PERSONAL PRONOUNS, POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS & REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS

PERSONAL PRONOUNS, POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS & REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS

Personal Pronouns

Subject pronouns: Subject pronouns occur in the subject position of a sentence or after the verb be. ( I, you, they, we, she, he, it)

I am going to the store.

We have lived here for twenty years.

It was she who called you. (after the verb be)

Complement pronouns (object pronouns): Complement pronouns occur in complement position or after prepositions unless the preposition introducs a new clause. (me, you, them, us, her, him, it)

They called us on the telephone.

The teacher gave him a bad grade.

Mary is going to class with me.

Possessive adjectives: Possessive adjectives are not the same as possessive pronouns. These simply modify, rather than replace, nouns; possessive pronouns replace nouns. Possessive forms indicate ownership. (my, your, their, our, her, his, its)

John is eating his dinner.

This is not my book.

She forgot her homework this morning.

The cat has injured its foot.

Note : Its is not the same as It’s. It’s means it is.

Possesive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns: These pronouns cannot precede a noun. They are pronouns and thus replace the noun. The noun is understood from the context and is not repeated. (mine, yours, theirs, ours, hers, his, its)

This is my book. This is mine.

Your teacher is the same as his teacher.Yours is the same as his.

Their coats ar too small. Theirs are too small.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns: These pronouns usually follow the verb and indicate that the subject is both giving and receiving the action. (myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, themselves, ourselves, yourselves)

Note :

In the prural, the self changes to selves.

Most forms are made by adding the suffix to the possessive adjective: however, himself, itself and themselves are made by adding the suffix to the complement form. The forms hisself and theirselves are always incorrect.

Note :  John bought him a new car. (him = another person)

            John bought himself a new car. (himself = John)

I washed myself.

He sent the letter to himself.

We hurt ourselves playing football.

Reflexive pronouns can also be used for emphasis. This means that the subject did the action alone. In the case, it normally follows the subject.

I myself believe that proposal is good.

He himself set our to break the long distance flying record.

The students themselves decorated the room.

Note : by + reflexive pronoun can also mean alone.

John washed the dishes by himself = John washed the dishes alone.

Reference :

Clift TOEFL Preparation by Michael A. Pyle, M. A. And Marry Ellen Munoz, M. A. Series Editor: Jerry Bobrow, M. A.