This document provides information and examples about the use of pronouns in English. It discusses generic pronouns like you, one, we and they which can be used to refer to people in general. It also covers reflexive and reciprocal pronouns like myself, yourself, each other and one another. Finally, it examines the uses of the pronouns it and there, noting that it is used with be to talk about time, temperature, distance or as a preparatory subject, while there indicates existence or presence. The document aims to clarify the appropriate uses of different pronouns through examples.

1. Pronouns
Míriam Tomàs

2. Work it out
Have a look at the example sentences
and find out when and why the
pronouns are used.

3. Generic pronouns
1. You can learn a language faster if you go to live in a country
where it is spoken.
2. You can get a big discount if you wait until Black Friday to buy
your Christmas presents.
We often use you to mean
people in general.

4. Generic pronouns
2. One tends to have problems understanding very strong accents.
We can use one + third person singular of the verb to mean
people in general.
one is much more
formal than you and
rarely used in spoken
English.

5. Generic pronouns
3. When we talk about an accent, we must not confuse this with
pronunciation.
• We must be aware of the potential dangers of not recycling.
we can also be used to make a
general statement of opinion which
includes the reader / listener.

6. Generic pronouns
4. They always say that it’s never too late to learn a new language.
They should make it compulsory for people to learn two foreign
languages at school.
We often use they to talk about other
people in general, or people in authority,
e.g. They always say… (They = people in
general);
They should make it compulsory… (They =
the government).
Informal
English

7. Male or
female?
Generic pronouns
5. If someone goes to live in a foreign country, they will have to get used
to a different way of life.
Could the person who left their bag in the library please come and see
me?
Male or
female?
As we don’t know,
we use they, them,
and their, instead
of using he or she,
his or her, etc.

8. Choose the
correct
pronoun or
say if both
are possible.

9. One / You can often
tell where people are
from by the way they
speak.

10. One / You can often
tell where people are
from by the way they
speak.

11. Can you put my case
on the rack above
yourself / you?

12. Can you put my case
on the rack above
you?

13. Sally and her sister
look incredibly like
each other / one
another. Are they
twins?

14. Sally and her sister
look incredibly like
each other / one
another. Are they
twins?

15. Steve’s a really
private person and he
rarely talks about him
/ himself.

16. Steve’s a really
private person and he
rarely talks about
himself.

17. Either Suzie or Mark
has left her /their bag
behind, because
there’s only one in the
back of the car.

18. Either Suzie or Mark
has left their bag
behind, because
there’s only one in the
back of the car.

19. When a person goes to
live abroad it may take
them / him a while to
pick up the language.

20. When a person goes to
live abroad it may take
them / him a while to
pick up the language.

21. They / One say that
eating tomatoes can
help protect the body
against certain diseases.

22. They say that eating
tomatoes can help
protect the body against
certain diseases.

23. Now let’s
find out
more about
pronouns

24. Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns
1. You need to look after yourself with that cold.
He’s very egocentric. He always talks about himself.
Subject and
object are the
same
We often use reflexive pronouns
when the subject and object of
a verb are the same person.

25. Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns: enjoy
enjoy is always used with a reflexive pronoun when
not followed by another object
Enjoy your meal!
Did you enjoy yourself last night?
We often use reflexive pronouns
when the subject and object of
a verb are the same person.

26. Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns
2. I managed to complete the crossword! I was really pleased with
myself.
We can also use reflexive
pronouns after most
prepositions when the
complement is the same
as the subject.
Subject and
complement
are the same

27. Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns
2. I managed to complete the crossword! I was really pleased with
myself.
Object pronouns after prepositions of place
After prepositions of place we use object pronouns,
not reflexive pronouns, e.g. She put the bag next to her
on the seat. NOT next to herself
Watch
out!

28. Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns
3. We decorated the house ourselves.
There’s no way I’m going to do it for you. Do it yourself!
to emphasize the subject, e.g. We
decorated the house ourselves. (=
we did it, not professional
decorators)

29. Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns
4. I don’t feel very comfortable going to the cinema by myself.
by + reflexive pronoun = alone, on your / her, etc. own.

30. Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns
5. My ex-husband and I don’t talk to each other any more.
My mother and sister don’t understand one another at all.
We use each other or one
another for reciprocal
actions
A does the
action to B
and B does
the action
to A.

31. Complete with
a pronoun
• Isabel is very quick-tempered. She
finds it very hard to control
_________________ .

32. Complete with
a pronoun
• Isabel is very quick-tempered. She
finds it very hard to control herself.

33. Complete with
a pronoun
• Did they enjoy ____________ at the
festival?

34. Complete with
a pronoun
• Did they enjoy themselves at the
festival?

35. Complete with
a pronoun
• Are you going to have the flat
repainted or will you and Jo do it
_____________ ?

36. Complete with
a pronoun
• Are you going to have the flat
repainted or will you and Jo do it
yourselves?

37. It and there
1. It’s 10 o’clock. It’s 30 degrees today. It’s five miles to the coast.
We use it + be to talk about
time, temperature, and
distance.

38. It and there
2. It was great to hear that you and Martina are getting married!
It used to be difficult to buy fresh pasta in the UK, but now you
can get it everywhere.
We also use it + be as a
‘preparatory’ subject before
adjectives
It will be fun to meet
again.
To meet again will be
fun.

39. It and there
3. There have been a lot of storms recently.
There used to be a cinema in that street.
to say if people and things are
present or exist (or not). You
cannot use It… here.
there + be + noun
NOT It used to be a
cinema in that street.

40. Complete with
it or there
• ________’s illegal to use a handheld
mobile while you’re driving.
___________ used to be a lot of
accidents caused by this.

41. Complete with
it or there
• It’s illegal to use a handheld mobile
while you’re driving. There used to
be a lot of accidents caused by this.

42. Complete with
it or there
• Look. __________’s a spelling mistake
in this word. _________ should be j, not
g.

43. Complete with
it or there
• Look. There’s a spelling mistake in
this word. It should be j, not g.

44. Complete with
it or there
• How many miles is _______ to
Manchester from here?

45. Complete with
it or there
• How many miles is it to Manchester
from here?

46. Complete with
it or there
• _____________’s scorching today.
___________ must be at least 35
degrees.

47. Complete with
it or there
• It’s scorching today. It must be at
least 35 degrees.

48. Complete with
it or there
• ____________’s no need to hurry. The
train doesn’t leave for ages.

49. Complete with
it or there
• There’s no need to hurry. The train
doesn’t leave for ages.

50. Complete with
it or there
• It’s not worth buying the paper
today. There’s absolutely nothing
interesting in it.