Pronouns in English (Pronouns). Has or Have? Rule and six common mistakes Rules for using pronouns in English

(to have) in the present tense. The rule for their use is simple, however, beginners often have difficulties with these words.

Has or Have – a rule of three simple points

Rule of use has/have following:

  • Has used with third person singular pronouns he, she, it, For example:

He has a bike. - He has a bicycle.

She has a sister. - She has a sister.

This is a tree. It has many branches. - This is a tree. It has many branches.

John has a kangaroo. – John has a kangaroo.

Swimming has become a popular sport. – Swimming has become a popular sport.

The noun “John” can be replaced with he, “swimming” with it.

  • Have used with all other pronouns in singular and plural: I, you, we, they.

I have a strange feeling. – I have a strange feeling.

You have no choice. – You have no choice.

We have two dollars. - We have two dollars.

They have reliable friends. – They have reliable friends

In other words, we see “He, She, It”, or a word that can be replaced with them, we put has, with other words – have.

Common mistakes in using Has and Have

1. Has in the past tense

Has and have These are forms of the verb in the present tense. In the past tense, the verb to have has only one form - had. In the past tense has is not used under any circumstances:

  • Right:

We had a lot of work. Helen had no work at all. – We had a lot of work. Helen had no work at all.

  • Wrong:

We had a lot of work. Helen has no work at all.

In the second, incorrect, option due to has the meaning changes: “Helen has no job at all (now).”

2. Has in the future tense

The same goes for the future tense: in the future tense, the verb to have has the form will have. In the future tense, has is not needed under any circumstances.

  • Right:

He will have enough time for rest. - He will have enough time to rest.

  • Wrong:

He will have will have enough time for rest.

3. Has and Have after names of people, names of cities, places

Beginners often get confused when these verb forms are used with proper nouns. The fact is that textbooks often give examples with people’s names, for example:

Maria has two sons. – Maria has two sons.

There may be a habit that after any proper name you need the verb has, but this, of course, is not the case. If the subject can be replaced with he, she, it, then we put has, in other cases (that is, if this word is plural) – have.

The Bahamas have changed a lot. – The Bahamas has changed a lot.

The Johnsons have two sons. – The Johnsons (the Johnson couple) have two sons.

Maria and John have two sons. – Mary and John have two sons

In the last example, the subject is expressed by the words “Maria and John”, that is, we are talking about the plural (two people).

4. Has after nouns like “people”: People have or People has?

Some nouns may look like a singular noun but have the meaning . In this case, when choosing between has / have, you need to be guided by the meaning of the word, not the form.

Let's compare two examples:

Some people have thirty three teeth – Some people have thirty-three teeth.

My people has more honor than yours. “My people have more honor than yours.”

In the first case, “people” means “people” and has a plural meaning, therefore “people have”. In the second case, “people” means “people”, it has the meaning singular, therefore “has”.

5. Have and Has in negations: He doesn’t has or He doesn’t have?

A common mistake is using has in a negative sentence with the auxiliary verb to do, that is, in negatives where there is “do not / don’t”, “does not / doesn’t”.

The rule is simple: after the negation don’t or doesn’t we always use the form have, even if the subject is he, she or it. “Doesn’t has” is basically an impossible combination.

I don't have any small change. – I don’t have any change.

He doesn't have any place to live. - He has nowhere to live.

The fact is that in such negative sentences, in the presence of a subject expressed by the pronouns he, she, it or other words in the third person singular, the verb to do takes the corresponding form- it turns into does, so turning have into has is kind of redundant.

6. Have and Has in the questions: Does he has or Does he have?

The same rule applies to interrogative sentences constructed using to do, that is, questions like “Do you have?”, “Does he have?”

These questions use does if the subject is expressed by the pronouns he, she, it, or any other word that can be replaced by one of these pronouns. Moreover, if the verb to have is present in the question, it is used only in the form have.

Rule: in questions with “do” or “does” we always use the form have, even if the subject is he, she or it. “Does he has” is basically an impossible combination.

Do you have a minute? - Do you have a minute?

Does he have a minute? – Does he have a minute?

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Here you can take a lesson on the topic: Pronouns in English. English Pronouns.

A pronoun is a part of speech that replaces a noun, adjective, adverb and some other words in sentences. In English, as well as in Russian, there are several types of pronouns. It is this part of speech and its varieties that we will consider in this lesson.

There are 8 main types of pronouns in English and they all have different properties. So, for example, in the sentence “He is a student,” the personal pronoun he replaces someone’s name and is the subject, and in the sentence “Can you give me that book, please?”, the demonstrative pronoun that acts as an object in the sentence.

In English there are the following: types of pronouns:

Personal pronouns - I, you, he, she, him, them, me, it, etc.
Possessive pronouns - my, his, her, mine, its, ours, etc.
Demonstrative pronouns ( Demonstrative pronouns) - this, that, these, those.
Reflexive pronouns (reflexive pronouns) - myself, yourself, himself, themselves, etc.
Relative pronouns - who, which, where, that, etc.
Reciprocal pronouns - one another, each other.
Indefinite pronouns - somebody, anything, nothing, etc.
Interrogative pronouns (interrogative pronouns) - who, whom, why, when, etc.

I. The most important and frequently used pronouns are rightfully personal. These pronouns can take many forms and serve several functions in sentences. Personal pronouns, in turn, are divided into subjective and objective. Subjective pronouns answer the question who? or what?, and object pronouns - to the questions of whom? what? to whom? what?

1. Subjective pronouns:

I - I
you - you/you
he - he
she - she
it - he/she (inanimate)
we - we
they - they

2. Object pronouns:

me - me, me
you - you, you, you, you
him - to him, him
her - to her, her
it - to him/her, his/her (inanimate)
us - to us, us
them - to them, theirs

Subject and object personal pronouns in sentences can replace nouns and additions. For example:
She is a high school student. - She is a high school student. (noun)
He loves her. - He loves her. (addition)

Personal pronouns are often found in English folk sayings. For example:

After us the deluge. - After us there might be a flood.
As you sow, so shall you reap. - What goes around comes around.
Man can do no more than he can. - A person cannot do more than what he can do. / You can’t jump above your head.
Before you make a friend eat a bushel of salt with him. - Before you make a friend, eat a pound of salt with him. / Don’t recognize a friend in three days, recognize a friend in three years.
We know not what is good until we have lost it. - We learn what is good when we lose it. / What we have, we don’t keep; having lost it, we cry.

II. The following pronouns, which are also often used in English sentences, are possessive, i.e. indicating ownership, and answering the question “whose?” :

my (mine) - mine
your (yours) - yours, yours
his (his) - his
her (hers) - her
its (its) - his/her (inanimate)
our (ours) - ours
their (theirs) - theirs

A special type of possessive pronoun is indicated in brackets. If the words my, your, their are commonly used with nouns, then mine, yours, theirs are used independently. For example:
It"s my pillow. (This is my pillow.) It"s mine. (She's mine.)
Is this your car? (Is this your car?). -No, it's his. (-No, it's his.)

Unlike Russian, English possessive pronouns do not change in numbers. For example:
These are my books. - These are my books.
His poems are very interesting. - His poems are very interesting.

Possessive pronouns are also sometimes found in English sayings. For example:

Pleasure has a sting in its tail. - Pleasure has a sting in its tail.
All is fish that comes to his net. - All the fish that come into his net. / He benefits from everything.
Don"t count your chickens before they are hatched. - Don’t count your chickens until they hatch./Chickens are counted in the fall.

III. Another category of frequently used pronouns in English is called demonstrative or index finger. There are only 4 of them and they differ depending on the proximity or distance of objects:

this - this (close)
these - these (close)
that - that (far)
those - those (far)

Demonstrative pronouns do not change according to gender, but vary by numbers and agree with the verb. For example:
This is a table. - This is a table.
These are tables. - These are tables.

In sentences, demonstrative pronouns can serve noun, adjective, or object. For example:
This is my mother. - This is my mother. (noun)
That girl is too rude. - That girl is too rude. (adjective)
I"d like to buy these oranges. - I would like to buy these oranges. (addition)

Demonstrative pronouns are also found in some proverbs:

That "s a horse of another color - That's a horse of a different color. / This is a completely different matter.
That cock won't fight. - This rooster will not fight. / This number will not work.

IV. Reflexive pronouns , or as they are popularly called “mirror” - another category English pronouns. They are formed by adding the singular suffix "-self" to indicate "on my own, on my own", to possessive pronouns; or the suffix "selves" to plural pronouns:

myself - I myself
yourself - you yourself
himself - himself
herself - she herself
itself - he/she himself/herself (inanimate)
ourselves - ourselves
yourselves - You yourself
themselves - they themselves

Only in reflexive pronouns can you see the difference between the singular and plural of the second person, i.e. between “you” and “You”: yourself - yourselves.

In sentences, reflexive pronouns serve as complements, and are used after transitive verbs(semantic verbs relating not only to the activity, but also to the recipient). For example:

Be careful! Don't injure yourself! - Be careful! Don't get hurt!
She bought herself a new skirt. - She bought herself a new skirt.
They can't do it themselves. - They can't do it themselves.

There are a number of set phrases with reflexive pronouns. Here are some of them:
Help yourself! - Help yourself!
Enjoy yourself! - Enjoy the atmosphere!
Behave yourself! - Behave yourself!

There are some verbs after which You should not use reflexive pronouns. This: wash (to wash), dress (to dress), shave (to shave), relax (to relax) and some others. For example:
She dressed and went to work. - She got dressed and went to work.
Tom washed and then shaved. - Tom washed his face and then shaved.

In these sentences there is no need to add the pronouns “herself” or “himself”, because it is already clear that the action is performed independently.

Some reflexive pronouns occur in English folklore:

Give a fool enough, and he will hang himself. - Give a fool a rope and he will hang himself./ Ask a fool to pray to God, he will hurt his forehead.
Don"t keep a dog and bark yourself. - Don’t hold the dog and then bark yourself. / Don’t work for your subordinate. / Because the dog is fed because it barks.
Respect yourself, or no one else will respect you. - Respect yourself, otherwise no one else will respect you. / He who does not respect himself, will not be respected by others either.

V. Pronouns called relative outwardly very similar to question words, but have a different meaning. They are used to determine the preceding noun. Although relative pronouns do not vary by gender or number, they depend on the object being defined. So, for example, if we want define a person, then we use the pronoun "who". Here's more full list relative pronouns and examples of use:

who - who, which (person)
which/that - what, which (inanimate object, thing)
where - where, in which (place)
when - when, at which (time)
whose - whose, which (belonging)

He is the man who saved me. - He is the man who saved me.
This is the pen which (that) I found. - This is the pen I found.
This is the place where I was born. - This is the place where (in which) I was born.
This is the month when they go on holiday. - This is the month when (in which) they go on vacation.
She is the woman whose son is a burglar. - She is the woman whose son is a thief.

Now let's see how variously relative pronouns are used in proverbs:

He who likes borrowing dislikes paying. - He who likes to borrow does not like to pay back./ When borrowing, he is a friend, when giving, he is an enemy.
He knows much who knows how to hold his tongue. - He knows a lot who knows how to hold his tongue./ A wise man does not throw words to the wind.
He who hesitates is lost. - Who hesitates? he dies. Delay is like death.
That "s where the shoe pinches! - That's where the shoes pinches! / That's where the dog is buried.
He who would search for pearls must dive below. - He who looks for pearls must dive deep. / He who wants to eat fish must go into the water.
That which one least anticipates soonest comes to pass. - What you least expect happens.

VI. The smallest group of pronouns in English is reciprocal pronouns. There are only 2 of them and they can be interchangeable:

each other - each other (refers to two persons)
one another - one to another (may imply more persons)

In sentences, these pronouns are placed in the middle or at the end, and, as a rule, serve as a complement. For example:

They have known each other for many years. - They have known each other for many years.
They love each other. - They love each other.
The staff always help one another. - The staff always helps each other (one another).
The students spoke to one another in a quiet voice. - The students spoke to each other (one to another) in a quiet voice.

Reciprocal pronouns are often found in various legends, quotes, proverbs and other phrases. Thus, Joseph Addison once said:

Health and cheerfulness mutually beget each other. - Health and cheerfulness go hand in hand.

And another English saying says:

Families with babies and families without babies are sorry for each other. - Families with children and families without children sympathize with each other.

VII. One of the largest groups of English pronouns is indefinite pronouns. In sentences they can serve replacing adjectives, And replacing nouns. For example:

They have some problems. - They have some problems. (adjective replacement)
Are there any books there? -There are some on that shelf. - Are there any books there? -There are several on that shelf. (noun replacement)

Indefinite pronouns are conventionally divided into pronouns starting with the words “some” (a little, several), “any” (a little, several, any) and “no” (not at all, not at all).

1. Indefinite pronouns with the word "some":

some - a little, several
someone/somebody - someone/somebody
something - anything
somewhere - somewhere
somehow - somehow/somehow
some time/some day - someday/someday

Note that the words "somebody" and "someone" are the same. All indefinite pronouns beginning with the word "some" are used in ordinary affirmative sentences, as well as in questions and requests And questions and suggestions. For example:

(+) * There is someone in the house. - There is someone in the house.
(+) There are some guests in the hotel.- There are several guests in the hotel.
(?) Can you give me some water, please? - Could you give me some water? (question-request)
(?) Would you like some cookies? - Would you like some cookies? (question-suggestion)

2. Indefinite pronouns with the word "any":

any - no, a little, several, any
anyone/anybody - anyone/anybody, anyone
anything - something/anything, anything
anywhere - somewhere/somewhere, anywhere/somewhere
anyhow - somehow/somehow, whatever
any day/any time - whenever

These pronouns are used either in negative and interrogative sentences, or in affirmatives with the meaning "any, whatever". For example:

(-) There isn’t any sugar in my coffee. - There is no sugar in my coffee.
(?) Is there anything interesting on TV? - Is there anything interesting on TV?
(+) I like any kind of fish. - I like any kind of fish.

3. Indefinite pronouns with the word "no":

no - no, not at all
noone/nobody - no one
nothing - nothing
nowhere - nowhere

Unlike Russian, English sentences can only contain one negative word. For example:

There is noone in the room.=There isn't anyone in the room. (There is no one in the room.)
There are no pictures on the wall.=There aren't any pictures on the wall.(There are no pictures on the walls.)

In many English sayings Indefinite pronouns are used:

By doing nothing we learn to do ill. - Without doing anything, we learn to do evil./ Idleness is the mother of all vices.
There is no rose without a thorn. - There is no rose without thorns.
To know everything is to know nothing. - To know everything means to know nothing.
To put a spoke in somebody's wheel. - Insert a spoke into someone's wheel. / Insert spokes into wheels.
Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. - Nothing is impossible for a loving heart.

VIII. The final group of pronouns is interrogative pronouns. They are very similar in appearance to relatives, but they perform different functions in English sentences. These pronouns are also known as "question words":

who? - Who?
whom? - whom? to whom?
which? - which?
what? - What?
where? - Where?
when? - When?
whose? - whose?
why? - Why?

Interrogative pronouns most often appear in sentences as subject, adjective, or as an addition with a preposition at the end. For example:

Who is your brother? -Who is your brother? (subject)
Which seat is yours? - What is your place? (adjective)
What is the book about? - What is the book about? (addition)

Sometimes interrogative pronouns serve nominal part of the predicate, as, for example, in famous proverb:
Tell me who your friends are and I"ll tell you who you are. - Tell me who your friend is, and I’ll tell you who you are. (literal translation). / Tell me who your friend is, and I’ll tell you who you are. ( literary translation).

Thus, in this lesson we became familiar with pronouns in English, their varieties and functions in sentences. We also learned useful proverbs and sayings. The following lessons will cover personal, possessive, and demonstrative pronouns in a little more detail.

Verb to have- one of the most common in the English language. It can act as an auxiliary, semantic or modal. It is also used to form many constructions and stable expressions.

Education and use

In the simple present tense, that is, in the Present Simple (or Indefinite), there are two forms of the verb: has, have. Use has limited to the third person singular only. In other cases, the word remains unchanged. In the Past Simple the verb takes the form had.

The table will help you understand the educational scheme in more detail.

PastPresentFuture
I, you, we, theyhadhaveshall/will have
he, she, it

To have as a semantic verb

The meaning of this word is “to have, to possess.” It is most often translated into Russian using the phrases “I have”, “he has”, etc.

1. Affirmative sentence. The word order in an affirmative sentence is standard: subject, predicate, and then modifiers, complements or adverbials.

  • He has a highly readable book. - He has an exciting book.
  • She has a large library. - She has a large library.
  • He had a beautiful picture - still life. - He had a beautiful painting - a still life.
  • She has a cozy house with fireplace. - She has a cozy house with a fireplace.

2. Interrogative. The question can be formed using an auxiliary verb to do in the past tense, and without it. In cases where a sentence is constructed without a semantic verb placed in front. If there is an auxiliary verb, the question begins with it.

  • Has she a yarn for knitting? - Does she have yarn for knitting?
  • Had she a mauve dress? - Did she have a mauve dress?
  • Did he have an easel and oil colors? - Did he have oil paints and an easel?

Option with verb to do more common.

3. Negation is formed using the particle not, and in the presence of uncountable nouns or plurals, the pronoun any also appears.

  • I haven't a scetchbook (any scetchbooks). - I don’t have a notebook (notebooks) for sketches.
  • We hadn't any desire to go there. - We didn't have a single desire to go there.

Negation can also be formed using to do in combination with the particle not. That is don't(for pronouns I, you, we, they) and does not for the third person (he, she, it). In the abbreviated version, the verb with a particle takes on the following form: don"t And doesn't have in the present tense and didn't in the past.

  • I don"t have any questions. - I have no questions.

Another way to form a negative sentence is by using no.

  • She has no sketchbook. - She doesn’t have a sketchbook.
  • He has no desire to swim. - He has no desire to swim.

Peculiarities of using "have got"

This is a colloquial version, an analogue of the word to have as a semantic verb. That is, the concepts of “have” and “possess” can be conveyed through the construction have got or has got. It's the same as has, have. The use of this phrase has some peculiarities:

  • Have got: This form is used only in the present tense.
  • This phrase is used only when we are talking about a one-time action. For multiple, regular and recurring events, use the main verb without "got".
  • The negative and interrogative forms are also different.
  • As for the phrase has got, its use is similar to has: in combination with the pronouns he, she, it.

Comparative characteristics are presented in the table.

She hasn't got any skeetchbooks. - She doesn't have sketchbooks.

To have as an auxiliary verb

It acts as an auxiliary verb in all tenses of the Perfect and Perfect Continuous groups.

Perfect tenses indicate the result, not the fact of the action.

  • She has opened the window. - She opened the window.
  • He has not closed the window. - He didn't close the window.
  • Have they opened the window? - Did they open the window?

Perfect Continuous tenses imply a process that lasted until a certain point or over a specified period of time.

An affirmative sentence in the present tense implies the use of have been + doing (smth).

  • She has been waiting for them for an hour. - She has been waiting for them for an hour.
  • He has been playing the piano since 6 o'clock. - He has been playing the piano since six o'clock.
  • How long has she been teaching English? - How long has she been teaching English?

Have to as a modal verb

This modal verb is very common in English. Use have to has some features.

The constructions are formed as follows: modal verb + infinitive + particle to.

Unlike the verb must, which conveys an obligation due to an internal urge to action, a construction with have to expresses a need caused by some external circumstances. It is usually translated into Russian with the following words: must, had to, forced, etc.

  • She has to work a lot. - She has to work a lot.
  • He had to get up at 5 o"clock. - He had to get up at 5.
  • She will have to study four languages. - She will have to master 4 languages.

Also, this modal verb is widely used in the Russian translation of “must be”.

  • The book has to be sent by post today. - The book should be sent by mail today.
  • The landscape has to be painted tomorrow. - The landscape needs to be painted tomorrow.

The interrogative and negative forms are formed using to do.

  • Do you have to do homework? - Do you have to do your homework?
  • We don't have to write this book. - We don't have to write this book.

When negating between modal verbs must And have to there is a significant difference:

  1. “Do not have to” implies that it is not advisable to do this, it is not necessary.
  2. "Mustn"t" conveys a categorical prohibition.
  • You don"t have to read this letter. - You don’t have to read this letter.
  • You mustn"t read this letter. - You are prohibited from reading this letter.

Constructions with the verb to have

There are many constructions in which a verb can lose its original meaning. Such phrases are translated into a single concept.

1. Design to have in combination with the noun and This phrase implies that the action is not performed by the person in question, but by someone else for him or instead of him.

  • She has her hair done at that hairdresser's. - She does (her hair is done) in that hairdresser.
  • He"ll has his portrait painted in the near future. - His portrait will be painted in the near future.
  • He had his grand piano attuned the day before yesterday. - The day before yesterday they tuned his piano.

The interrogative and negative forms of this phrase are formed using the auxiliary verb to do.

  • Do you have your violin attuned? - Has your violin been tuned?
  • I don"t have my musical instrument attuned. - My musical instrument was not tuned.

2. The construction of a verb in combination with a noun and an infinitive. Using this construction, you can convey the intention to do something.

  • She has something to do. - She wants to do something.
  • He had an interesting story to tell you. - He wanted to tell you an interesting story.

Questions and negations are constructed without the auxiliary verb to do.

  • Has she anything to tell us? - Does she want to tell us something?
  • He has not (hasn"t) anything to tell. - He has nothing to tell.

Set expressions with verb

Set expressions are phrases that are perceived as one whole. Such constructions are not translated literally, but convey a single meaning. The following are several topics in which there are many stable phrases with the verb has, have. The use of these phrases is common in the English language.

Food and drink

Communication and relationships between people

Daily Activities

to havea showertake a shower
a bathtake a bath
a washwash your face
a shaveshave

Relaxation and entertainment

Verb usage have very multifaceted. This is one of the few verbs that can act as a full-valued (that is, semantic), auxiliary or modal. In addition, in combination with some nouns it forms stable expressions. To master this topic well, it is important to practice using verbs has, have. The use of these words is simple and clear, but it should be brought to automaticity so that when speaking English you don’t have to think about it.

Pronouns are one of the most important parts of speech in any language, replacing an object, person, or attribute. To use pronouns correctly in speech, you need to know their meaning, categories and declension rules.

Pronoun classes

There are a total of 10 groups of pronouns in the English language, and students have been familiar with some of them since the 3rd grade. Let's list them:

  • Personal;
  • Possessive;
  • Returnable;
  • Mutual;
  • Index fingers;
  • Interrogative;
  • Relative;
  • Connecting;
  • Uncertain;
  • Negative.

Personal pronouns

This is the most popular class of pronouns, used to replace persons and objects. Personal pronouns have two forms - the nominative case (when they act as the subject) and the objective case (similar to all other cases of the Russian language, except the nominative). How personal pronouns change can be seen in the table “Declination of pronouns in English”, which also shows the transcription for words.

It is easy to notice that personal pronouns change by person, number, case and gender (only in the 3rd person). Look at the following sentence:

He can't tell us the secret. (He couldn't tell us the secret.)

The pronoun He (he) is the subject and is in the nominative case, the pronoun us (to us) acts as a complement.

The pronoun I (I) is always written with capital letter, no matter what part of the sentence it appears in.

Possessive pronouns

Such pronouns answer the question “whose?”, showing which person the object belongs to. They have two forms - attached and absolute. The following table of pronouns in English lists possessive pronouns with translation and pronunciation.

Attachable form

Absolute form

Translation

my, my, mine, my

our, ours, ours, ours

yours, yours, yours, yours

yours, yours, yours, yours

The adjunct form is used when it is followed by a qualifying noun. For example:


This is my daddy. (This is my daddy.) - After the word MY comes the noun DADDY.

The absolute form is used when the qualified noun comes before the pronoun or is omitted altogether. Take a look at the options:


This pen is mine. (This pen is mine.) - PEN stands before the word MY.

It’s your bike and these are ours. (This is your bicycle, and these are ours.) - In the second part of the sentence, the noun “bicycles” is missing.

Reflexive pronouns

This class of pronouns suggests that the action of the object is directed towards itself or is performed independently. Pronouns with the meaning “himself, sama, samo, sami” are called intensifying.

He doesn't love himself. (He doesn't like himself.)

Reciprocal pronouns

Such pronouns show that the actions of objects are directed towards each other. They exist in the form of two expressions: each other (in the amount of two items) and one another (more than two items).


Mary and Peter hated each other. (Mary and Peter hated each other.)

Demonstrative pronouns

The purpose of these pronouns is to indicate objects, persons and their characteristics. In the table you can see how demonstrative pronouns are pronounced.


These clouds are big. (These clouds are big.)

Interrogative pronouns

Similar pronouns are used in question sentences. The table shows how these words are read.

The form whom is no longer used in modern English and is replaced by who.


Who are you talking to? (Who are you talking to?)

Relative pronouns

We deal with such pronouns in subordinate attributive clauses (they answer the question “which (which)?”)

Check out the examples:

Conjunctive pronouns

This group of pronouns, like the previous one, is used in subordinate clauses complex sentence. Unlike relative clauses, an additional clause is introduced, not a attributive clause. This category includes words such as:

  • Who (Who);
  • What (who, what);
  • Which (whom);
  • Whose (which, whose).

I didn’t understand who came. (I didn’t understand who came.)

Negative pronouns

These pronouns are used to express negation in negative sentences.

The verb in sentences with negative pronouns will always be in the affirmative form!

So, negative pronouns include:

  • No (none - can be placed before any noun);
  • None (none of);
  • Neither (neither of the two);
  • Nobody (no one - in relation to people);
  • Nothing (nothing - in relation to objects).

She has no money. (She doesn't have (any) money.)

Indefinite pronouns

The largest group of pronouns, having various types, and the most problematic for children just learning English. This, first of all, includes the pronouns some (some) and any (any), which form the following series of cognate words:

  • Some - somebody (someone), something (something), someone (someone);
  • Any - anybody (anyone), anything (anything), anyone (anyone).

Pronouns formed from some are used in affirmative sentences. Pronouns with any in affirmative sentences have the meaning “any”, but are more often used in questions and negations and are not translated in any way.

In addition, the group of indefinite pronouns includes the following pronouns:

  • Each (each is about a group of objects);
  • Every (each of the objects separately);
  • Either (one or the other);
  • Everybody (everyone) (every person);
  • Everything (every object, everything);
  • Other (other);
  • Another (another, one more);
  • Both (both, both);
  • All (all, all, everything, everything);
  • One (instead of a repeated noun or in an impersonal clause).

Indefinite pronouns are used when it is not possible or necessary to accurately indicate a person, object, their characteristics and quantity.

Examples:

  • You have everything. (You have everything)
  • Give me another whiskey. (Give me some more whiskey)

What have we learned?

There are ten groups of pronouns in English. These are personal, possessive, reciprocal, reflexive, demonstrative, interrogative, relative, connective, negative and indefinite pronouns. Each category of pronouns has its own characteristic features and rules of use that need to be learned.

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Pronoun in English, it is a part of speech that can replace (noun pronouns) or (adjective pronouns). Pronouns are some of the most used words in the language.

There are many pronouns, they are divided into several categories:

Personal pronouns

Denotes a face: me, you, she, he, it etc. They are used in two cases: nominative And objective.

I love my sister. – I I love my sister.

He is my boss. - He's my boss.

We are the champions. - We are champions.

This is my cat Lucy. - This my cat Lucy.

Someone's table their bikes yesterday - Someone stole it yesterday their bicycles,

You can see our family in the picture. – You can see our family in this photo.

Is that your opinion? - This yours opinion?

Possessive pronouns-nouns

Noun pronouns are used, as you might guess, instead of . In a sentence they perform the function of , or the nominal part of the predicate.

My pencil is broken, please give me yours.– My pencil is broken, please give it to me. your(yours replaces your pencil)

Her car is blue, mine is white. - Her car is blue, my– white (mine instead of my car).

Your team is strong but not stronger that ours. – Your team is strong, but not stronger our(teams).

Demonstrative pronouns in English

Point to a person or object, in Russian it is that, that, these, that etc. There are only two such pronouns in English - they have singular and plural forms.

You may ask, where is the line between “near” and “far”? There is no such line expressed in centimeters; you just need to rely on common sense. In Russian, we use the words “this” and “that” in the same way.

This man – this person (well, there he is, standing next to him).

That man – that person (not present here or the one who stands aside).

These photos – these photographs (pointing with my finger).

Those photos – those photographs (they hang on your wall at home).

For good movie examples of using this and that, check out this video:

Reflexive pronouns

Reflexive pronouns mean that the action is directed by the actor towards himself; they are used as objects after some verbs. They are formed using endings -self, -selves, they join pronouns my, our, your, him, her, it, the, indefinite pronoun. In Russian, particles perform a similar function -sya, -sya at the end of the verb.

Protect yourself! - Defend yourself!

Don't hurt yourself- Don't get hurt.

There are cases when reflexive particles are used in Russian, but in English the same words are used without a reflexive pronoun. For example, in Russian we say: wash, shave, dress, bathe, hide. In English the corresponding to wash, to shave, to dress, to bathe, to hide usually used without reflexive pronouns:

I washed, dressed and shaved. – I washed, dressed and shaved.

Hide in the cardboard box. – Hide in a cardboard box.

I'd like to bathe. - I would like to take a swim.

Also, reflexive pronouns are used to strengthen, like Russian words yourself, yourself, yourself, yourself.

I heard it myself! - I heard it myself!

He did it himself- He did it himself.

A common mistake is to say I’m feeling myself fine \ I feel myself fine (I feel fine). Actually correct: I’am feeling fine \ I feel fine.

Reciprocal pronouns

Reciprocal pronouns are pronouns like “each other”. There are only two of them: each other(each other), one another(one another). In theory, each other- this is when two persons or objects, and one another- when there is a lot. In practice, no one pays much attention to these subtleties, especially in colloquial speech.

They don't talk about each other. - They don't talk about each other.

They often see one another. – They see each other often.

Please note that the preposition comes before the pronoun, and is not wedged into it, as in Russian. Compare:

They talk about each other – They say each other O friend.

Interrogative pronouns

These pronouns are used to ask questions:

1.Who (whom)– who, whom, to whom.

Who is this person? – Who this person?

Who is here? – Who Here?

2.Whose– whose, whose, whose, whose.

Whose is that noise? – Whose Is this noise (who is making noise)?

Whose car is parked by the house? – Whose is the car parked at the house?

3.What- What.

What are you doing? – What are you doing?

What is going on? – What happening?

4.Which– what, which (which of several)

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