What is a pronoun in English?

A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun already known, or obvious from the situation. She can replace Mina, them can replace the jars, and this can replace a thing you are holding. English uses several types, because replacing a name, marking ownership, pointing, and asking are different jobs.

What are the main types of pronoun?

Personal (I, me, she, them), possessive (mine, yours, hers), reflexive (myself, themselves), demonstrative (this, those), relative (who, which, that), indefinite (someone, nothing), interrogative (who, what), and reciprocal (each other). The table on this page lists the forms; each type has a full lesson of its own.

How do I choose between I and me, or she and her?

Use I, he, she, we, they as the subject of a verb: Mina and I glazed the bowls. Use me, him, her, us, them as the object of a verb or preposition: They waved at us. Between you and me is the object pattern. You and it stay the same in both roles.

What is the difference between my and mine?

My is a possessive adjective and needs a noun: my rucksack. Mine is a possessive pronoun and stands alone: This rucksack is mine. The same split gives your/yours, her/hers, our/ours, their/theirs. His is the same in both roles, so you tell them apart by whether a noun follows.

When do I use a reflexive pronoun?

When the object is the same person or thing as the subject: He taught himself to glaze pots. You also use one for emphasis: I packed the crate myself. Do not use a reflexive for two people acting on each other; that job belongs to each other. The reflexive-pronoun page covers the cases where English does not want one.

English grammar · Beginner

Pronouns: Every Type in English, with Forms and Examples

Written by Eleanor Whitfield, Lead English Curriculum Editor · Reviewed September 2026

A pronoun stands in for a noun that both speakers can already identify, so you do not have to repeat the name: she for Mina, them for the jars, this for a thing you are holding. English has several types, each with its own small set of forms: personal, possessive, reflexive, demonstrative, relative, indefinite, interrogative, and reciprocal. This page is the map of those types; each type has its own lesson.

Mina packed the jars, then she labelled them herself.

she replaces Mina, them replaces the jars, herself points back at Mina

What it is

Once a noun has been named, English prefers a lighter word the next time that person or thing appears. That lighter word is a pronoun. The type you pick depends on the job: I and me for the speaker, mine for something owned, myself when subject and object are the same, this for something near you, who for a person in a relative clause, someone for an unidentified person, and each other for two people acting on one another. Keep the type, the form, and the job aligned, and the pronoun is right.

Omar made tea. He poured it, and I drank mine. (He replaces Omar, it replaces the tea, mine stands for my tea.)

How to spot it

If a short word is standing where a name or a noun phrase could go, it is probably a pronoun. Check whether a noun follows it. This jar is a determiner plus a noun; this on its own is a demonstrative pronoun. My keys are a possessive adjective plus a noun; mine is a possessive pronoun.

They waved at us. (personal: they subject, us object)
The blue mug is hers. (possessive pronoun, no noun after hers)
He blamed himself. (reflexive: subject and object are the same)
Those are ripe. (demonstrative pronoun standing alone)

A pronoun needs an antecedent the listener can recover, or a situation that makes the reference obvious (this, I, you). If the listener would have to guess who they is, repeat the noun.

Pronouns Quick Reference

The pronoun types of English

Type	Main forms	Job	Example
Personal	I, me, you, he, him, she, her, it, we, us, they, them	replace a person or thing as subject or object	She sent them to us.
Possessive	mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs	replace a possessive + noun	This mug is mine.
Reflexive	myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves	object is the same as the subject, or emphasis	She labelled them herself.
Demonstrative	this, that, these, those	point to something without naming it	Those are ripe.
Relative	who, whom, which, that, whose, what	link a describing clause to a noun	the potter who glazed the bowls
Indefinite	someone, anyone, everyone, nothing, each, both, one	refer without a specific name	Someone left a note.
Interrogative	who, whom, whose, what, which	ask for a person or thing	Who called? Which is yours?
Reciprocal	each other, one another	two or more people acting on one another	They helped each other.

Common Pronouns Examples in English

One example set per job, so you can see why a different type is chosen each time:

Standing In for People and Things

Omar made tea, then he poured it.: he for Omar, it for the tea
Mina waved, and we waved back at her.: her is the object form
The jars were heavy, so I carried them.: them replaces the jars
You and I can finish this.: I stays in the subject form after and

Personal pronouns change form with subject and object: I/me, he/him, she/her, we/us, they/them. You and it do not change.

Ownership Without Repeating the Noun

Your kiln is newer than ours.: ours = our kiln
Is this rucksack yours?: yours stands alone
Hers arrived before mine.: two possessive pronouns, no nouns after them

Mine, yours, hers, ours, theirs never take a noun after them. My, your, her, our, their always do: my rucksack, not mine rucksack.

Same Person, or Pointing

He taught himself to glaze pots.: himself: subject and object are he
I packed the crate myself.: myself for emphasis, not as the object of packed
This is too heavy.: this points to a thing near the speaker
Are those the spare fuses?: those points to several things further away

Reflexives end in -self or -selves. Demonstratives carry near/far and one/many: this, that, these, those.

Linking, Asking, and Leaving Open

the volunteer who repaired the kiln: who: relative, person as subject
Someone left a note on the bench.: someone: indefinite, identity unknown
Who left the note?: who: interrogative, asking for the person
The two potters helped each other.: each other: reciprocal

Relative pronouns have their own page. Indefinite pronouns such as someone and nothing take a singular verb: Someone is waiting.

How Pronouns Work

Four overview rules that apply across types; the detail lives on the page for each type.

Match Form to Job

A pronoun has to fit the slot it fills. Subject slots take I, he, she, we, they. Object slots, including after a preposition, take me, him, her, us, them. Possessive pronouns stand alone (mine). Possessive adjectives need a noun (my bag). Mixing the sets gives between you and I and This is my, both of which are wrong.

Between you and me, this is hers.

me after a preposition, hers standing alone

Subject form, object form, or standing-alone possessive.

Keep Number and Person Straight

A pronoun agrees with the noun it replaces. Mina is she or her, not they, unless you have chosen they as Mina's pronoun. The jars are they or them. I is only the speaker. You is both singular and plural. A mismatch (Mina packed the jars, then he labelled it) loses the listener.

The fuses were cheap, so we bought them.

plural noun, plural object pronoun

Same person, same number as the noun.

Give the Listener an Antecedent

Except for I, you, and pointing words like this, a pronoun is unclear until the noun has been named. If two nouns could fit, repeat the noun rather than hoping they or it will land. In writing, the antecedent usually comes before the pronoun, in the same sentence or the one just before.

Once the kiln cooled, we opened it.

it is recoverable as the kiln

Name it, then replace it.

Pick the Type for the Job

Personal pronouns replace a named person or thing. Possessives replace my + noun. Reflexives are for the same person as subject and object, or for emphasis. Demonstratives point. Relatives attach a clause. Indefinites leave the identity open. Reciprocals are for two-way action. If the sentence still feels wrong after the form is right, you may have the wrong type.

They emailed each other, not themselves.

two people, two-way action: reciprocal, not reflexive

Type first, then form.

Common Mistakes with Pronouns

Incorrect: Me and Mina glazed the bowls.

Correct: Mina and I glazed the bowls.

Inside a coordinated subject, English still wants I rather than me: Mina and I glazed the bowls. Putting the other person first is also the polite order.

Incorrect: This rucksack is my.

Correct: This rucksack is mine.

My cannot stand alone; it needs a noun (my rucksack). When the noun is dropped, the possessive pronoun mine takes its place.

Incorrect: Omar made tea for hisself.

Correct: Omar made tea for himself.

The reflexive of he is himself, not hisself. The full set is myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

Incorrect: The two potters helped themselves with the crate.

Correct: The two potters helped each other with the crate.

Themselves would mean each potter helped herself or himself. For two people acting on one another, English uses the reciprocal each other.

Quick Check: Pronouns

Choose the pronoun type and form that fits each gap.

1. Mina packed the jars, then ___ labelled them. (subject, Mina)

Answer: she

personal subject pronoun

2. The blue mug is ___. (belongs to me)

Answer: mine

possessive pronoun, no noun after it

3. He taught ___ to glaze pots. (same person as he)

Answer: himself

reflexive

4. ___ are too heavy to lift. (the crates near you, plural)

Answer: These / Those

demonstrative pronoun

5. The two potters helped ___. (two-way)

Answer: each other

reciprocal, not themselves

Pronouns FAQs

What is a pronoun in English?: A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun already known, or obvious from the situation. She can replace Mina, them can replace the jars, and this can replace a thing you are holding. English uses several types, because replacing a name, marking ownership, pointing, and asking are different jobs.
What are the main types of pronoun?: Personal (I, me, she, them), possessive (mine, yours, hers), reflexive (myself, themselves), demonstrative (this, those), relative (who, which, that), indefinite (someone, nothing), interrogative (who, what), and reciprocal (each other). The table on this page lists the forms; each type has a full lesson of its own.
How do I choose between I and me, or she and her?: Use I, he, she, we, they as the subject of a verb: Mina and I glazed the bowls. Use me, him, her, us, them as the object of a verb or preposition: They waved at us. Between you and me is the object pattern. You and it stay the same in both roles.
What is the difference between my and mine?: My is a possessive adjective and needs a noun: my rucksack. Mine is a possessive pronoun and stands alone: This rucksack is mine. The same split gives your/yours, her/hers, our/ours, their/theirs. His is the same in both roles, so you tell them apart by whether a noun follows.
When do I use a reflexive pronoun?: When the object is the same person or thing as the subject: He taught himself to glaze pots. You also use one for emphasis: I packed the crate myself. Do not use a reflexive for two people acting on each other; that job belongs to each other. The reflexive-pronoun page covers the cases where English does not want one.