3. Pronoun

Chapter focus: reference, agreement, relative clauses, and formal clarity.

How to study this lesson

Read the explanation first, then say the examples aloud. Change one detail in each example, such as the subject, time, or place. Complete the practice without looking back and use the answer key to understand the reason for each answer. Finish by writing two sentences about your own life or city.

A pronoun stands for a noun or noun phrase. It prevents unnecessary repetition, but the reader must always be able to identify its reference.

Main pronoun groups

Personal pronouns include I, you, he, she, it, we, they and their object forms me, him, her, us, them. Use the subject form before a verb: She and I discussed the issue. Use the object form after a verb or preposition: The teacher advised us and between you and me.

Possessive forms are my, your, his, her, its, our, their before a noun and mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs when the noun is omitted: This is their proposal; that one is ours. Its has no apostrophe.

Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves) refer back to the subject: The participants introduced themselves. Do not use myself simply because it sounds formal: Please contact me, not Please contact myself.

Relative pronouns introduce information about a noun: who for people, which for things, and that for people or things in defining clauses. The researcher who conducted the survey published the results. Use a comma before a non-defining clause: The survey, which was conducted online, attracted 500 responses.

Indefinite pronouns include someone, anyone, nobody, each, every, both, either, and neither. Each, every, someone, and nobody are grammatically singular: Every participant has a choice.

Clear reference

Avoid a pronoun when its reference is unclear: When the device was placed beside the phone, it overheated does not clearly say what overheated. Repeat the noun or rewrite the sentence: The device overheated when it was placed beside the phone.

Practice

Choose the best form: (a) The manager asked my colleague and (I/me) to present. (b) Every applicant must bring (their/his or her) passport. (c) The city introduced a scheme, (who/which) reduced congestion.

Answers: (a) me, (b) their is widely used as a singular gender-neutral pronoun in modern English; his or her is also grammatically possible, (c) which.

IELTS transfer task

Write a short four-sentence response about an IELTS topic such as education, health, transport, technology, or the environment. Use at least two examples of the target grammar from this chapter. Underline those examples, then check that every sentence has a clear subject, a correct verb, and a meaning that is easy to understand.

Deep lesson: make every pronoun point clearly

A pronoun replaces a noun, but a good pronoun must have an obvious antecedent—the noun it refers to. If the reader has to guess what it, this, or they means, your cohesion is weak.

Form chart

Use a subject before a verb: She and I agree. Use an object after a verb or preposition: The teacher helped us and between you and me.

Twelve examples

1. The city expanded, and it needed better roads.
2. The students practised, so they improved.
3. The tutor gave me useful advice.
4. Their proposal was stronger than ours.
5. The participants introduced themselves.
6. Everyone should bring their passport; singular they is natural and inclusive.
7. Each of the options has a cost; each is singular.
8. The device overheated after it was covered.
9. The survey which was conducted online attracted 800 people.
10. The researcher who led the project published the results.
11. The policy, which was controversial, was approved.
12. The report explains what the committee recommends.

Relative pronouns

Use who for people and which for things. Use that in a defining clause: The method that reduced waste was adopted. A defining clause identifies the noun and has no commas. A non-defining clause adds extra information and uses commas: The method, which reduced waste, was adopted. Do not use that after a comma in formal standard English.

Common errors

Wrong: Me and my friend completed the task. Right: My friend and I completed the task. Wrong: The policy helped farmers, this increased income. Right: The policy helped farmers, and this increased income or This policy increased farmers’ income. Wrong: The city introduced a scheme who reduced traffic. Right: a scheme that/which reduced traffic.

Practice

A. Choose: The manager asked my colleague and (I/me) to present. Answer: me, because it is the object of asked.

B. Repair: When the phone was placed beside the laptop, it overheated. Answer: The laptop overheated when the phone was placed beside it if the laptop is meant.

C. IELTS task: Write a paragraph about a public policy. Use it, they, one relative clause, and one possessive form. Circle every pronoun and draw an arrow to its antecedent.

Professor's explanation: how to think about this grammar

Do not begin by memorising a definition. Begin by asking three questions: What job does this form do? What meaning does it add? Where does it go in the sentence? Bengali and English often arrange information differently, so direct translation can create mistakes. Build the English pattern first, then attach your idea to it.

Bengali learner warning

Many Bengali speakers understand the meaning of an English sentence but omit a small grammar word because Bengali does not always need the same word. English normally needs a clear subject and a finite verb. For example, say The number of students is increasing, not Number of students increasing. Treat articles, auxiliary verbs, plural endings, and prepositions as part of the pattern, not as optional decoration.

Three-step study method

Step 1 — Notice: underline the target form in every example. Step 2 — Control: replace only one part of the example, such as the subject or time. Step 3 — Communicate: use the form in a short answer about education, health, transport, technology, or the environment. If you cannot explain why you chose the form, return to Step 1.

Practice ladder

Level 1: Recognition. Find the target form and name its job. Level 2: Controlled production. Complete or correct a sentence using the pattern. Level 3: IELTS production. Write a short paragraph or speak for one minute. At Level 3, clarity is more important than using many different forms.

Revision checklist

Before moving on, ask: Can I explain the form in one simple sentence? Can I make a positive, negative, and question form where relevant? Can I use it with a past and a present example? Can I recognise the most common Bengali-speaker error? Can I use it naturally in one IELTS answer?