Pronouns
* Definition: Pronouns are words that stand in for nouns. They act as substitutes to avoid repetition and make writing smoother.
* Examples:
* He went to the store. (He replaces the noun "John")
* They are playing in the park. (They replaces the noun "children")
* It is a beautiful day. (It replaces the noun "weather")
Types of Pronouns:
* Personal Pronouns: Represent specific people or things (I, me, you, he, she, it, we, they, us, him, her, them).
* Possessive Pronouns: Show ownership (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs).
* Reflexive Pronouns: Reflect back on the subject of the sentence (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves).
* Demonstrative Pronouns: Point out specific things (this, that, these, those).
* Interrogative Pronouns: Used in questions (who, what, which, whom, whose).
* Indefinite Pronouns: Refer to nonspecific people or things (someone, anyone, everybody, nobody, something, anything, everything, nothing).
Reflexive Pronouns
* Definition: Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the sentence. They are used when the subject of the sentence is also the object of the verb.
* Examples:
* She hurt herself while playing basketball. (She is both the subject and the object)
* We gave ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done. (We is both the subject and the object)
* Key Points:
* They always end in "-self" or "-selves."
* They are essential for clarifying the meaning of a sentence.
Important Note: Reflexive pronouns are not interchangeable with personal pronouns. You wouldn't say "She hurt her" - it needs to be "She hurt herself" to show that the subject and object are the same.