An intensive pronoun (sometimes called an emphatic pronoun) is a word that’s used to place special emphasis on another noun or pronoun (e.g. “the man himself”). It can indicate something special or unexpected or distinguish the person or thing in question from others.
In English, intensive pronouns are identical to reflexive pronouns—both always end in -self or -selves—but their grammatical functions are different. There are intensive forms of all the personal pronouns and of the impersonal pronoun “one.”
Published on
January 26, 2023
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
February 14, 2023.
A reflexive pronoun is a pronoun that’s used in the object position when the subject and object of the sentence are the same (i.e., to show someone acting on themselves). For example, “himself” is a reflexive pronoun in the sentence “He hurt himself while cooking.”
Reflexive pronouns end in -self or -selves depending on whether they’re singular or plural. Each of the personal pronouns, along with the impersonal pronoun “one,” has a reflexive form. They are listed in the table below.
Published on
January 24, 2023
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
February 14, 2023.
Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that are used to refer to someone or something in a general way, without being specific about whom or what you’re referring to.
The main group of indefinite pronouns is formed by various combinations of no-, any-, some-, and every- with -thing, -one, and -body (e.g., “anything”). The same prefixes combined with -where form indefinite adverbs (e.g., “somewhere”), which work similarly but are not technically pronouns.
There are also other indefinite pronouns that aren’t formed in this way, such as “many” and “little.”
Indefinite pronouns and adverbs
-one and -body refer to people.
-thing refers to things.
-where (or occasionally -place) refers to places.
every- indicates all of something or some group.
Tell everyone I said hi!
Everybody else is here already.
Everything looks brighter after a good night’s sleep.
Humans can be found just about everywhere on earth.
any- indicates a wide or infinite range of possibilities. It’s also used in negative statements to mean the opposite.
Who’s that knocking at the door? It could be anybody!
I don’t think anyone is interested.
You can do anything you set your mind to.
I’ve never visited anywhere like that.
some- normally indicates one person or thing.
I’m sure somebody will help us out.
Someone told me you like to play chess.
I get bored if I don’t have something to do.
I want to find somewhere nice to go on holiday this summer.
Published on
January 20, 2023
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
February 24, 2023.
Possessive pronouns are pronouns that are used to indicate the ownership (possession) of something or someone by something or someone else. The English possessive pronouns are mine, ours, yours, his, hers, theirs, and whose.
Possessive pronouns are closely related to possessive determiners, which are used differently since they appear before a noun instead of replacing it. The possessive determiners are my, our, your, his, her, its, their, and whose.
At our house, we have some special Christmas traditions.
Yours is the nicest living room I’ve ever been in.
I’d love to get your feedback.
Those books are his.
I don’t know; I’ve never met his family.
The problem is hers to deal with; I’m not getting involved.
What are her hobbies?
—
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is best remembered for its final movement.
You haven’t had real chocolate until you’ve tried theirs.
If they want to get worked up about it, that’s their prerogative.
Whose are these papers?
The house, whose windows were still open, had been abandoned weeks ago.
NoteIts can technically be used as a possessive pronoun (i.e., standing on its own in a statement like “the toys are its”), but this usage is very rare in modern English and best avoided if you want your writing to read smoothly. Its is normally only used as a possessive determiner (e.g., “its toys”).
Subject and object pronouns are two different kinds of pronouns (words that replace nouns) that play different grammatical roles in sentences:
A subject pronoun (I, we, he, she, they, or who) refers to the person or thing that performs an action. It normally appears at the start of a sentence, before the verb.
An object pronoun (me, us, him, her, them, or whom) refers to the person or thing affected by an action. It normally comes after a verb or preposition.
All other pronouns (e.g., “you,” “it,” “this,” “one,” “what”) and nouns (e.g., “dog”) have only one form, which is used for both cases.
Examples of subject and object pronouns
Subject pronouns
Object pronouns
I go to the library regularly.
Jana told me about it.
We haven’t met before.
There’s a letter thanking us for our hospitality.
You should visit Paris.
Everyone’s waiting for you outside.
He said that John would handle it.
Don’t tell him; it’s a surprise!
She has applied for several jobs.
Lots of people admire her.
It looks like a tiger.
Somebody ought to look into it.
They are arriving tomorrow.
Let’s stick them up on the fridge.
Who wants to go first?
Whom are you looking for?
NoteThe only pronouns with different subject and object forms are the personal pronouns (except for “you” and “it”) and the relative or interrogative pronouns who and whom. With other pronouns (and nouns), you don’t need to worry about case.
Published on
January 11, 2023
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
February 21, 2023.
Interrogative pronouns are pronouns that are used to ask questions. The main English interrogative pronouns are what, which, who, whom, and whose.
An interrogative pronoun normally appears at the start of a question, but it may instead appear in the middle or at the end, depending on the phrasing. A question can also include more than one interrogative pronoun.
Like other pronouns, interrogative pronouns are said to have an antecedent. This is the noun or noun phrase that they stand for. The antecedent of an interrogative pronoun is the answer to the question.
Pronoun
Asks about …
Question
Answer
Interrogative pronouns
What
An animal or thing from a large or unspecified number of options
What is the country with the highest proportion of vegetarians?
India is the country with the highest proportion of vegetarians.
Which
An animal or thing from a limited number of options
Which is your favorite flavor, vanilla or strawberry?
Strawberry is my favorite flavor.
Who
A person who is the subject of the sentence (person performing an action)
Who made this mess?
Danny made this mess.
Whom
A person who is the object of the sentence (person acted upon)
Published on
January 7, 2023
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
January 23, 2023.
A relative pronoun is a pronoun that’s used to introduce a relative clause. The main English relative pronouns are which, that, who, and whom. These words can also function as other parts of speech—they aren’t exclusively used as relative pronouns.
A relative clause introduces further information about the preceding noun or noun phrase, either helping to identify what it refers to (in a restrictive clause) or just providing extra details (in a nonrestrictive clause).
The relative clause comes after a noun or noun phrase (called the antecedent) and gives some additional information about the thing or person in question. The relative pronoun represents the antecedent.
Pronoun
Usage
Example
Which
Refers to things
Used in nonrestrictive clauses
My bike, which I’ve owned for three years, is in need of some maintenance.
Published on
January 7, 2023
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
January 23, 2023.
The four English demonstrative pronouns are this, that, these, and those. They are used to highlight something that was previously mentioned or that is clear from the context.
Demonstrative pronouns “demonstrate” something; using them is the verbal equivalent of pointing at something or someone. They draw attention to the thing or person you’re referring to.
Demonstrative pronouns indicate number (singular or plural) and the relative distance of the thing being referred to.
Examples of the demonstrative pronouns
Near (proximal)
Far (distal)
Singular
This is my friend Jamie.
I don’t know about that. Let’s discuss it tomorrow.
Plural
I like all kinds of chocolates, but these are my favorites.
Sending good emails is an essential professional skill. In addition to knowing how to start an email, you should understand how to end one, with an engaging closing line, an appropriate sign-off, and a proper email signature.
Below, we provide you with five strong closing lines and five professional sign-offs to use in your correspondence. We also discuss what information you should include in your signature.
Sending good emails is an important skill in academic and professional contexts. It’s essential to start your emails on the right foot with an appropriate greeting and an engaging opening line.
Below, we explore how to start an email, providing five professional greetings and five strong opening lines that you can use in your correspondence. We also explain the contexts where each one would be an appropriate choice.
