Pronouns in the English present tense. Possessive pronouns in English

Quick jump:

A pronoun is a part of speech that is used instead of a noun.

Pushkin is the greatest Russian poet. He was born in 1799
Pushkin is the greatest Russian poet. He was born in 1799.

Pronouns in English can be used in a sentence in the function:

Not a doctor.
He is a doctor.

The red pencil is mine.
My red pencil.

I have not seen him.
I didn't see him.

I cannot find my pencil.
I can't find my pencil.

simple form possessive pronouns always require a noun after itself and being its definition, excludes the use of the article before this noun:

My pencil is on the table.
My pencil is on the table.

Absolute form possessive pronouns are used independently - nouns are never put after them.

This pencil is mine.
This pencil is mine.

Refundable pronouns come after many verbs and correspond in Russian to the particle - "sya" ("si"), which is attached to verbs, showing that the action passes to the actor himself:

Not defended himself.
He defended himself.

Don't cut yourself.
Don't cut yourself.

Pronouns in English: table with translation and examples

Any student who starts learning English from scratch on his own or with a teacher will learn how to answer the question “ What's your name?”(Russian. What is your name?).

Answering " My name is…“(Rus. My name is ...), he doesn’t even think that he already knows two possessive pronouns: my(mine, mine, mine. mine) and your(Russian yours, yours, yours, yours), without which it is impossible to build communication in English.

We use the same possessive pronouns for everything, but do we own our lives or sisters or husbands in the same way we own our shoes? Do we own any of them at all?

We use possessive pronouns for everything, but do we really own our lives, sisters or husbands as much as we own our shoes? Do we own all this?

~ Samantha Harvey

They can cause some misunderstanding on the part of those who are just starting to learn English and have encountered Possessive pronouns for the first time.

AT English grammar peacefully coexist two varieties of possessive pronouns: Possessive Adjectives(possessive adjectives) and Possessive Pronouns(possessive pronouns). Today we will talk about them in this article.

Possessive pronouns in English

Possessive pronouns help us understand that someone or something owns something. Signature on key chains: I am yours (Russian I am yours), And you are mine (Russian And you are mine)

Let's first remember what a possessive pronoun is.

Possessive pronouns(mine, yours, ours, and others) indicate the sign of belonging to a certain person and answer the question whose? In Russian, they agree with the noun in number, gender, and case.

What about English possessive pronouns? There are two forms of possessive pronouns in English ( Possessive adjectives and Possessive pronouns), which differ in spelling and how they are used in a sentence.

Let us consider in more detail both forms of possessive pronouns in English.

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive pronouns in English, resembling an adjective in their role in a sentence, and which are always used with a noun, are called Possessive Adjectives(Russian possessive adjective).

Below is a table of the formation of possessive pronouns in English and their comparison with personal pronouns.

Possessive pronouns dependent form (Table 1)

Possessive pronouns dependent form (Table 2)

When we want to indicate ownership, we cannot use !

Sentence He name was Carl(Russian. His name was Karl) sounds strange and wrong in both English and Russian. He is a personal pronoun. Replace it with a suitable possessive adjective his and get a grammatically and logically correct sentence: His name was Car l (Russian. His name was Karl)

Sometimes this form of possessive pronouns or Possessive Adjectives called dependent, since it cannot be used on its own, without a noun.

Remember!

Possessive pronouns-adjectives (Possessive Adjectives) in English they are used only in conjunction with a noun and always come before it.

Since dependent possessive pronouns resemble adjectives in their functionality, they also play the role of a definition in a sentence.

Examples of sentences with possessive adjectives in English

English beginners often confuse possessive adjectives with contracted forms of the verb. to be:

your and you're (= you are)

its and it's (= it is)

Compare the use of possessive pronouns and the contracted form of the verb:

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in English that can be used in a sentence without a noun are called Possessive Pronouns(Russian possessive pronoun).

Possessive Pronouns also called absolute or independent form of possessive pronouns. In this form, nouns are never placed after possessive pronouns, since these pronouns are used instead of nouns.

Remember!

Absolute possessive pronouns ( Possessive Pronounss) in English are used without a noun and perform the function of the subject, object or nominal part of the predicate in the sentence.

Below is a table of the formation of absolute possessive pronouns in English and their comparison with personal pronouns.

Possessive pronouns in English absolute form (Table 1)

Possessive pronouns in English absolute form (Table 2)

English possessive pronouns in absolute form replace the possessive adjective ( Possessive Adjective) with a noun to avoid repetition of information, since everything is clear without it. For example:

This book is my book, not your book(Russian This book is my book, not your book)

This book is mine, not yours(Russian This book is mine, not yours)

As you noticed in both Russian and English, the second sentence sounds more natural. Let's take a look at how possessive pronouns are used in a sentence.

Examples of sentences with possessive pronouns in English

Possessive pronoun its in absolute form is used extremely rarely, only in conjunction with the word own:

The cottage seems asleep yet, but it may have a life of its own(Russian. It seemed that the cottage was still sleeping, but perhaps it lived its own life).

My or Mine? Possessive pronoun or adjective?

On the poster is an inscription with a vivid example of the use of possessive pronouns in dependent and absolute form: “Because my body is mine (belongs to me!)”

As already mentioned, we use possessive adjectives and pronouns when we need to express ownership. Both forms are translated into Russian in the same way.

Possessive adjective ( Possessive Adjective) is always used with a following noun:

This is my pen(Russian This is my pen), where my is a possessive adjective, pen is a subsequent noun.

Possessive pronouns ( Possessive Pronouns) are always used on their own, without an accompanying word:

This pen is mine(Russian This pen is mine), where mine- a possessive pronoun, after which we DO NOT NEED a noun.

Comparative table of possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns.

The semantic load does not change in these two sentences. However, when we need to focus on someone or something, it is better to use the absolute form.

Translation of English possessive pronouns

There is no difference in the meaning of possessive adjectives and pronouns in English and in their translation into Russian.

English possessive pronouns in dependent and absolute form are translated into Russian in the same way, but there are a few things you need to know about.

Translation of the possessive pronoun your into English

There is no special possessive pronoun in English that corresponds to the Russian possessive pronoun ""own"".

Russian pronoun ""own" in English corresponding possessive pronouns.

Example sentences in English with the translation of the pronoun svoi

English possessive pronouns are usually not translated into Russian when they are combined with nouns denoting parts of the body or items of clothing, but are always present before the noun.

In Russian, with similar nouns, possessive pronouns are usually not used. Compare English sentences with possessive sentences with translation:

Special cases of using possessive pronouns

Using the Of yours structure

Very often (especially in American English) you can hear the following construction: a friend/some friends of + mine, yours, etc:

I saw a friend of yours last night(eng. I saw one of your friends last night) = I saw one of your friends last night.

Here are some friends of mine(Russian. And here are my friends) = Here are my friends.

Offers I saw one of your friends last night and I saw a friend of yours last night translated will be the same "Last night I saw one of your friends." However, there is a slight semantic difference.

Let's look at phrases "my friend" and “a friend of mine”.

"My friend" will say about close friend. If you call a person "my friend" It means that you have a warm and trusting relationship with him. But, each of us has people with whom we simply a good relationship. These are just our friends and acquaintances. This is exactly what we need here the expression “a friend of mine”.

The indefinite article itself tells us that “one of” friends, someone indefinite:

This is my friend Jessica.("my friend" - before the name)

This is Jessica, a friend of mine.("a friend of mine" - after the name)

With a phrase "a friend of mine" associated with one amusing fact. In English culture, there is a concept urban myth(BrE) or urban legend(Ame). This is a story, usually with an unexpected, humorous or instructive ending, which the narrator passes off as a real event.

We call these stories "tales" or "fictions". These incidents allegedly happen to a certain acquaintance of the narrator, and the name of the acquaintance is never specified.

Most of these stories (or "tales") begin with the words: This happened to a friend of mine... (This happened to one of my friends...).

When to use Yours faithfully and Yours sincerely

You have probably come across the phrase Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely at the end of a formal letter, for example:

Yours sincerely, Mary Wilkinson(Russian. Sincerely, Mary Wilkinson).

At business correspondence- these are irreplaceable phrases that need to be written at the end of the letter. Read more about the features of business English.

Examples of using the phrases “Yours faithfully” and “Yours sincerely”

Using an English noun in the genitive case

Possessive nouns can be used as possessive pronouns when referring to belonging to someone in particular.

As a rule, the use of nouns in the possessive case does not affect the form of possessive pronouns, for example:

Whose cell phone is that? - It's John's.(Russian Whose phone is this? - John.)

Who do these computers belong to? - They"re our parents".(Russian. Who owns these computers? - Our parents.)

The relation of belonging or involvement of one object to another can also be indicated using the possessive case ( The Possessive case). which we will talk about in our next article.

Possessive pronouns in English: video

To finally consolidate the knowledge gained, we recommend that you watch a video about possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns.

English Grammar Lessons - Possessive adjectives and Pronouns

Finally:

In this article, we tried to explain the use of possessive pronouns in English as simply as possible and how to correctly answer the question “whose” in English.

We hope that after reading our article, you will no longer have questions about this topic and you will be able to use this grammar correctly in your speech and writing.

Stay on our site and you will discover a lot from the world of English grammar!

Exercises for possessive pronouns

And now we invite you to test your knowledge of possessive pronouns in English by completing the following test.

Choose the correct option (insert either a possessive adjective or a possessive pronoun according to the meaning):

Jane has already eaten her lunch, but I"m saving hers/her/my/mine until later.

She has broken hers/her/his leg.

My mobile needs to be fixed, but mine/his/our/their is working.

You/Yours/Mine/My computer is a Mac, but you/your/yours/my is a PC.

We gave them ours/mine/our/yours telephone number, and they gave us their/theirs/ours/mine.

Mine/My/Yours/Your pencil is broken. Can I borrow you/yours/him/its?

Ours/Our/Your/My car is cheap, but you/your/yours/my is expensive.

You can "t have any chocolate! It" s all mine / my / our / yours!

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The study of any topic begins with its basics. The same goes for English pronouns. Yes, you can immediately rush into the pool with your head, studying all the subtleties of this topic. However, if you do not know how this or that pronoun is translated or pronounced, immediately combining the word with other members and making sentences with them will be at least difficult, and at most impossible. Therefore, if you are just starting your acquaintance with this topic, let's look at English pronouns with translation and pronunciation in order to avoid problems in their further development.

English pronouns types

To begin with, it is worth noting that pronouns in English are divided into 9 types:

1. Personal Pronouns or Personal Pronouns
2. Possessive Pronouns or Possessive Pronouns
3. Reflexive Pronouns or Reflexive Pronouns
4. Reciprocal Pronouns or Reciprocal Pronouns
5. Interrogative Pronouns or Interrogative Pronouns
6. Relative and Conjunctive Pronouns or Relative and Connective Pronouns
7. Demonstrative Pronouns or Demonstrative Pronouns
8. Quantitative pronouns or Quantitative pronouns
9. Indefinite Pronouns and Negative Pronouns or Indefinite Pronouns and Negative Pronouns

Each species has a limited number of words that you need to remember to express your thoughts. These words, as a rule, consist of a small number of letters and do not contain sounds, the pronunciation of which can cause difficulties at the initial stage. Let us dwell on each type in more detail and study the pronouns of the English language with transcription and translation.

English pronouns with translation and pronunciation: meaning and transcription

1. The main place among English pronouns is occupied by Personal Pronouns (Personal pronouns). This is the only group in which English allows for case inflection. Table for clarity:

1. The second most important group is Possessive Pronouns or the group of possessive pronouns. It also has two forms: attached and absolute. They both answer the same question (“whose?”), but differ in that the first requires a noun after itself, while the second does not. Compare:

As you can see, these forms have something in common, but they are written and pronounced differently. Consider the full list of possessive pronouns:

1. Reflexive Pronouns or reflexive pronouns - a group of pronouns, which is translated into Russian in the meaning of "himself (a)" and "yourself" depending on the situation:

The second part of these pronouns may remind you of the famous word "selfie" (selfie), which just came from the word "self" (himself). The first parts repeat the pronouns of the two above-mentioned groups.

1. Reciprocal Pronouns or reciprocal pronouns in English is the group that will probably take the least time to memorize. It consists of two words with the same meaning:

1. The group of Interrogative Pronouns or the group of interrogative pronouns is more extensive. These pronouns, as the name implies, are used to form questions:

1. Relative and Conjunctive Pronouns or relative and connective pronouns are used in complex sentences. There are not so many of them, but you need to know these words:

Some words of this group and the group of interrogative pronouns are similar, but their functions and meanings are different.

1. Demonstrative Pronouns or demonstrative pronouns in English are also common in speech. Some of them have singular and plural forms:

1. There are pronouns in English that denote quantity. They are called Quantitative pronouns or quantitative pronouns. These include:

1. The most extensive group can rightfully be considered Indefinite Pronouns and Negative Pronouns or indefinite and negative pronouns. Most of them are formed by a combination of pronouns, which also independently perform the functions of this group, and other parts of speech:

And also pronouns:

These were all English pronouns with translation and pronunciation. I would like to pay special attention to pronunciation. The fact is that the sounds of the English language are different from the sounds of Russian, so it is actually quite difficult to convey how pronouns are pronounced in English.

The variants presented are close to English pronunciation and have been added to make them easier to understand at an elementary level. With such a pronunciation, you will definitely be understood, however, for a more correct sound, study transcriptions in English. For memorization correct pronunciation listening to audio of native speakers and imitating their way of speaking is also great.

Pronoun- a part of speech that denotes persons, objects, phenomena that have already been previously mentioned in speech or text, and replaces them. A pronoun is usually used in a sentence instead of a noun or an adjective, sometimes instead of an adverb or numeral. Thus, pronouns allow you to avoid repeating the same nouns, adjectives, and other parts of speech.

English pronouns differ in person, number, gender (only in the 3rd person singular) and case. A pronoun must agree with the noun it refers to. Accordingly, if the noun is in the singular, then the pronoun that replaces it must be in the singular, and vice versa. If the noun is feminine, then the pronoun must also be feminine, and so on.

For example:
The train was late, it had been delayed.
Train was late he stuck somewhere.

The trains were late, they had been delayed.
Trains were late they stuck somewhere.

Grammatically pronouns in English are divided into several types. They are presented in the table below. Each type of pronoun will be discussed in more detail in the following sections.

• Personal pronouns in English (Personal Pronouns)

- these are pronouns I, we, he, she, it, we, they. The main purpose of personal pronouns is to replace nouns, if it is clear from the context what or who is being discussed.

Pronouns I and we refer to the speaker, and correspond to the Russian pronouns "I" and "we". They are first person pronouns ( I has a singular form, we- plural form).

For example:
I am free now.
Now I free.

We have to go.
We must go.

Pronoun you refers to the interlocutor or interlocutors, and is a second person pronoun. Note that in modern English you always has a plural form, and, accordingly, the verb after it always follows in the plural form. In Russian, it corresponds to both the pronoun "you" when referring to a group of people, or to one person (in a polite form), and the pronoun "you", depending on the context.

For example:
You are a good worker.
You you good worker.

You have completed your assignments successfully.
You successfully completed their tasks.

Pronouns he, she, it, they, are third person pronouns. All of them have the singular form, except for the pronoun they, which is plural. In addition, pronouns he and she are used to refer to male and female people, respectively, and the pronoun it denotes all inanimate objects, events, phenomena, etc. (that is, it corresponds to the middle gender in Russian). Also it often used to refer to animals.

Pronoun they used to refer to both people and objects:

Pronoun it can also be used in relation to people when the speaker is trying to identify the interlocutor:

It used in disjunctive questions when the subject is expressed in words nothing,everything and all:

Everything is all right, isn't it?
It's all right, isn't it?

Nothing happened, did it?
Nothing happened, did it?

It can be used as an introductory subject or object in such sentences where the subject or object is actually expressed by an infinitive or a subordinate clause. In Russian, in such cases, the pronoun it there is no equivalent.

For example:
It is not easy to solve this math problem.
It is not so easy to solve this mathematical problem.

It used as a formal subject, without meaning, in statements about time, weather, temperature, distance, etc.:

It is raining.
It's raining.

It is six o "clock.
Six o'clock.

It is a cold day.
Cold day.

Personal pronouns in English have different forms, depending on the case. Distinguish nominative case of personal pronouns (Subject Pronoun), and subjective case of personal pronouns (Object Pronouns).

Nominative case	subjective case
I	me - me, me, me, etc.
You	you - you, you, you, etc.
He	him - him, him, etc.
She	her - her, her, etc.
It	it - him / her, him / her, etc. (of inanimate objects)
We	us - us, us, us, etc.
They	them - them, them, them, etc.

• I and Me: usage rules, translation, example, difference, difference in meaning

• For example:
  I am a teacher (and NOT me).
  I- teacher.

  Give that to me(but not I).
  Give it to me.

  Sometimes it is difficult to choose the correct pronoun and speakers make mistakes when using them. choose between I / Me it is more difficult when these pronouns are paired with another pronoun or noun. In this case, they must be used in accordance with the rules for using the subject or object in the sentence.

  For example:

  How right?

  "It was I who did the homework." or "It was me who did the homework."
  it I did homework.

  Simplify the statement:

  "I did the homework." So that"It was I who did the homework." is the correct option.

  me(but not I).
  The teacher gave homework to my friend and to me.

  If you don't understand why the above sentence is correct, just simplify it again. Break down the offer by participants.

  The teacher gave the homework to my friend.
  +
  The teacher gave the homework to me.
  =
  The teacher gave the homework to my friend and me.

  Personal pronouns in the nominative case in the sentence perform the function of the subject or nominal part of the predicate:

  Mike hasn't come back yet. He is still in his office.
  Mike hasn't returned yet. He is still at work. ( he replaces proper name Mike, and performs the function of the subject.)

  Personal pronouns in the subjective case in a sentence perform the function of a direct or indirect object:

  We called her to congratulations her.
  We called her to congratulate her. ( In this sentence, the pronouns her perform the function of a direct complement.)

  We apologized to him.
  We apologized to him. ( In this sentence, the pronoun him performs the function of an indirect complement.)

• Reflexive pronouns in English (Reflexive Pronouns)

Reflexive pronouns in English are formed from possessive pronouns with the addition of a particle -self for the singular and –selves for plural.

	Personal pronoun	Possessive pronoun
The only thing number	I	myself
	You	yourself
	He	himself
	She	herself
	It	itself
plural number	We	ourselves
	You	yourselves
	They	themselves

English reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object in the sentence are the same person, or, in other words, when the action is directed at oneself.

For example:
Alice saw herself in the mirror.
Alice saw myself into the mirror.

John doesn't know what to do with himself.
John doesn't know what to yourself to do.

In Russian, recurrence can be conveyed by a particle of the verb -sya or -ss:

We had to explain ourselves to the teacher.
We had to explain myself in front of the teacher.

In addition, reflexive pronouns in English can be used to emphasize that an action is performed independently, without outside help.

For example:
She herself admitted her mistake.
She is herself admitted her mistake.

The manager spoke to me himself.
Manager myself talked to me.

I myself cleaned the house.
I myself got into the house.

Reflexive pronouns can often be used instead of personal pronouns after words. as, like, but (for), and except (for):

These shoes are especially designed for fast runners like yourself(= like you).
This shoe is specially designed for such fast runners, How do you.

Everybody was happy except myself(= except me).
Everyone was happy, except for me.

Some verbs are not used with reflexive pronouns. As a rule, such verbs coincide in Russian and in English.

For example:
Suddenly the door opened. (NOT Suddenly the door opened itself.)
Suddenly the door opened.

His books are selling well. (NOT His books are selling themselves well.)
His books are good sold.

I tried to concentrate. (NOT I tried to concentrate myself.)
I've tried focus.

However, some of these verbs in Russian and English do not coincide:

He washed and shaved in the morning.
In the morning he washed up and shaved.

She feels happy.
She is feels himself happy.

• Interrogative pronouns in English (Interrogative Pronouns)

Interrogative pronouns in English used to ask questions. Some of them can only specify people (for example, " Who") and some on objects and people (for example, " What"). They are not divided into singular and plural, therefore they have only one form. Interrogative pronouns introduce the so-called. special questions that cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no".

There are the following English interrogative pronouns:

who? - who?
whom? - whom? to whom?
what? - what? which?
which? - which? which the?
whose? - whose?

For example:
What is her phone number?
Which does she have a phone number?

What do you want?
What you need?

As can be seen from the table, interrogative pronouns in a sentence can function as a subject, object, or possessive pronoun.

Subject	Addition	Possessive pronoun
who	whom	whose
which

Pronoun who refers to persons and is used without a subsequent noun or pronoun. When used who the predicate, as a rule, has the singular form.

The exceptions are those cases when the questioner knows that the answer to his question will be a noun in the plural.

Pronoun whom is the indirect form of the pronoun who and is used as a question word in the complement function, especially in formal style. In colloquial speech, these functions are performed by the pronoun who.

For example:
whom did you phone? (= Who did you phone?)
To whom did you call? ( The first option has a more formal connotation.)

For whom will you vote?
Per whom will you vote? ( Official speech.)

Pronoun what has two meanings - "what?" and which?". Meaning "what?" pronoun what used separately, while in the meaning of "what?" pronoun what is a member of the question group leading the question.

For example:
What is your name?
How Your name is?

What film are you watching?
Which movie are you watching?

Pronoun which translated as "what?", "which?" and offers a choice from a limited number of items, unlike the pronoun what, which requires, rather, characteristics, or offers a choice from an unlimited number, not predetermined.

For example:
Which jumper do you like?
Which do you like the jumper? ( It means one of the several presented.)

What jumpers do you like?
What kind do you like jumpers? ( I mean in general, regarding coloring, models, etc.)

• What and Which: usage rules, translation, example, difference, difference in meaning

Both pronouns and Which, and What are used in interrogative sentences, and both translate as " which", "what kind", etc. Which can also be translated as " which the", "which", etc.

What used in questions where the number of possible answers is not known in advance. The questioner knows that there are many answers to the question asked, and wants to hear from the respondent only options that interest him.

For example:
What movie did you go to see?
Which did you go to see the movie?

Which used in questions where the number of answers is already known in advance.

For example:
Which shoes should I wear with this dress – my blue ones or my black ones?
What kind Should I wear shoes with this dress - blue or black?

Often in the same situations, you can use and Which, and What, depending on what the speaker means.

For example:
Which bus goes to the centre?
Which does the bus go to the center?

What bus shall I take?
On the which do I need to take the bus?

Both suggestions are possible. In the first sentence, the speaker probably means fewer possible buses than in the second sentence.

Note: about pronouns What and Which You can also read in the section on interrogative pronouns.

Pronoun whose- "whose?" performs the functions of possessive pronouns in a sentence, expressing belonging. And can be used immediately before the noun to which it refers, or used alone, without a subsequent noun, similar to the absolute form of possessive pronouns.

For example:
Whose did you drive in?
AT whose did you drive the car?

Whose is this book?
Whose this is a book?

• Demonstrative pronouns in English (Demonstrative Pronouns)

As the name suggests, they are used to refer to something or someone.

Demonstrative pronouns can have singular and plural forms:

This(singular) and These near speaker.

That(singular) and Those(pl.) indicate an object or person that is on distance from the speaker.

In addition to indicating distance in space, pronouns this, these, that, those, can indicate distance in time. This and these can indicate something that has already happened, or is about to happen, pronouns that and those may indicate something that has just happened, or some time ago.

For example:
Listen to this. It's going to be interesting.
Listen this is. It will be interesting.

watch this. It's worth seeing.
look this is. It's worth seeing.

Did you see that? That was wonderful!
You this is seen? it it was wonderful!

Who said that?
Who this is said?

Sometimes demonstrative pronouns in English can act not only as independent words (as described above), but also as definitions for nouns. In this case, they are also called demonstrative adjectives.

For example:
This book is mine.
This my book.

What is that noise?
What this is for noise?

These flowers are very beautiful.
These flowers are very beautiful.

Those days were the best.
Those the days were the best.

This horse is faster than that horse.
This horse faster than that horse.

Sometimes pronouns that and those can be used to avoid repeating the same words:

The streets of Mumbai are busier than those of Paris. (= The streets of Mumbai are busier than the streets of Paris.)
The streets in Mumbai are busier than the streets in Paris.

In the example above, the pronoun those used to avoid repeating words the streets. In the singular in such cases, the pronoun is used that.

• Relative pronouns in English (Relative Pronouns)

Relative pronouns in English (who, whom, that, which) are used to enter subordinate clauses, and introduce additional information about someone or something already said.

For example:
I know the book that you are describing.
I know the book you are talking about. ( In this offer that replaces the previously specified word book, and enters additional information.)

In a subordinate clause that introduces relative pronouns, they can act as the subject. In this case, pronouns can be used who, which, that. Who used to refer to people which- to designate things that can refer to both people and objects.

For example:
The boy who stole the watch was punished.
Boy, which the stole a watch, was punished.

It is a book which will interest children of all ages.
This is a book, which will interest children of all ages.

The people that/who live next door keep having all-night parties.
People, which live in the neighborhood, continue to have night parties.

These are the keys that open the front and back door.
These are the keys which open the front and back doors.

Also pronouns who, whom, which and that can perform the function of an object in a subordinate clause. In this case, the pronouns who and whom interchangeable, but whom bears a somewhat formal connotation.

• Who and Whom: usage rules, translation, example, difference, difference in meaning

Pronoun Who used as a subject (about other uses of the pronoun Who see That, Which and Who). talking plain language, anywhere in a sentence where pronouns can be used I, she or he, you can also use Who.

In interrogative sentences Who used when talking about a person or group of people who did something, or when someone's name is asked. Factual, in informal speech and writing pronoun Who used very often.

Pronoun whom used in formal language as the complement of a verb or preposition.

note

Pronoun whom rarely used in questions.

For example:
To whom do you wish to speak? ( Sounds old-fashioned, pompous and unnatural.)
FROM by whom do you want to talk?

Attention

If you can't decide what to use, try the test " he or him" - try rewriting the sentence using pronouns he or him.

For example:
"He took out a photo of his son, whom he adores." – "He adores he." sounds wrong. So it will be right"He adores him."

From the above, it follows that they serve two purposes: they serve as the subject or object of the subordinate clause, and at the same time, they connect the main clause with the subordinate clause.

For example:
I have found the car keys. You were looking for them.
I found the car keys which you were looking for.
I found my car keys you were looking for.

This is Mr. Peter. You met him last year.
This is Mr. Peter whom you met last year.
This is Mr. Peter whom you met last year.

Indefinite Pronouns in English (Indefinite Pronouns)

Indefinite pronouns in English indicate unknown, indefinite objects, signs, quantities. They do not point to specific objects or people, but are used to describe them in general, as a whole.

For example:
None of them have come yet.
Nobody of them have not yet arrived.

Some are born great, some achieve greatness.
Some great are born, and some become great.

Nobody came to his rescue.
Nobody did not come to his rescue.

Somebody has let the cat in.
Somebody let the cat in.

Few escaped unhurt.
few managed to get out intact.

Indefinite pronouns can take the form of the singular, plural, and can change their form of the number depending on the context.

Below is a table with all indefinite pronouns, which indicates what number form they can take.

Singular		Plural	singular or plural
anyone- anyone	anyone- somebody	several- several	all- all
anything- anything	each- each	both- both	more- more
either- any (of two)	everybody- all	others- other	some- several
everyone- all	everything- all	few- a little	most- majority
much- a lot of	nobody- nobody	many- a lot of	none- nobody, nothing
neither- none (out of two)	no one- nobody	any- any
nothing- nothing	one- one
other- another	somebody- anyone
someone- somebody	something something

Many indefinite pronouns in English can be used as adjectives:

one day my prince will come.
My prince will come one day.

He is man of few words.
He is a man of few words.

some milk was split.
Some milk was spilled.

• Any and Some: usage rules, translation, example, difference, difference in meaning

Pronouns Any and Some are determinants. They are used when talking about indefinite quantities, numbers, in cases where the exact amount or number is not important. Mainly, Some used in declarative sentences Any- in interrogative and negative. into Russian Some and Any are usually not translated.

For example:
I asked the barman if he could get me some sparkling water. I said, "Excuse me, have you got any sparkling water?" Unfortunately they didn't have any.
I asked the bartender if he could get me some sparkling water. I said, "Excuse me, do you have sparkling water?" Unfortunately they didn't have it.

note

Sometimes Some can be found in interrogative sentences, and Any- in affirmative sentences.

Some used in interrogative sentences if the question is an invitation, a request, or if a positive answer to the question is expected.

For example:
Would you mind fetching some gummy bears while you "re at the shops?
Buy me some gummy bears, please, while you're at the store.

Any can also be used in affirmative sentences if it comes after a word that has a negative or restrictive connotation.

For example:
"She gave me some bad advice." "Really? She rarely gives any bad advice."
She gave me bad advice. - Seriously? She rarely gives bad advice.

Note: pronouns Any and Some belong to the type of indefinite pronouns. Such pronouns are discussed in more detail in the section on indefinite pronouns.

• Much and Many: usage rules, translation, example, difference, difference in meaning

Adverbs Much and Many are used mainly in interrogative and negative sentences in the sense of " a lot of". There are also synonyms for these adverbs - a lot of, lots of, a great deal of, large amounts of, etc., depending on the context.

Interrogative sentences

How much (how much = how much) ... + uncountable nouns

For example:
how much sugar do you take in your coffee?
How do you put sugar in your coffee?

how much money do you want for this?
How(money) do you want it?

Do you have much work to do?
At your place a lot of work?

How many (how many = how many) ... + countable nouns

Negative sentences

In negative construction sentences Not Much and not many usually translated as " few", "a little".

For example:
He doesn't earn much money ( noun money- uncountable).
He earns few (= a little) of money.

Not many people have heard of her noun people- countable).
Few heard about her.

Barbara doesn't have many friends.
Barbara few (= a little) friends.

• Each and Every: usage rules, translation, example, difference, difference in meaning

Both pronouns have the same meaning - "everyone". General rule use of these pronouns is such that each used when talking about two or more objects or things, Every- when it comes to three or more objects or things.

For example:
The orange was split into two halves; each half was given to them. (NOT …every half.)
The orange was divided into two parts, and each part was given to them.

Pronoun use each it is preferable when the described things or objects are presented separately, the use of the pronoun Every it is preferable when the described things or objects are presented as a whole.

For example:
each boy in the class was given a present.
To every boy The class was given a gift. ( To each separately.)

Every boy in the class went on a picnic.
Every boy (= all boys) went on a picnic in class. ( All boys as one.)

Every, but not each, can be used with abstract nouns:

You have every reason to be happy. (NOT You have each reason to be happy.)
You have every reason to be satisfied.

The same way, Every(but not each) can be used with nouns with cardinal numbers:

Buses leave every ten minutes. (NOT …each ten minutes.)
Buses run every ten minutes.

• Little and Few, A Little and A Few: rules of use, translation, example, difference, difference in meaning

Like an adverb Little, so is the adverb Few means " few", "a small amount of something". The difference is that Little used with not, a Few- With countable nouns.

For example:
They have very little money.
They have very few of money.

There seems little hope.
Seems like hope few.

Heate very little at lunch.
He ate a lot few at lunch.

Only few people can afford to pay such prices.
Few who can afford such prices.

I know few places that I could recommend to you.
I few I know places that I can recommend to you.

note

Adverbs Little and Few have a somewhat negative connotation.

For example:
I know few places that I could recommend to you. = I would like to be able to recommend more places, but unfortunately there aren't more.
I few I know places that I can recommend to you. = It’s a pity that I can’t recommend you more places, but unfortunately there are no other places.

If before adverbs Little and Few the indefinite article is used a, they take on a positive connotation, and have a meaning similar to the word some – "several", "some amount", "a little" etc.

A Few used with countable nouns.

For example:
We need to get a few things in town.
We need something pick up in the city.

We've got a few cakes left over from the party. = We've got some cakes left over from the party.
We have left from the evening several cakes.

A Little used with .

For example:
With a little training Mike could do very well.
A little with practice, Mike will succeed.

• The use of the pronoun all in English

Pronoun all in English can be used both as an adjective pronoun and as a noun pronoun. All means "all", "all", "all", etc.

Most often all used with uncountable nouns, and with plural nouns (in this case, the described objects should be more than two).

For example:
All children need love.
To all children need love. ( Pronoun all children. )

I love all music.
I like all (= any, different) music. (Pronoun all used with an uncountable noun music. )

All the invitees turned up.
All invitees came. ( Pronoun all used with a plural noun invitees. )

If a all used with a plural noun, the verb usually also has a plural form. After uncountable noun the verb is in the singular form.

For example:
All cheese contains fat.
Any (= all) cheese contains fat.

All the lights were out.
All fires were extinguished.

Pronoun all followed by a noun is not normally used as a subject with a verb in the negative form. In this case, as a rule, the construction is used not all + noun + positive verb.

For example:
not all birds can sing. (NOT All birds cannot sing.)
Not all birds can chirp.

All or All of

Before a noun without a determiner (articles, demonstrative and possessive pronouns, etc.), use all:

All children need love.
All cheese contains fat.
All lights were out.

Before a noun with a determiner (for example: the, my, this, etc.) can be used as all, and all of:

All the lights were out. = All of the lights were out.
All fires were extinguished.

I have invited all my friends to my birthday party. = I have invited all of my friends to my birthday party.
I invited all my friends to my birthday party.

Used before a personal pronoun all of:

All of us love music. (NOT All us love music.)
We all love music.

I have invited all of them. (NOT …all of them.)
I invited them all.

Using all with nouns and pronouns

Pronoun all can define both nouns and pronouns, and is usually placed before the word being defined.

For example:
I have invited all (of) my friends.
I invited all my friends.

All of us love music.
We all love music.

I love all of you.
I love you all.

All of us are going to the movies.
We all go to the cinema.

All can be used after a defined pronoun if it performs the function of an object:

I love you all. (= I love all of you.)
I love you all.

Give my love to them all. (= Give my love to all of them.)
Say hi to them all for me.

I have made you all something to eat. (= I have made all of you something to eat.)
I have prepared food for all of you.

Using all with verbs

All can be used with a verb that acts as the subject of a sentence.

If the verb consists of only one word, and is not a form be(i.e. is, am, are, was, were), all any used in negative and interrogative sentences, and can be connoted with doubt, incredulity, or denial. into Russian pronoun any usually not translated.

For example:
Is there any water in the bottle?
There is in the bottle water?

Have you got any friends?
You have friends?

Are there any witnesses?
There is witnesses?

Do you need any help?
Help need?

I haven't got any money.
I have no of money.

I have hardly any food in the larder.
I have in my closet almost no food.

You never give me any help.
You to me never don't offer help.

Also any often used after union if:

If you need any help let me know.
If a you will need help, let me know.

Any, no, not any

Note that the pronoun itself any has no negative value. It takes a negative value only together with a particle not.

For example:
See that you don't do any damage. (NOT See that you do any damage.)
Try not to do any damage.

Instead of a combination not any you can use the pronoun no, which means the same thing, but has a more expressive connotation.

For example:
He has got no friends. Him no (no) friends. (More expressive than He hasn't got any friends. )

Any and any of

Before a pronoun and a noun with a determiner (for example, the, this, my, your, etc.) the form is used any of.

For example:
Do any of these books belong to you?
belongs to you at least one of these books?

I don't think any of us want to work tomorrow.
It seems to me, none of us does not want to work tomorrow.

She doesn't like any of my friends.
None of my friends she does not like.

It should be noted when the noun after any of has a plural form, the verb following the noun can also take the plural form, or it can take the singular form.

For example:
If any of your friends is interested, let us know. ( formal option.)
If any of your friends are interested, let us know. ( informal option.)
If any of your friends are interested, let us know.

Using any with singular countable nouns

Pronoun any is the equivalent of the article a/an, but in the plural. It is often used before plural nouns and uncountable nouns.

"Which is your boy?" " The one in the blue shirt."
Which child is yours? - The one in the blue shirt.

"I"d like to buy a magazine." " This one?" "No, that one."
I want to buy a magazine. - This? - No, that one is over there.

"Can you lend me a pen?" Sorry, I haven't got one."
Can you lend me a pen? Sorry, I don't have a pen.

I "ve already read this book, I" m going to get a new one.
I have already read this book and I am going to buy a new one.

As you can see from the examples above, one can be used as a substitute for a specific noun (when it is clear what exactly is being discussed) - in this case one used with definite article, or with a demonstrative pronoun, and to replace a common noun - in this case one used either without an article or with an indefinite article if an adjective precedes the noun.

To replace a plural noun, use ones.

For example:
Green apples often taste better than red ones.
Green apples are often tastier than red ones.

In what cases one / ones can be omitted

Substitute words one / ones can be omitted immediately after superlative adjectives, demonstrative pronouns, some indefinite pronouns ( either, neither, another), as well as after some other determinant words ( which, which ever, and etc.).

For example:
I think my dog ​​is the fastest (one).
I believe that my dog ​​is the fastest.

Either (one) will suit me.
Any will suit me.

let us have another (one).
Let's take one more.

"Which (one) would you like?" "That looks the nicest."
What would you like? - That one is the best.

Substitute word one not used immediately after possessive pronouns ( my, your, etc.), indefinite pronouns some, any, both, and also after the numbers.

For example:
Take your coat and pass me mine. (NOT ... my one.)
Take your coat and hand me mine.

I need some matches. Have you got any? (NOT…any ones?)
I'd like some matches. You have?

"Are there any grapes?" "Yes, I bought some today." (NOT ... some ones today.)
Are there grapes? Yes, I bought it today.

However, note that one will be used in all of the above cases if an adjective is used.

For example:
"Are there any mangoes?" "Yes, I bought some sweet ones today."
Is there a mango? Yes, I bought sweet mangoes today.

"Has the cat had her kittens?" "Yes, she had four white ones." (NOT ... four white.)
Has the cat already given birth to kittens? – Yes, she gave birth to four white kittens.

One not used to replace uncountable and abstract nouns.

For example:
If you haven "t got fresh cream I will take tinned cream. (NOT ... tinned one.)
If you don't have fresh cream, I'll use canned.

The Dutch grammatical system is very similar to the English system. (NOT … the English one.)
The Dutch grammar system is very similar to the English grammar system.

Substitute word one and pronoun it

To replace a noun that has been very clearly marked, the pronoun is used it, not a word one.

Compare:
"Could you lend me a bicycle?" "Sorry, I haven't got one."
Can you lend me a bike? Sorry, I don't have a bike.

"Could you lend me your bicycle?" "Sorry, I need it."
Can you lend me your bike? Sorry, I need him.

One as an indefinite pronoun

Pronouns one or you can be used to describe people in general.

For example:
One / you should not do such an unkind thing as that.
There is no need to do such bad deeds.

One / you should love one "s / your country.


Note that the pronoun one has a more formal connotation than you.

Pronoun one not used to describe people in general unless the speaker is one of them, pronoun you not used to describe people in general unless the interlocutor is one of them.

For example:
One / you must believe in something.
A person needs to believe in something.

In the sixteenth century people believed in witches. (NOT ... one / you believed in witches, since this pronoun does not include either the speaker or the interlocutor.)
In the sixteenth century people believed in witches.

In American English, in sentences where one, in order to point to one, often used pronouns he, him, his, himself. In British English, the possessive form is usually used in this case. one – one's and oneself.

Compare:
One should love his country. ( AmE)
One should love one "s country. ( BrE)
Everyone should love their country.

• Reciprocal pronouns in English (Reciprocal Pronouns)

English reciprocal pronouns (one another, each other- each other, one another) indicate that some action is performed together, or some persons or objects are compared with each other.

For example:
Peter and Mary kissed each other.
Peter and Mary kissed each other.

With the help of reciprocal pronouns, the same idea can be expressed twice as short and simpler.

For example, a proposal

On their wedding day John gave Mary a gold ring and Mary gave John a gold ring.
On their wedding day, John gave Mary a gold ring, and Mary gave John a gold ring.

using a reciprocal pronoun each other can be expressed more simply:

On their wedding day Mary and John gave each other gold rings.
On their wedding day, Mary and John gave each other Golden rings.

Differences between pronouns each other and one another no. However, when it comes to more than two people or objects, the pronoun is more often preferred. one another.

For example:
The students in this classroom help one another.
The students in this class help each other.