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ENGLISH LECTURE - 03
PRONOUN
Contents Page
Identification of Different Types of Pronouns 3
Understanding Relative Pronouns 6
Common Errors in Using Pronouns 10
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement 12
Summary 14
Application in IBA Admission Test 16

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e d u c a t i o n s t u d y a b r o a d
 Identification of Different Types of Pronouns
What are pronouns?
A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun or a noun phrase in a sentence to avoid repetition and make
sentences clearer and smoother.
Why use pronouns?
Imagine these sentences without pronouns:
● Emma prepared a cake. Emma took that for her friend.
● Zach lifted the log. Zach found a worm under the log.
Repeating the same noun ("Emma," "Zach," "log") makes sentences clunky. Instead, we use pronouns like
she or he or it to replace these nouns once we know who or what we're talking about. Example:
● Emma prepared a cake. She took that for her friend.
● Zach lifted the log. He found a worm under it.
Types of Pronouns
There are five forms of pronouns in English: subject pronouns, object pronouns, possessive pronouns,
reflexive pronouns, and relative pronouns. The possessive adjectives, although they are not pronouns,
follow similar patterns to the possessive pronouns and will therefore be included in this category. Here is a
list where you can observe the different forms each of these pronouns takes according to how we use it.

Pronoun Subject Object Possessive Possessive Reflexive Relative

Type Pronouns Pronouns Adjectives Pronouns Pronouns Pronoun
I Me My Mine Myself

Yourself/
You You Your Yours
Yourselves

Singular He Him His His Himself

Who
Whom
She Her Her Hers Herself Whose
Which
That
It It Its Its Itself

We Us Our Ours Ourselves

Plural
They Them Their Theirs Themselves

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Usage of Different Pronouns
Now, we will see how the above-mentioned pronouns should be used.
Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
The subject pronoun is used:
(i) When it is the subject of a verb
● She went to Los Angeles.
● We, the contestants, were searched.
(ii) After the verb “to be”
● It is he in the picture. (formal)
It’s him in the picture. (informal)
● It could not have been they under the circumstances. (formal)
It could not have been them under the circumstances. (informal)
(iii) When the subjects of two clauses are compared
● We are better than they (are) at baseball.
● You speak louder than I (do).
(iv) After “as” and “that” whenever they initiate clauses or comparisons between subjects
● They say that she controls him.
● He is not as resourceful as she (is).
Object Pronouns: Me, You, Him, Her, It, Us, You, Them
The object pronoun is used:
(i) when it is the direct object of a verb
● She gave him her card.
● We saw her in class
(ii) when the objects of two clauses are compared
● She worries about you more than him.
● The office staff helped you more than (they helped) me.
(iii) after prepositions
● Tanvir studies English with us.
● It did not sound like a good idea to me.
N. B. If the preposition introduces a new clause, a subject pronoun must be used because it is the subject of
the new clause:
We left after she called.
Possessive Adjectives: My, Your, His, Her, Its, Our, Your, Their
The possessive adjective is used:
(i) to indicate ownership by modifying a noun
● My picture is on the card.
● He left his books on the table.
(ii) to modify a gerund
● The teacher was irritated at my whispering in class.
● We were surprised at her going on a trip alone.

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Possessive Pronoun: Mine, Yours, His, Hers, Its, Ours, Yours, Theirs
The possessive pronoun is used:
(i) to replace a possessive adjective + a noun.
Instead of saying “This book is my book,” we say,” That book is mine.”
● Our car is big, and theirs (their car) is small.
● His score was good but hers (her score) was better.
(ii) After the preposition “of,” when it indicates “one of several”
● Jamie is a colleague of mine. (one of several colleagues)

(iii) After the verb “to be”

● That essay is mine. Is this watch yours?
(iv) To replace the second adjective + noun when comparing two objects
● His grades are better than hers (her grades).
Reflexive Pronouns: Myself, Yourself, Himself, Herself, Itself, Ourselves, Yourselves, Themselves
(i) As the object of a verb when the subject and the object are the same person
● She served herself in the cafeteria.
● He cut himself while shaving.
(ii) For emphasis. It follows the subject verb before a preposition and means the subject did the action alone.
● I myself looked for the missing documents.
● Otherwise it goes at the end of the sentence
● I made this sweater myself.
● You told me yourself.
(iii) After the preposition “by.” It means that the subject did the action alone.
● She likes to shop by herself.
● Little Shyam has learned to eat by himself.
Exercise 3.1
Fill in the blank with correct form of pronoun
1. Sami and ___ are presenting the report together.
2. The teacher gave extra notes to Rehan and ___.
3. I lost ___ notebook during the storm.
4. That red water bottle is not yours; it’s ___.
5. We don’t need any help; we’ll do it ___.
6. The dog chased its tail until ___ got tired.
7. Although the guests arrived late, the host greeted ___ warmly.
8. The group of students, along with their mentor, submitted ___ project on time.
9. Neither my friends nor I expected to see ___ at the reunion.
10. You baked this cake all by ___?

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 Understanding Relative Pronouns
What are relative pronouns? Define with types.
Relative Pronouns for People, Things, and Both:
People: "Who," "Whom"
Things: "Which"
People & Things: "Whose," "That"
1. Who(m) vs. Which
Use who or whom when referring to people.
Use which when referring to things.
Incorrect: Employees which participate in professional development can acquire new skills.
Correct: Employees who participate in professional development can acquire new skills.
Note: In everyday writing, "that" is sometimes used to refer to people (e.g., “the people that live here”), but
this usage is debated and has never been directly tested on the admission test.
2. Whose
Whose is the possessive form of both who and which. It can refer to people or things.
Examples:
People: People whose last names begin with letters late in the alphabet are often susceptible to
limited-time offers.
Things: Mount Hosmer is an "upside-down mountain" whose oldest rocks are found at the top.
3. Who vs. Whom
There are two main rules to remember:
1. Who is used before a verb. (associated with subject)
2. Whom is used after a preposition. (associated with object)
Who is the subject of a verb (the one doing the action), while whom is the object (the one receiving the
action).
Incorrect: June Mathis, whom helped make film into an art form.
Correct: June Mathis, who helped make film into an art form.
Whom should be used after prepositions like "to," "with," or "from."
Incorrect: With who did she collaborate?
Correct: With whom did she collaborate?
Important: A verb can be placed after pronoun + of whom (e.g., "some of whom believe," "many of whom
go"). In these cases, the preposition (like of) determines the use of whom, not the verb.
4. Where, When, and Preposition + Which
Where refers to places only (physical locations). Do not use it to refer to times or things like books, movies,
or events.
When refers to times and events only.
If you need to refer to scenarios, unrealistic events, or imaginary places you can use preposition + which
(e.g., "in which," "during which"). Though this construction may sound awkward at first, it is grammatically
correct and widely accepted.
Incorrect: The Middle Ages was a period where many farmers were bound to the land.
Correct: The Middle Ages was a period when or in which many farmers were bound to the land.

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5. That vs Which
In English grammar, “that” and “which” are relative pronouns used to introduce dependent clauses that
describe a noun. However, they are not interchangeable in formal writing. Their usage depends on whether
the clause is restrictive or nonrestrictive.
Restrictive Clause — Use “That”
A restrictive clause gives essential information about the noun it modifies. This information is necessary to
understand which specific person or thing is being talked about.
● Use “that”
● Do not use commas
Example:
Sami’s car that he recently bought is now in the garage.
Explanation:
The clause “that he recently bought” tells us which of Sami’s cars we’re referring to. Without this
information, the meaning of the sentence would change. It is therefore essential to the sentence.
Nonrestrictive Clause — Use “Which”
A nonrestrictive clause gives extra, non-essential information. It simply adds detail, and the sentence would
still make sense without it.
● Use “which”
● Use commas to separate the clause
Example:
Sami’s car, which he recently bought, is now in the garage.
Explanation:
The clause “which he recently bought” is extra information. We already know which car is being referred
to (perhaps Sami owns only one). Removing the clause does not change the meaning of the sentence.
Looking at sample questions
1. You may give this money to ______ you please.
a) who b) whoever c) whom d) whomever
Answer: d) whomever.
"To" is a preposition, and it takes an object pronoun. “Whomever” is the object form (just like “him” vs.
“he”). The clause “whomever you please” functions as the object of the preposition “to”.
2. I talked to the girl _____car had broken down in front of the shop.
a) that b) whom c) whose d) her
Answer: c) whose.
“Whose” is the possessive relative pronoun used for both people and things. It shows that the car belongs
to the girl.
3. Ryan prefers to watch movies ______ make him cry.
a) who b) which c) what d) that
Answer: d) that.

“Movies” are things, so we use “that” (or “which”) to introduce a restrictive clause that gives essential
information about the kind of movies.

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What are indefinite pronouns?
Up to now we have discussed pronouns that refer to specific nouns and these nouns are easily identifiable.
Now we shall study a list of Indefinite Pronouns, which do not have any particular noun to refer to.
For example: Somebody has stolen my pen. Here, the pronoun somebody refers to no particular noun- it
just gives us the idea that the subject is an unknown person.

any anybody anything anyone every everyone either

nothing nobody no one somebody someone something each

many several one some all few neither

Verb Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns

● A singular verb and a singular possessive adjective must be used with indefinite pronouns:
Example:
Everyone has his own viewpoint.
Somebody has left his coat on the chair.
Anyone is welcome to enjoy our hospitality.
Neither of the girls loves me.
● “Each/every” refers to a number of persons or number of things considered individually, and is
followed by a singular verb and possessive adjective:
Example:
Every applicant must send his photograph in.
Each car must have its registration number listed
● Always take plural verbs:Few, Many, Several, Both
Can be singular or plural depends on the noun that follows: None, Some, All, Any, Most
Example:
Both Mary and Karie are coming to the party.
None of the students have failed.
All of the cake has been eaten
Looking at Sample Questions
1. None of Alif’s students_______ failed in the test.
a) is b) are c) has d) have
Answer: d) have
"None of" followed by a plural noun ("students") takes a plural verb → have failed is correct.
2. No student of Rokeya Hall______ allowed to stay outside the hall after 12 AM.
a) is b) are c) had d) has
Answer: a) is
"Student" is singular, so it takes a singular verb → is allowed is correct.

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Exercise 3.2
Correct the Relative Pronouns Where Necessary
1. The book which cover is torn belongs to the library.
2. The teacher that taught me French last year is retiring.
3. My cousin, that lives in Canada, is visiting next month.
4. The person whom stole your phone has been caught.
5. The flowers who were planted last spring have bloomed.
6. I know a place which we can eat good sushi.
7. The movie, that won the award, was based on a true story.
8. The girl which won the prize is my friend’s sister.
9. That’s the actor whom I saw in that crime show.
10. The volunteers who we met at the shelter were very kind.

Choose the correct verb form

11. Each of the players ___ a unique role in the game.
12. None of the cake ___ left on the table.
13. None of the students ___ submitted the form yet.
14. Everyone in the hall ___ silent.
15. Some of the water ___ leaked from the bottle.
16. Some of the apples ___ rotten.
17. Neither of the options ___ suitable.
18. Many of the guests ___ not RSVP’d.
19. All of the milk ___ gone sour.
20. All of the books ___ arranged neatly.

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 Common Errors in Using Pronouns
Distinguishing between subject and object pronouns
Remember
● When the pronoun does the action, use a subject pronoun.
● When the pronoun receives the action or follows a preposition, use an object pronoun.
Sample Exercise:
1. Jawaad is heavier than me/I. (Answer: I, as comparison is with subject ‘Jawaad’)
2. It must be her/she. (Answer: she, after “to be,” use subject form.)
3. It was they/them who told us.(Answer: they – subject pronoun after “was.”)
4. Could you please explain this exercise to her/she? (Answer: her – Object of preposition.)
5. Mushfiq sat between Sajid and I/me. (Answer: me – Object of “between.”)
6. He understands her better than him/he (Both can be correct depending on context.)
7. He told Mary and me/I about his trip. (Answer: me, as comparison is with another object)

Pronoun Referring to things

Many pronoun agreement questions on the DSAT will involve things, which is where students often
struggle. The key pronouns to remember here are:
Singular: it, its
Plural: they, them, their
Let’s look at an example:
Incorrect: While the tomato is botanically a fruit, they are considered a vegetable for culinary purposes.
Correct: While the tomato is botanically a fruit, it is considered a vegetable for culinary purposes.
Here, "tomato" is singular, so "it" must be used instead of "they." This error is common when people assume
the plural form based on context, but the actual noun remains singular.
Now for a plural example:
Incorrect: While tomatoes are botanically fruits, it is considered a vegetable for culinary purposes.
Correct: While tomatoes are botanically fruits, they are considered vegetables for culinary purposes. In
this case, "tomatoes" is plural, so "they" is the correct pronoun.
Pronoun Referring to People
Errors involving pronouns referring to people tend to be more obvious, but they can still trip you up in
complex sentences. The personal pronouns to focus on include:
Singular: he, she, him, her
Plural: they, them
Gender-neutral singular: he or she (instead of "they" in formal writing)
For example:
After ___ medical education and a brief general practice, Jemison served in the Peace Corps for two years.
a. one's b. her c. their d. there
The correct answer is (B) "her" because the pronoun must refer to Mae Jemison, who is singular and female.

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Gender-Neutral Pronouns
In formal academic writing, when a person's gender is unspecified, you should use he or she, his or her, or
a similar construction. While they is common in casual speech, it is typically avoided in formal situations
like admission tests.
Incorrect: Each of the students must submit their assignment on time.
Correct: Each of the students must submit his or her assignment on time.
This is because "each" is singular, meaning we must use "his or her" (or a similar singular form) instead of
the plural "their."
Subject-Verb Agreement Errors with Indefinite Pronouns
Mistake: Using a plural verb with singular pronouns like each, everyone, neither, etc.
Incorrect: Each of these boys play cricket well.
Correct: Each of these boys plays cricket well.
Incorrect: Each of these three roads lead to the railway station.
Correct: Each of these three roads leads to the railway station.
Especially in case of indefinite pronouns, be careful of singular/plural.
Pronoun Consistency: One, You, We
When using one, you, and we to refer to people in general, it’s crucial to maintain consistency throughout
the sentence or paragraph. Mixing these pronouns can confuse the reader and disrupt the flow of the
passage. These pronouns cannot be used interchangeably, even if they are all technically referring to people
in general.
Consistency in Pronouns:
● One must be paired with one’s and himself/herself.
● We must be paired with our and ourselves.
● You must be paired with your and yourself.
For example:
Incorrect: One should always wash your hands before eating.
Correct: One should always wash one’s hands before eating.
If you switch from "one" to "you" within the same sentence, the sentence becomes awkward and
grammatically incorrect. If a passage begins by using "one," the rest of the sentence or paragraph must
follow suit.
Similarly:
Incorrect: We should all make an effort to improve yourself.
Correct: We should all make an effort to improve ourselves.
Exercise 3.3
Identify correct and incorrect usage of pronouns. If incorrect, correct it.
1. Every student must bring their ID card to the exam hall.
2. One should always keep your promises.
3. The lion opened its jaws and showed their teeth.
4. Neither of the teachers have submitted their feedback.
5. The boys and me went to the library after school.
6. The baby cried when it was hungry.
7. While tomatoes are fruits, it is used as vegetables in cooking.
8. The committee made their final decision after a long meeting.
9. He is not as talented as her in mathematics.
10. I told Sarah and he about the surprise test.

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 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
In the IBA Admission Test, one of the most frequently tested pronoun errors involves pronoun-antecedent
agreement. This concept ensures that a pronoun must clearly refer to a specific noun (the antecedent) and
must agree with it in number, gender, and person. Errors often come from long sentences, intervening
phrases, or tricky indefinite pronouns. Mastery of this topic will help you avoid ambiguity and grammatical
inconsistencies.
What is an antecedent?
An antecedent is the noun that a pronoun refers to or replaces in a sentence.
Example:
● Ryan lost his notebook.
Here, "Ryan" is the antecedent of the pronoun "his".
Missing or Ambiguous Antecedent
When a pronoun’s antecedent is missing or unclear, it creates confusion about who or what the pronoun is
referring to. In such cases, you need to specify the noun to eliminate ambiguity.
Clarifying the Antecedent
Here’s a typical example:
Question:
Daniel Liebeskind and Frank Gehry are among the most celebrated architects in the world. He is known for
using unconventional building materials such as corrugated metal to create tilted geometrical structures.
a. He is known b. It is known c. Gehry is known d. He would be known
Step-by-Step Analysis:
1. The pronoun “he” could refer to either Daniel Liebeskind or Frank Gehry, but since both are male
names, the reader cannot know which person “he” refers to. This makes A and D incorrect.
2. C specifies Gehry, removing the ambiguity. Hence, C is correct.
Pronoun vs. Specific Noun
When given the option between a pronoun and a specific noun naming a person or thing, the specific noun
is almost always the better choice. The more specific the language, the clearer the meaning becomes.
Here’s another example:
Question:
Superpedestrian, a new device called the Copenhagen Wheel, can be slipped onto any bicycle to provide
an electronic boost. With a 350-watt motor and a 48-volt lithium battery, it can produce more than four
times the energy created by regular pedaling. They can use smartphones to unlock and lock it, change
gears, and select how much assistance the motor should provide.
a. They can use b. Bicycle riders can use c. He or she can use d. Some can use
Step-by-Step Analysis:
1. "They" refers to people, but there’s no clear reference to “bicycle riders” in the passage.
2. Option B (Bicycle riders) supplies a specific noun, making it the correct answer. Pronouns must refer
to a specific noun in the passage. Without that, the sentence becomes vague.

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Multiple antecedents error
Incorrect: When Jack met John, he smiled. (Who smiled?)
Correct: When Jack met John, Jack smiled. (clarified)
Incorrect: Janet visited her friend everyday while she was on vacation.
(Who was on vacation? Janet or her friend?)
Correct: While Janet was on vacation, she visited her friend everyday. (clarified)
Exercise 3.4
Rewrite the following sentences so that each pronoun has a clear antecedent. If you have to supply a
noun, use any noun that will make the sentence correct.
1. The dispute between the faculty and the administration was not resolved until they got better working
conditions.
2. Shahnila spotted her friend as she walked toward the Student Union.
3. Foreigners are easily impressed by the bullfighters as they march into arena.
4. Both Piyash and Prova wanted to watch Kung Fu Panda 3, though he had already watched it.
5. In their spare time, many great books have been written about the famous Greek and Roman heroes.
6. Dr. Majid's book was accepted for publication because they thought it would be beneficial to students.
7. Messi missing the loose cross made by Ronaldo made him really angry.
8. Robert bought a plant for Jimmy before he left for Kashmir.
9. Even though the production team and the cast was confident, they did not provide positive reviews for
the film.
10. Both Rahin and Alif loved Cleopatra, but she only loved him.

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 Summary
1. Subject vs. Object Pronoun Confusion
● After a verb of being (is, was, were), use subject form: It was she, not It was her (formal).
● After a preposition (to, for, between, with), use object form: between him and me, not between he
and I.
● In comparisons (than/as), mentally complete the sentence to decide: He is faster than I (am).
2. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
● Identify the noun the pronoun is replacing (the antecedent) and make sure they agree in number
and gender.
● A singular noun needs a singular pronoun: Each student should bring his or her ID, not their ID.
● Watch for distractors between subject and verb/pronoun—ignore intervening phrases.
3. Indefinite Pronoun Agreement
● Each, everyone, everybody, neither, either, someone, nobody — always singular.
Example: Everybody brings his or her own book.
● Both, few, many, several — always plural.
● All, some, none, any, most — singular or plural depending on the noun that follows. Example:
None of the milk is cold vs. None of the students are present.
4. Relative Pronoun Usage
● Use who/whom for people, which for things, that for both (in restrictive clauses).
● Use whose for possession (both people and things): the man whose car..., a country whose
economy...
● Who is used as the subject; whom is used as the object or after a preposition.
● Use that for essential (restrictive) clauses, and which for non-essential ones (with commas).
5. Pronoun Clarity & Ambiguity
● Avoid unclear reference when two or more nouns are present:
Unclear: When Shihab met Arif, he smiled., Clear: When Shihab met Arif, Shihab smiled.
● If a pronoun could refer to more than one noun, repeat the noun to clarify.
● Avoid vague pronouns like it, they, this without clear antecedents.
6. Pronoun Consistency
● Don’t mix different pronoun perspectives in the same sentence:
Wrong: One should manage your time well. Right: One should manage one’s time well.
● Match we with our, you with your, and one with one’s.
7. Possessive Pronoun vs. Possessive Adjective
● My, your, his, her, our, their modify nouns: my book
● Mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs stand alone: The book is mine
● Use the correct form depending on the function in the sentence.
8. Reflexive Pronoun Errors
● Reflexive pronouns (myself, himself, herself, themselves) must refer back to the subject.
● Don’t use reflexive pronouns in place of subject/object pronouns.
Wrong: Please send the report to myself., Right: Please send the report to me.

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9. Relative Clause Structure
● Where is only used for physical places. Use in which or when for time/events.
Wrong: The book is about a time where.., Right: The book is about a time when...
● Avoid "which" without commas in non-essential clauses.
10. Test-Taking Specific Strategies
● Eliminate vague pronouns first—look for unclear “they,” “it,” “this.”
● Break the sentence into clause units to isolate subject-pronoun and verb-pronoun relationships.
● Be cautious with parallel structure: match forms of pronouns in comparisons or compound
subjects.
★★ ★ Rules that are most likely to be tested
● Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
● Subject/Object confusion
● Possessive pronoun vs Possessive adjective
● Indefinite pronouns
● Consistency (one, you,we)
● Usage of relative pronouns (that vs which)
● Dealing with Ambiguous Pronouns

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 Application in IBA Admission Test
Sentence Correction Questions
1. Found throughout Central and South America, sloths hang from trees by long rubbery limbs and
sleep fifteen hours a day, moving infrequently enough that two species of algae grow on its coat and
between its toes.
A. sloths hang from trees by long rubbery limbs and sleep fifteen hours a day, moving infrequently
enough
B. sloths hang from trees by long rubbery limbs, they sleep fifteen hours a day, and with such
infrequent movements
C. sloths use their long rubbery limbs to hang from trees, sleep fifteen hours a day, and move so
infrequently
D. sloths, hanging from trees by long rubbery limbs and sleeping fifteen hours a day, and moving so
infrequently
E. sloths, which hang from trees by long rubbery limbs, sleeping fifteen hours a day and move so
infrequently
2. The board members agreed that the CEO, not the shareholders, should receive most of the credit, as
they were the one who led the initiative.
A. as they were the one who led the initiative
B. as he or she was the one who led the initiative
C. as it was them who led the initiative
D. as he or she were the one who led the initiative
E. as them were the ones who led the initiative
3. Neither of the two students admitted that they had forgotten to submit the assignment on time.
A. they had forgotten to submit the assignment on time
B. he or she had forgotten to submit the assignment on time
C. it had forgotten to submit the assignment on time
D. the student had forgotten to submit their assignment on time
E. them had forgotten to submit the assignment on time

Error Detection Questions

1. Each of the managers must ensure that their department complies with the new policy by next week.
A B C D
No error.
E
2. If anyone calls, tell them I’ll return the call once the meeting is over. No error.
A B C D E

3. The company granted bonuses to all the employees, but only those who met their targets on time
A B C
received a letter of appreciation. No error.
D E

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