I'm buying a new book. This book is more interesting.


Pronouns other["ʌðə(r)] - another, one more

, another[ə"nʌðə(r)] - different.

Other comes before a noun and indicates that the noun is definite, but not the one mentioned earlier in the sentence:


I took this glass and you take the other glass on the table.- I took this glass, and you take another glass on the table. (There were 2 glasses on the table, I took one, and you take the second glass)


That is, the pronoun other used if selected from a certain number of specific items. If the other item is unknown, then before other the indefinite article an is placed and the pronoun takes the form another:


I took this glass and you take another glass.- I took this glass, and you take another glass.


This means any other glass. But if the noun is plural, then the pronoun is always used other:


Give me other glasses.- Give me other glasses.


In the case when the pronoun stands without a noun, the noun itself is put in the plural:


These are my glasses. You can take others.- These are my glasses. You can take others.

• Pronoun both- both, both

  : I like both colors.- I like both colors.
  They are both twenty years old.- They are both 20 years old.
  

• Reciprocal pronouns. This group includes two pronouns:

  each other	each other, one to another
  one another	each other, one to another

  These pronouns mean the same thing, and in principle they can be interchangeable in a sentence:
  

  We love each other.- We love each other. Parents didn't see one another for a long time.- The parents did not see each other for a long time.

Pronouns in English are parts of speech that we use to replace a noun. The purposes for this can be very different, but most often they resort to this part of speech to avoid repetitions in the use of the same noun in a sentence. Before talking about English pronouns, it is important to remember one thing - they are used without because they themselves perform their function.

There are several types of pronouns:

Personal pronouns

The English language includes two types of personal pronouns: objective and subject.

Subjective: I (I), you (you), he (he), she (she), we (we), they (they).

Object: me (me, me), you (you, you), him (him, his), her (her, her), it (this, this), us (us, us), them (them, theirs).

They/them is used not only as “they”, but also in cases where the gender of the person in question is unknown. In Russian, in such cases, the masculine pronoun is used:

Go to your psychologist. Ask them to consult you- Talk to a psychologist. Ask him to advise you.
You need to find good florist. They will help you— You need to find a good florist. He will help you.
He should visit a doctor. They may help him- He should go to the doctor. He can help him.

Subjective pronouns

Subjective pronouns are used as subjects for a verb:

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I want the whole orange- I want the whole orange.
You are my love- You are my love.
He is bad actor- He's a bad actor.
It is snowing- It's snowing.
She loves John- She loves John.
We have no drugs- We don't have drugs.
They are very strange- They are very strange.
I need it- I need this.
You are so right!-You're so right!
He is my new fiance- He is my new fiancé.
It is too soon- It's too soon.
She is my favorite actress— She is my favorite actress.
We don't need your help- We don't need your help.
They are our family- They are our family.

Object pronouns

Object pronouns, accordingly, perform the function of an object for:

Bring me my money- Bring me my money?
They don't like us- They don't like us.
Mike can beat you- Mike can beat you.

Also, object pronouns are placed after prepositions:

Pete is looking for me“Pete is looking for me.”
I'll do my best for you- I will do my best for you.
Give this soap to him- Give this soap to him.

Possessive pronouns

Possessive pronouns come in two types: in the attached form (your, my, their, our, her, his, its) or in the absolute form (yours, mine, theirs, ours, hers, his, its). The former are used only in conjunction with a noun, while the latter can replace it:

Is that John's car?- No, it’s my car.
Is this John's car?- No, this is my car.
Is that John's car?– No, it’s mine.
Is this John's car?- No, she's mine.

Demonstrative pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns include this (this), that (that), these (these), those (those).

This is a periodic chart– This is the periodic table.
Whose gloves are these?- Whose gloves are these?
I like that sound- I like this sound.
What's that?-What is that there?
Those are very expensive earrings- Those earrings are very expensive.

Interrogative pronouns

Who (who, whom) is used when talking about people:

Who is that?- Who is this?
Who do you like more?-Who do you like better?
Who is who?- Who is who?
Who told you that?- Who told you this?

What is used when talking about inanimate objects:

What is that?- What is this?
What do you feel about it?- How do you feel about this?
What do you want?- What do you want?

Which (which, what) is used when the speaker offers to make a choice:

I have three magazines. What do you want?– I have three magazines. Which one do you want?
Which one was your brother?-Which of them was your brother?

Relative and connective pronouns

The English language contains five relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that. They also perform the function of connecting, depending on the situation. Both open subordinate clauses. Only relative pronouns open attributive clauses, and connective pronouns open additional, subject and predicate clauses.

Relative pronoun:

The girl who improved my pronunciation– The woman who improved my pronunciation.

Connective pronoun:

This is Jordan, who you saw at the party- This is Jordan, the one you saw at the party.

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Here you can take a lesson on the topic: Pronouns in English. English Pronouns.

A pronoun is a part of speech that replaces a noun, adjective, adverb and some other words in sentences. In English, as well as in Russian, there are several types of pronouns. It is this part of speech and its varieties that we will consider in this lesson.

There are 8 main types of pronouns in English and they all have different properties. So, for example, in the sentence “He is a student,” the personal pronoun he replaces someone’s name and is the subject, and in the sentence “Can you give me that book, please?”, the demonstrative pronoun that acts as an object in the sentence.

In English there are the following: types of pronouns:

Personal pronouns - I, you, he, she, him, them, me, it, etc.
Possessive pronouns - my, his, her, mine, its, ours, etc.
Demonstrative pronouns - this, that, these, those.
Reflexive pronouns (reflexive pronouns) - myself, yourself, himself, themselves, etc.
Relative pronouns - who, which, where, that, etc.
Reciprocal pronouns - one another, each other.
Indefinite pronouns - somebody, anything, nothing, etc.
Interrogative pronouns (interrogative pronouns) - who, whom, why, when, etc.

I. The most important and frequently used pronouns are rightfully personal. These pronouns can take many forms and serve several functions in sentences. Personal pronouns, in turn, are divided into subjective and objective. Subjective pronouns answer the question who? or what?, and object pronouns - to the questions of whom? what? to whom? what?

1. Subjective pronouns:

I - I
you - you/you
he - he
she - she
it - he/she (inanimate)
we - we
they - they

2. Object pronouns:

me - me, me
you - you, you, you, you
him - to him, him
her - to her, her
it - to him/her, his/her (inanimate)
us - to us, us
them - to them, theirs

Subject and object personal pronouns in sentences can replace nouns and additions. For example:
She is a high school student. - She is a high school student. (noun)
He loves her. - He loves her. (addition)

Personal pronouns are often found in English folk sayings. For example:

After us the deluge. - After us there might be a flood.
As you sow, so shall you reap. - What goes around comes around.
Man can do no more than he can. - A person cannot do more than what he can do. / You can’t jump above your head.
Before you make a friend eat a bushel of salt with him. - Before you make a friend, eat a pound of salt with him. / Don’t recognize a friend in three days, recognize him in three years.
We know not what is good until we have lost it. - We learn what is good when we lose it. / What we have, we don’t keep; having lost it, we cry.

II. The following pronouns, which are also often used in English sentences, are possessive, i.e. indicating ownership, and answering the question “whose?” :

my (mine) - mine
your (yours) - yours, yours
his (his) - his
her (hers) - her
its (its) - his/her (inanimate)
our (ours) - ours
their (theirs) - theirs

A special type of possessive pronoun is indicated in brackets. If the words my, your, their are commonly used with nouns, then mine, yours, theirs are used independently. For example:
It"s my pillow. (This is my pillow.) It"s mine. (She's mine.)
Is this your car? (Is this your car?). -No, it's his. (-No, it's his.)

Unlike Russian, English possessive pronouns do not change in numbers. For example:
These are my books. - These are my books.
His poems are very interesting. - His poems are very interesting.

Possessive pronouns are also sometimes found in English sayings. For example:

Pleasure has a sting in its tail. - Pleasure has a sting in its tail.
All is fish that comes to his net. - All the fish that come into his net. / He benefits from everything.
Don"t count your chickens before they are hatched. - Don’t count your chickens until they hatch./Chickens are counted in the fall.

III. Another category of frequently used pronouns in English is called demonstrative or index finger. There are only 4 of them and they differ depending on the proximity or distance of objects:

this - this (close)
these - these (close)
that - that (far)
those - those (far)

Demonstrative pronouns do not change according to gender, but vary by numbers and agree with the verb. For example:
This is a table. - This is a table.
These are tables. - These are tables.

In sentences, demonstrative pronouns can serve noun, adjective, or object. For example:
This is my mother. - This is my mother. (noun)
That girl is too rude. - That girl is too rude. (adjective)
I"d like to buy these oranges. - I would like to buy these oranges. (addition)

Demonstrative pronouns are also found in some proverbs:

That "s a horse of another color - That's a horse of a different color. / This is a completely different matter.
That cock won't fight. - This rooster will not fight. / This number will not work.

IV. Reflexive pronouns , or as they are popularly called “mirror” - another category of English pronouns. They are formed by adding the singular suffix "-self" to indicate "on my own, on my own", to possessive pronouns; or the suffix "selves" to plural pronouns:

myself - I myself
yourself - you yourself
himself - himself
herself - she herself
itself - he/she himself/herself (inanimate)
ourselves - ourselves
yourselves - You yourself
themselves - they themselves

Only in reflexive pronouns can you see the difference between the singular and plural of the second person, i.e. between “you” and “You”: yourself - yourselves.

In sentences, reflexive pronouns serve as complements, and are used after transitive verbs(semantic verbs related not only to the activity, but also to the recipient). For example:

Be careful! Don"t injure yourself! - Be careful! Don't get hurt!
She bought herself a new skirt. - She bought herself a new skirt.
They can't do it themselves. - They can't do it themselves.

There are a number of set phrases with reflexive pronouns. Here are some of them:
Help yourself! - Help yourself!
Enjoy yourself! - Enjoy the atmosphere!
Behave yourself! - Behave yourself!

There are some verbs after which You should not use reflexive pronouns. This: wash (to wash), dress (to dress), shave (to shave), relax (to relax) and some others. For example:
She dressed and went to work. - She got dressed and went to work.
Tom washed and then shaved. - Tom washed his face and then shaved.

In these sentences there is no need to add the pronouns “herself” or “himself”, because it is already clear that the action is performed independently.

Some reflexive pronouns occur in English folklore:

Give a fool enough, and he will hang himself. - Give a fool a rope and he will hang himself./ Ask a fool to pray to God, he will hurt his forehead.
Don"t keep a dog and bark yourself. - Don’t hold the dog and then bark yourself. / Don’t work for your subordinate. / Because the dog is fed because it barks.
Respect yourself, or no one else will respect you. - Respect yourself, otherwise no one else will respect you. / He who does not respect himself, will not be respected by others either.

V. Pronouns called relative outwardly very similar to question words, but have a different meaning. They are used to determine the preceding noun. Although relative pronouns do not vary by gender or number, they depend on the object being defined. So, for example, if we want define a person, then we use the pronoun "who". Here is a more complete list of relative pronouns and examples of use:

who - who, which (person)
which/that - what, which (inanimate object, thing)
where - where, in which (place)
when - when, at which (time)
whose - whose, which (belonging)

He is the man who saved me. - He is the man who saved me.
This is the pen which (that) I found. - This is the pen I found.
This is the place where I was born. - This is the place where (in which) I was born.
This is the month when they go on holiday. - This is the month when (in which) they go on vacation.
She is the woman whose son is a burglar. - She is the woman whose son is a thief.

Now let's see how variously relative pronouns are used in proverbs:

He who likes borrowing dislikes paying. - He who likes to borrow does not like to pay back. / When borrowing, he is a friend, when giving, he is an enemy.
He knows much who knows how to hold his tongue. - He knows a lot who knows how to hold his tongue./ A wise man does not throw words to the wind.
He who hesitates is lost. - Who hesitates? he dies. Delay is like death.
That "s where the shoe pinches! - That's where the shoes pinches! / That's where the dog is buried.
He who would search for pearls must dive below. - He who looks for pearls must dive deep. / He who wants to eat fish must go into the water.
That which one least anticipates soonest comes to pass. - What you least expect happens.

VI. The smallest group of pronouns in English is reciprocal pronouns. There are only 2 of them and they can be interchangeable:

each other - each other (refers to two persons)
one another - one to another (may imply more persons)

In sentences, these pronouns are placed in the middle or at the end, and, as a rule, serve as a complement. For example:

They have known each other for many years. - They have known each other for many years.
They love each other. - They love each other.
The staff always help one another. - The staff always helps each other (one another).
The students spoke to one another in a quiet voice. - The students spoke to each other (one to another) in a quiet voice.

Reciprocal pronouns are often found in various legends, quotes, proverbs and other phrases. Thus, Joseph Addison once said:

Health and cheerfulness mutually beget each other. - Health and cheerfulness go hand in hand.

And another English saying says:

Families with babies and families without babies are sorry for each other. - Families with children and families without children sympathize with each other.

VII. One of the largest groups of English pronouns is indefinite pronouns. In sentences they can serve replacing adjectives, And replacing nouns. For example:

They have some problems. - They have some problems. (adjective replacement)
Are there any books there? -There are some on that shelf. - Are there any books there? -There are several on that shelf. (noun replacement)

Indefinite pronouns are conventionally divided into pronouns starting with the words “some” (a little, several), “any” (a little, several, any) and “no” (not at all, not at all).

1. Indefinite pronouns with the word "some":

some - a little, several
someone/somebody - someone/someone
something - anything
somewhere - somewhere
somehow - somehow/somehow
some time/some day - someday/someday

Note that the words "somebody" and "someone" are the same. All indefinite pronouns beginning with the word "some" are used in ordinary affirmative sentences, as well as in questions and requests And questions and suggestions. For example:

(+) * There is someone in the house. - There is someone in the house.
(+) There are some guests in the hotel.- There are several guests in the hotel.
(?) Can you give me some water, please? - Could you give me some water? (question-request)
(?) Would you like some cookies? - Would you like some cookies? (question-suggestion)

2. Indefinite pronouns with the word "any":

any - no, a little, several, any
anyone/anybody - anyone/anybody, anyone
anything - something/anything, anything
anywhere - somewhere/somewhere, anywhere/somewhere
anyhow - somehow/somehow, whatever
any day/any time - whenever

These pronouns are used either in negative and interrogative sentences, or in affirmatives with the meaning "any, whatever". For example:

(-) There isn’t any sugar in my coffee. - There is no sugar in my coffee.
(?) Is there anything interesting on TV? - Is there anything interesting on TV?
(+) I like any kind of fish. - I like any kind of fish.

3. Indefinite pronouns with the word "no":

no - no, not at all
noone/nobody - no one
nothing - nothing
nowhere - nowhere

Unlike Russian, English sentences can only contain one negative word. For example:

There is noone in the room.=There isn't anyone in the room. (There is no one in the room.)
There are no pictures on the wall.=There aren't any pictures on the wall.(There are no pictures on the walls.)

In many English sayings Indefinite pronouns are used:

By doing nothing we learn to do ill. - Without doing anything, we learn to do evil./ Idleness is the mother of all vices.
There is no rose without a thorn. - There is no rose without thorns.
To know everything is to know nothing. - To know everything means to know nothing.
To put a spoke in somebody's wheel. - Insert a spoke into someone's wheel. / Insert spokes into wheels.
Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. - Nothing is impossible for a loving heart.

VIII. The final group of pronouns is interrogative pronouns. They are very similar in appearance to relatives, but they perform different functions in English sentences. These pronouns are also known as "question words":

who? - Who?
whom? - whom? to whom?
which? - which?
what? - What?
where? - Where?
when? - When?
whose? - whose?
why? - Why?

Interrogative pronouns most often appear in sentences as subject, adjective, or as an addition with a preposition at the end. For example:

Who is your brother? - Who is your brother? (subject)
Which seat is yours? - What is your place? (adjective)
What is the book about? - What is the book about? (addition)

Sometimes interrogative pronouns serve nominal part predicate, as, for example, in famous proverb:
Tell me who your friends are and I"ll tell you who you are. - Tell me who your friend is, and I’ll tell you who you are. (literal translation). / Tell me who your friend is, and I’ll tell you who you are. ( literary translation).

Thus, in this lesson we became familiar with pronouns in English, their varieties and functions in sentences. We also learned useful proverbs and sayings. The following lessons will cover personal, possessive, and demonstrative pronouns in a little more detail.

A word that denotes an object or a sign of an object, but does not name it, is called a pronoun. Pronouns are divided into several groups, each of which has its own grammatical characteristics.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns change by case: if they are used in a sentence as a subject, then they stand in nominative case; if they are used as a complement, then they stand in objective case.

us	-us, us
you	-you, you
them	- to them, theirs

The pronoun "I" is always written with capital letters. The pronouns "he / she" are used to refer to animate persons; "it" - in relation to inanimate objects, abstract concepts and animals. The pronoun "they" is used to refer to both animate and inanimate objects.

Possessive pronouns. (Possessive Pronouns)

Possessive pronouns serve as modifiers of nouns and always take place before the nouns they define. Unlike the Russian language, where there is a pronoun “svoy”, used with all persons, English possessive pronouns are used strictly in accordance with the pronouns. If there is a need to use a possessive pronoun without a noun, then there is a special form called the absolute form.

In English, possessive pronouns are used much more often and are simply obligatory with nouns denoting parts of the body, items of clothing and relatives, and possessive pronouns are used instead of a noun to avoid repetition

Julie's car is red. Mine is blue.

Possessive pronouns are used without an apostrophe.

The dog wagged its tail.

“It"s” is not a possessive pronoun or adjective — it means “it is”:

It's not my dog.

Reflexive pronouns. (Reflexive Pronouns)

Pronouns ending in “-self (-selves in the plural)” are called reflexive. Reflexive pronouns show that the action named in the sentence is directed at the person who performs it, therefore the reflexive pronoun must be related in form to the subject.

Forms of reflexive pronouns

Personal Pronoun	Reflexive Pronoun
I	myself
you (singular)	yourself
you (plural)	yourselves
he	himself
she	herself
it	itself
we	ourselves
they	themselves

Use

1. When the subject and object are the same:

I hurt myself. (I got hurt.)

The band call themselves “Dire Straits”.

He shot himself.

2. When a preposition is used

I bought a present for myself.

She did it by herself. (She did it alone.)

That man is talking to himself.

3. When we want to emphasize the subject

I"ll do it myself. (No one else will help me.) - I will do it myself.

They eat all the food themselves. (No one else had any.)

Demonstrative pronouns. (Demonstrative pronouns)

Demonstrative pronouns change according to numbers. Moreover, the pronoun “this” denotes an object located next to the speaker, and “that” - at a considerable distance; “that” can also be translated into Russian by the words “this, this”. In a sentence, demonstrative pronouns can be used as a subject, a noun modifier, or an object.

This is my father. And that is my uncle.

This is my father. And there is my uncle.

I don't like these apples. I don't like these apples.

They are too sour. They are too sour.

This is not salt. It's sugar. It's not salt. It's sugar.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns include all, each, either, neither, both, some, any, no, none, much, many, little, few, other, one.

Some, any, no

To indicate that they mean a certain number of (several) countable objects or a certain amount of substance, in English the pronoun “some” is used in affirmative sentences, and “any” in interrogative and negative sentences. These pronouns are usually pronounced without stress and do not allow any articles to be used before the noun.

Some - several, a little

Any- any amount

No- no, not at all

Take some glasses from that shelf. Take some glasses from that shelf.

Pour some water in them. Pour water into them.

Don't take any books from the case. Don't take books from the closet.

Have you got any money? Do you have any money?

The pronoun "any", in turn, can be used in affirmative sentences to mean "any", for example:

Take any cup you like. Take any mug you like.

The pronoun "no" has a negative meaning "no" and explains the noun, for example:

There is no milk in the jug. There is no milk in the jug.

He has no friends. He doesn't have (any) friends.

From the pronouns "some, any, no" can be formed compound pronouns: “somebody - anybody - nobody; something - anything - nothing; somewhere - anywhere - nowhere”, and the same rules of use in different types of sentences apply to them as for “some, any, no”. Pronouns formed with "-body" are used only to refer to people and are combined with a verb only in the singular. Pronouns formed with "-thing" are used to refer to inanimate objects and concepts.

There is somebody in the office. There is someone in the office.

Is there anyone at home? Is anyone at home?

I saw nobody in the garden. I didn't see anyone in the garden.

There is something wrong with him. Something happened to him.

He can do anything for you. He will do anything for you.

If you use negative pronouns "nobody, nothing" in a sentence, then the negative particle "not" is not required, since in English there can only be one negation.

Nobody knows anything about it. Nobody knows anything about this.

There is / There are

If they want to emphasize the presence or absence of an object or person in a certain place, the sentence begins with the construction “there is / there are (plural)”, followed by a noun denoting this person or object and the circumstance of the place. Translation of such a construction begins with the adverbial location:

There are many English books in his library. There are many English books in his library.

There is a chair at the table. There is a chair at the table.

The form of the verb "to be" in such constructions agrees with the first noun that follows it.

There is a dictionary and some books on the shelf. There is a dictionary and several books on the table.

There are flowers and a box of chocolates on the table. There are flowers and a box of chocolates on the table.

Are there any letters for me? Are there any letters for me?

Is there milk or juice in the jug? Is there milk or juice in the jug?

How many books are there in your library? How many books are in your library?

Negation can be formed in two ways: using the negative pronoun “no” or the negative particle “not” and the pronoun “any”.

There is no note for you. There is no note for you.

There isn't any news in her letter. There is no news in her letter.

Many, few, a few, much, little, a little.

Pronouns "many, few, few, several". The pronouns "many" - a lot and "few" - are rarely used only as definitions for countable nouns in the plural.

They have many friends in London. They have many friends in London.

He has few friends. He is very lonely. He has few friends. He is very lonely.

There are many ways to solve this problem. There are many ways to solve this problem.

The pronouns "much" - many and "little" - are rarely used with uncountable nouns (abstract concepts, substances...).

There is little milk in the cup. There is not enough milk in the cup.

We spend a lot of time on this experiment. We spend a lot of time on this experiment.

Do you have much money on you? Do you have a lot of money with you?

I have very little time. I have very little time.

The combination “a few” means “several” and is used only with countable nouns; with uncountable nouns the combination “a little” is used, which means “little”.

Will you give me a little water? Can you give me some water?

I bought a few apples. I bought some (several) apples.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns include the pronouns who who, what that, who (by profession), which, whose whose, which which. Interrogative pronouns are used to form special questions.

Who headed our delegation to the Trade Unions Conference? Who headed our delegation at the Trade Union Conference?

Doesn't always know what is what. He always knows what's what.

What do you know about the World Peace Council? What do you know about the World Peace Council?

If an interrogative pronoun is combined with a preposition, the preposition is usually placed at the end of the sentence:

What are you reading about? What are you reading about?

Whom are you speaking to? Who are you talking to?

The pronoun who refers to persons, the pronoun what refers to objects. But the pronoun what can also refer to persons if they are asked about their profession or occupation:

Who is that? - That is Mister N. Who is this? - This is Mr. N.

What is Mister N.? - He is an officer. Who (by occupation, by profession) is Mr. N.? - He is an officer.

A pronoun, instead of a name, helps replace a noun in speech to avoid annoying repetitions. In English, as in Russian, there are several types of pronouns. Today we will talk about what these pronouns are, how they are expressed and how to easily and quickly learn them. How to easily learn English pronouns?

Getting to know the types of pronouns in English

The first type and the most important - Personal Pronouns. This type of pronoun is the most common in speech. Everyone, both beginners and people who have been practicing English for a long time, knows simple and short words:

I - I You - you / you
He - he She - she
It - it, this
We - we They - they

Pay attention to the offers:

• I am busy now. - I'm busy now.
• They are going to take their sister with them. — They are going to take their sister with them.
• We must learn English pronouns. — We must learn English pronouns.

The same Personal Pronouns, but in the genitive and dative cases:

Me - me, me
You - you, you/you, you
Him - him, to him
Her - hers, her Its - his, him
Us - us, to us
Them - them, to them For example:

• Tell us that you are not guilty! - Tell us it's not your fault!
• Allow them to pass, please. - Let them pass, please.
• Take me with you. - Take me with you.

The next type of English pronouns is Possessive Pronouns (possessives):

My - my (my, mine)
Your - yours/yours
His
Her - her Its - his
Our - ours
Their - theirs

• Give me my copy-book, please. - Give me my notebook, please.
• Where is your coat? -Where is your coat?
• She is walking with her dog. — She is walking with her (her) dog.

Reflexive Pronouns or reflexive pronouns look like this:

Myself - I myself (myself, myself, etc.)
Yourself - you yourself
Himself - himself
Herself - she herself
Itself - it itself
Ourselves - ourselves
Yourselves - yourself
Themselves - themselves

• It switches itself off. — It turns off by itself.
• She does everything herself. - She does everything herself.
• You should think about yourselves. “You should think about yourself.”

And finally, the absolute form or Absolute Pronouns, which is used without nouns:

Mine - mine, mine, mine
Yours - yours
His
Hers - her Its - his
Ours - ours
Theirs - theirs For example:

• Don't touch this bag; it's mine! - Don't touch this bag, it's mine!
• This is our classroom; where is yours? - This is our class, where is yours?
• My flat is on the first floor, theirs is on the last floor. — My apartment is on the first floor, and theirs is on the last.

We will not dwell in detail on each type of English pronouns, because we examined them in detail in our previous articles. We'll just focus on how to learn them quickly and effectively.
Demonstrative pronouns in English

Learn English pronouns quickly and effectively!

So, you have decided to master pronouns in English and remember them once and for all! Very the right decision, because not a single dialogue, not a single conversation is complete without these words. We want to offer you several ways to quickly and firmly learn all these types of English pronouns. Moreover, this can be done without interrupting work, household chores or relaxation.

First, make yourself a table that contains all of the above types of “substitutes” for English nouns. For example, like this:

PersonalPronouns	Genitive and Dative case	PossessivePronouns	ReflexivePronouns	AbsolutePronouns
I - I You - you/you He - he She - she It - it, this We - we They - they	Me - me, me You - you, you/you, you Him - him, to him Her - her, her Its - his, him Us - us, to us Them - them, to them	My - my (my, mine) Your - yours/yours His Her - her Its - his Our - ours Their - theirs	Myself - I myself (myself, myself, etc.) Yourself - you yourself Himself - himself Herself - she herself Itself - it itself Ourselves - ourselves Yourselves - yourself Themselves - themselves	Mine is mine Yours - yours His Hers - her Its - his Ours - ours Theirs - theirs

Make several copies of this sign, each type of pronoun separately and all together. Fortunately, English pronouns are short words, and each type is consonant with the previous one, that is, they are similar in sound and even in spelling.

So you've made a table; Now place the leaves or funny colored stickers with a sign wherever possible: on your desktop, on a bookshelf, in your work bag, in a case along with your mobile phone, in the kitchen near your favorite cup, near the cupboard with dishes. Let these pronouns be before your eyes until you “click them like seeds.”

Seeing English pronouns before your eyes at every step, simply repeat them out loud several times. Also, substitute auxiliary words with the help of which the pronouns will be more firmly etched in memory: my book, his cup etc. Complicate the task, add more auxiliary words: this is our house, that is their car etc.

Call things around you with pronouns

“Scan” English pronouns with your eyes at every opportunity and free minute: on the way to work, from work or from school, at night before going to bed, etc. You yourself will not notice how your visual memory will serve you well, and you learn pronouns in just a few days.