How important are personal pronouns in English? We can safely say that personal pronouns are the basis of any language, and even more so English.

If they weren't, even the most famous phrase I love you(Rus. I love you) could not exist! After all, two personal pronouns are already present in it: I- Me and you- you.

The pronoun is one of the most terrifying masks man has invented.

The pronoun is one of the most terrifying man-made masks

Personal pronouns in English have a lot of similarities with Russian pronouns: they also change in gender, number, and even case. But there are pitfalls to keep in mind when learning personal pronouns on your own.

Today we will tell what are the personal pronouns in English, we will give examples of sentences and reveal all the secrets of their use.

Personal pronouns in English!

Comparative table of personal pronouns in the nominative and object cases, English.

As you know from the Russian language course, personal pronouns replace a noun. These can be names of people, places or objects. Mostly, personal pronouns are used instead of a noun to avoid repetition and to make speech easier.

We usually add personal pronouns to a sentence when the noun was mentioned earlier, that is, when the reader or listener knows what is being discussed.

For example:

Liz bought a new car two months ago. She absolutely loves it.(Rus. Liz bought the car two months ago. She's crazy about her)

In the second sentence She absolutely loves it two pronouns are used: personal pronoun she replaces proper name Liz, and the personal pronoun it used instead of a noun car .

Important!

Personal pronouns in English help to avoid repeating the same noun over and over again in the narrative.

The noun that is replaced is called antecedent(eng. antecedent). If you know the antecedent, you can always find the correct personal pronoun that agrees in numbers (singular or plural), persons (first, second or third), gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and cases (nominative, object, ).

The main grammatical features of personal pronouns in English:

English personal pronouns have only one ( I, he, it etc.) and plural ( we, they and etc.);

Personal pronouns of the English language change by gender in the 3rd person singular: husband. ( he- he), wives. ( she-on), cf. ( it-it);

• This type of pronouns changes by person: 1st person ( I, we), 2nd person ( you), 3- person ( he, she, it, they)
• Personal pronouns in English have two cases: nominative ( he, she, we, they etc.) and object ( me, them, us and etc.).

But first things first. Let's first consider how personal pronouns change in English by persons, genders and numbers in various cases.

Personal Pronouns in English: Nominative

English personal pronouns in the nominative are called Subject Pronouns... Word subject is translated into Russian subject, and in linguistics the term is used Subjective case(Russian subjective case).

The English subject corresponds to the Russian nominative, which answers the questions who? and what? and acts as a subject in a sentence.

Therefore, English personal pronouns in the nominative case also perform the function of a subject.

Pronouns I, we(Russian I, we) are the first person singular and plural and are used on behalf of the speakers.

Remember!

Pronoun I(Russian i) is always written with a capital letter, regardless of the place in the sentence.

Pronoun you is the second person singular and plural and corresponds to the Russian pronouns "you", "you", "you" (polite form). This pronoun is used in relation to the interlocutor or interlocutors.

Quite a large number of English learners from scratch are trying to use the English pronoun you with a singular verb, but this is not correct. Even when addressing one interlocutor, personal pronoun you always carries the characteristic of the plural.

Compare:

You are a student(Rus. You are a student.)

You are students(Russian you are students)

Pronouns he, she, it(Russian he. she, it) and they(rus. they) are representatives of the third person singular and plural.

As you probably already know, the verb in the 3rd person is singular. numbers (that is, when used with personal pronouns he, she, it) has a number of features in the formation of sentences in a number of other times.

Let's look at how personal pronouns are used in a sentence with examples.

Examples of sentences with personal pronouns in English with translation

Object case of personal pronouns in English

Object case (eng. Objective Case) in English performs functions similar to those that in Russian perform other cases, except for the nominative.

Therefore, there are quite a few options for translating personal pronouns into Russian in the object case, which you can see in the table.

Table of personal pronouns in the nominative case:

As you can see from the table, we can draw an analogy between pronoun her(object case personal pronoun she) in a sentence I see her with Russian accusative I see (who, what?) her.

Objective English personal pronouns often appear in a sentence as direct or indirect addition .

Compare:

I phoned him to congratulate him.(Rus. I called him to congratulate him), where the pronoun him is a direct addition.

She apologized to me.(Rus. She apologized to me) - where is the pronoun (to) me used with a preposition and is an indirect object

Personal pronouns with prepositions in English

An example of using personal pronouns as a subject, direct and indirect object in English

English personal pronouns in the subjective (nominative) case play the role of a subject in a sentence.

For example:

I like your flowers.- I like your (your) flowers.

They are working in the garden.- They work in the garden.

We go to the cinema.- We're going to the cinema.

But with personal pronouns in the object case, not everything is so simple. Let's consider the main functions in the sentence of object pronouns in English, and with which Russian cases they are more similar.

• Object pronouns in English as direct addition corresponds to the accusative case in Russian (who? what?)

Don't loves me(Rus. He loves me)

Do you know him?(Russian Do you know him?)

I see her everywhere(Rus. I see her everywhere)

• Object pronouns can serve as unsolicited indirect complement and have similarities with the Russian dative case, answering the question to whom? what ?:

He have her the book(Rus. He gave her a book)

Mary told us to choose a dish(Rus. Mary told us to choose a dish)

• Sometimes English object pronouns do the role of the subject in short remarks, which is typical for spoken language, which is not entirely grammatically correct:

Who did it? - Not me! / Me(Rus. Who did it? - He me! / I)

I am feeling tired - Me too(Rus. I'm very tired. - Me too)

• Combining pronouns with preposition to corresponds to the dative case in Russian (to whom?) and performs the function indirect (indirect) complement:

Show the book to him(Rus. Show the book to him)

I sent a letter to them(Rus. I sent a letter to them)

• Combination pronoun with prepositions by and with corresponds to the instrumental case in Russian (who? what?) and is indirect addition:

This article was translated by her(Rus. This article was translated by her)

I want to go with you(rus. I want to go with you / with you)

• After the words except(Russian except) and but(except for) you should use only object pronouns:

Nobody but him helped me(Rus. Nobody, except him, helped me.)

Everyone except me went home(Rus. Everyone, except me, went home.)

Personal pronouns in English: sentences with examples

Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. (Russian. Only I can change my life. No one can do this for me).

In this section, we will talk about the generally accepted rules for using personal pronouns in English.

When to use I and me, we and us, he and him, etc.

As we already wrote, English pronouns in the nominative case ( I, you, he, she, it, we, they) play the role of a subject.

They are usually used before a verb to indicate who is performing an action.

For example:

Peter complained to the chef about the meal.(Rus. Peter complained to the chef about the dish.)

She wasn’t very helpful so he spoke to the manager.(Rus. She didn't help much, so he turned to the manager)

In the second sentence of the pronoun she and he indicate who directly performed the action (she did not help, he applied).

Object pronouns ( me, you, him, her, it, us, them) are additions... In a sentence, they are usually used after a verb or a preposition.

Also, they can be used as short answers, mainly in colloquial speech.

For example:

A: Where’s the knife? I can’t find it(Rus. Where is the knife? I can't find it)

B: It is in the drawer.(Rus. He is in the box)

In the first sentence pronoun it used in the object case, and is the object on which the action is performed (I cannot find it = knife). In the second, the sentence is the same pronoun it stands in the nominative case, and is the subject (He = a knife in a box)

Examples of the use of personal pronouns in English

Subject pronoun	Russian translation	Object pronoun	Russian translation
He loves playing football.	He loves to play football.	Children love playing football with him.	Children love to play soccer with him.
They are your friends.	They are your friends.	Give the present to them.	Give the gift to them.
We are going to visit Katy at the weekend.	We're going to visit Katie this weekend.	Katy is going to visit us at the weekend.	Katie is going to visit us this weekend.
I thank you for help.	I thank you for your help.	Thank you for everything you did for me!	Thanks for everything you've done for me!
I called you yesterday but you were out.	I called you yesterday, but you weren't at home.	-Who called me? -Me. (I did)	-Who called me? -I AM.

Personal pronouns he, she, it

Personal pronouns he, she, it are representatives of the third person singular, and determine the form of the feminine, masculine and neuter.

Now in colloquial speech, you can notice the use of several pronouns, a kind of "neutral form", if the speaker is not sure about a person's belonging to a particular gender, for example: he or she, he / she, s / he, (s) he.

For example:

The bank manager could help with your problem. He or she will probably be able to give you a loan.(Russian bank manager can help you. He or she will probably be able to give you a loan.)

It is necessary to remember some of the peculiarities of the use of the pronoun “it” in English.

Personal pronoun it defines subjects and is often translated as “he / she” in Russian. The English pronoun it denotes not only inanimate objects, but often, even animals.

Pronoun it often used in impersonal sentences when the subject is missing:

evaluates an action, for example: It is important to know this(rus. It is important to know this);

indicates space and time: It is 10 km to the airport(Russian. 10 km to the airport), It is 10 o "clock now.(Russian. It's 10 o'clock now.)

• indicates the weather: It is getting dark(Rus. It gets dark)

Example sentences with pronouns he, she, it

Using it and that, it and this

Many English learners are interested in how sentences like this differ This is a pen from It is a pen since both sentences are translated This is a pen.

Usage difference this and it often they are often underestimated, since many believe that there is no difference and "you will be understood anyway." But, not everything is so simple ...

Pronoun this

when it points to a person, thing or thing in question or that is nearby or implied, or has been recently mentioned: These are my pens(rus. These are my pens)

• when it indicates what is closer or currently being investigated or discussed: This is iron and that is tin.(Rus. This is iron, otherwise it is tin)

Pronoun it used in the following cases:

when identifies an inanimate object: Took a quick look at the house and noticed it was very old(Rus. Looked at the house and noticed that it was old)

refers to a person or animal whose gender is not known or does not matter: I don "t know who it is(Rus. I do not know who it is)

• defines a group of people or objects, or an abstract entity: Beauty is everywhere and it is a source of joy.(Rus. Beauty is everywhere and it is a source of admiration)

Remember!

Definitive pronoun this is used in relation to a person or thing in question, which is implied or which will be discussed below, while personal pronoun it usually refers to an inanimate thing, or is used in relation to a person, thing, idea, etc., taken in a more abstract way.

There are other special uses as well. pronouns it and that in English.

1.The pronoun this used as a definition and stands before a noun:

This cat is black(Rus. This cat is black).

Pronoun It cannot be used in this function.

2.The pronoun it used in impersonal sentences as a formal subject that is not translated:

It is dark(Rus. Dark).

If in this sentence we use this, there will be no error, but the meaning will change, since now the sentence is not impersonal, but personal, in which this will translate because it replaces the aforementioned noun: This is my room and that is yours. This (one) is dark and that (one) is not.(Rus. This is my room, and that is yours. My (this room) is dark, but your (that room) is not)

3 pronoun it can also be a substitute word for the aforementioned noun and act as a subject, and as an object:

This is a cat. This cat is black = It is black(Rus. This is a cat. This cat is black. = She is black)

I will take this (book) not that (one)(Rus. I buy this book, but not that one). The semantic emphasis on this particular book - this, and not on that - that .

I will take it.(Rus. Buy / Take), semantic emphasis on take - will take

Choice it or this in this case, it depends on what task is facing the speaker:

nessesary to use this if you need to point to a specific object in the field of vision or to highlight this object against the background of other "distant" objects;

• nessesary to use it, if you need to generalize without transferring the semantic load to the addition, as if we said: "everything that you already know from the previous sentence, so I will not specify."

4 the pronoun it used in amplifying sentences as a formal subject:

Roll call response: It "s me (I)(Russian I / Here / Present)

The answer to the question Who "s there? when you knock on the door: It "s me, Tom!(Russian I / This is me, Tom)

In essence, these sentences are amplifying: It is I who has been called over. It is I, Tom, who has knocked at your door.(Rus. This is me, the one you named. This is me, the one who knocked on the door.) In this function this cannot be used.

Also, one of the differences between the considered pronouns is that this introduces new information (bump), and it- known information (topic), therefore this is always translated and it- No.

Another significant difference is that word it used in expressions related to time and weather, as well as in some stable expressions, for example:

It's five past twelve(Russian time is five minutes past one)

It often rains in our region(Rus. It often rains in our region)

It isn’t easy to believe him again(Rus. It's not easy to believe him again)

Using the pronoun they

Pronoun they used to identify people, animals and objects in the plural.

Also, pronoun they refers to institutions, authorities or groups of people in general.

Example sentences with the pronoun they

Special uses of personal pronouns in English

In colloquial speech, the rules for using personal pronouns in English may not be followed. In the picture there is an inscription I do. Me too instead of I do. So do I.

Using personal pronouns in informal colloquial speech

• You and me or you and I?

Sometimes there is a difficult choice between: You and me or you and I? It seems that both options sound familiar and correct. But in fact, one option is correct (and therefore standard), and the second is grammatically incorrect, but still used in informal speech.

To determine the correct option, look at which member of the sentence this combination is: subject or object:

You and I will work tomorrow

(Rus. You and I will work tomorrow)

Now take away you and we get: I will work tomorrow(Rus. I will work tomorrow) or Me will work tomorrow(rus. I will work tomorrow)

The second sentence is incorrect, because the object pronoun me cannot be a subject. However, in informal colloquial speech, one can hear You and me will work tomorrow although it is grammatically incorrect.

Another example:

They invited you and I

They invited you and me(Rus. They invited you and me)

Now let's remove the pronoun you :

They invited I(Russian. They invited me)

They invited me(Rus. They invited me)

The second sentence is correct here, because subjective pronoun I cannot be a complement.

• Personal pronouns after “Than” and “As”

The correct grammatical form is the use of personal pronouns in the nominative case, followed by an auxiliary verb:

You are taller than I am(Rus. You are higher than me)

I earn as much money as he does

However, quite often just a pronoun in the object case is used, it is just that this variant is considered typical for a colloquial, informal style:

You are taller than me(Rus. You are higher than me)

I earn as much money as him(Rus. I make as much money as he does)

• Using personal pronouns in short answers

The object pronoun cannot be a subject in a sentence, however, such use can be found after verb to be in short answers:

Who is there? - (It is) me!(Russian. Who is there? - (This is) me)

Who gave you this? - (It was) him.(Rus. Who gave it to you? - (It was) he)

• "Dropping" the personal pronoun

Sometimes, a personal pronoun next to an auxiliary verb can be omitted in colloquial speech.

Don’t know = I don’t know(Rus. I don’t understand = I don’t understand)

Just kidding = I am just kidding(Russian. Just kidding = I'm kidding)

Understand? = Do you understand?(Rus. Understood? = Do you understand?)

When are personal pronouns not used?

One of the peculiarities of personal pronouns is that they are not used after infinitive constructions if the subject and object are the same person:

This phone is easy to use (it).(Rus. This phone is easy to use.)

You are easy to understand (you).(Rus. You are easy to understand.)

But, the pronoun should be used if the impersonal pronoun it begins:

It is easy to understand you.(rus.You are easy to understand)

Videos on English Personal Pronouns

If you did not understand something in our article, we recommend watching a video about personal pronouns in English.

Video on Personal Pronouns

Instead of a conclusion:

Pronouns help to replace a person or an object, you need to be extremely careful not to confuse them, because this can confuse the listener or completely change the meaning of the sentence.

However, due to the fact that grammatically personal pronouns of English are very similar to the Russians, their study and use does not cause serious problems.

We hope that after reading this article, you will easily use personal pronouns in English!

Exercises for personal pronouns in English

Fill in the blanks with an appropriate form of personal pronoun:

Sample: Who is that woman? Why are you looking at her?

"Do you know that man?" "Yes, I work with _."

Where are the tickets? I can’t find _.

I can "t find my keys. Where are _?

We’re going out. You can come with _.

Margaret likes music. _ plays the piano.

I don’t like dogs. I'm afraid of _.

I "m talking to you. Please listen to _.

Where is Ann? I want to talk to _.

My brother has a new job. He doesn't like _ very much.

In contact with

Pronouns

A pronoun is a part of speech that replaces or describes other parts of speech. There are a huge number of pronouns in the English language. They can be divided into the following groups:

Now let's look at each group of pronouns:

1. Personal pronouns... This is the most common group of pronouns that appears in almost every sentence of the English language, so try to learn them so that they come to your mind. Personal pronouns are divided into two cases: nominative and objective.

The pronoun in the nominative case replaces the subject in the sentence, and in the objective case - the complement. Let's look at the personal pronouns in the table:

them [ðem] - them, them

Where l. - face; units h - singular; pl. hours - plural.

I must go to you.- I have to go to you.
We should sleep every night.- We have to sleep every night.
Did you see them?- Have you seen them?
You were there.- You were there.
He can work with her.- He can work with her.
She is having breakfast.- She is having a breakfast.
It is the gold coin.- It's a gold coin.
They left us.“They left us.

Personal pronouns in English have a number of features:

• Personal pronoun I always starts with a capital letter, no matter where in the sentence:
May I come in?- May I come in?


Personal pronoun you used in singular and plural. Moreover, the verb to be it is always applied with it in the plural, even if you is in the sentence in the singular:


You are beautiful.- You're beautiful.


If there are several personal pronouns in a sentence, then their order is as follows - 2 l. and 3 liters. are placed in front of 1 liter., 2 liters. placed in front of 3 liters. in any cases (remember that pronouns always replace other parts of speech, so if instead of a pronoun there is a noun, then the word order is determined by the same rule):


You and your brother should do the homework.“You and your brother have to do your homework.
He asked father and me.- He asked my father and me.


The objective case of personal pronouns can be in genitive (who?, What?), Dative (to whom?, What?), Instrumental (by whom ?, what?) And prepositional (about whom, about what) cases, examples:


I did it for her.- I did it for her. (for whom?)
She gave me an apple.- She gave me an apple. (to whom?)
It was bought by us.- It was bought by us. (by whom?)
The bird cared about them.- The bird took care of them. (about whom?)


A feature of the English language is that gender division in speech is expressed only with people. In other cases, a personal pronoun is used It... It is placed in place of inanimate objects, animals or children. This greatly simplifies the process of learning the language, since we do not need to learn any kind of this or that noun to replace it with the corresponding pronoun, as we do in Russian. However, if we want to emphasize the sex of some phenomenon, animal, it is allowed to use pronouns he and she... Also the pronoun It can be as a formal subject (when there is no subject in the Russian version of the translation - see general information about the sentence), examples:


I took a pen. It is black- I took a pen. She is black.
It is hot now.- It's hot now.

Possessive pronouns. They denote the belonging of a noun to an object or subject. As a rule, they correspond to a personal pronoun in a sentence. Distinguish between basic and absolute forms.

Main form a possessive pronoun stands in a sentence together with a noun and characterizes its belonging.

Absolute form replaces a noun in a sentence, but it is understood that this noun was previously mentioned. This allows you to get rid of unnecessary repetition of the same word in the text.

Please note that the possessive pronoun is used much more often in English than in Russian. In English, if it is talking about body parts, items of clothing, personal accessories, then the possessive pronoun is necessarily put, although in Russian it is usually omitted:

He waves his hand. He waves his hand.

Let's take a look at the possessive pronouns:

mine

my you

your

yours

is yours he

his

his

his she

her

hers

her it

its

its

his her you pl. h.

your

yours

your we

our

ours

our they

their [ðeə (r)]

theirs [ðeəz]

their

Examples of the main form:

I gave you my pen.- I gave you my pen.
You can go with your friend.- You can go with your friend.
It was his phone.- It was his phone.
We came to her mother.- We came to her mother.
The dog gives me its paw.- The dog gives me a paw.
They can "t do our work.- They can't do our job.
They left me their child.“They left their child for me.

Examples of absolute form:

This is her car. Mine is broken.- This is her car. Mine is broken.
Your table is dirty. Ours is cleaner.- Your table is dirty. Our table is cleaner.
I forgot my pencil. Can you give me yours?- I forgot my pencil. Can you give me yours?

Sentences with other possessive pronouns are constructed in a similar way. And also, if there is an adjective before the noun, then the possessive pronoun is placed before the adjective:

I like your red coat.- I like your red coat

Possessive pronoun its often confused with the combination it "s - short form it is (I am). Its surface was damaged.- Its surface has been damaged.
It is its hair. is her hair.

You need to look at the place in the sentence and the adjacent words.

Also, reflexive pronouns play the role of determinants of nouns, so the use of articles is not allowed with them.

Reflexive pronouns. They show that the subject directs the action towards itself and is translated into Russian as an addition to the end of the verb -sya (-s) or the pronoun itself, myself, myself .... Each reflexive pronoun has a corresponding personal pronoun. All of them are shown in the table:

You hit yourself.
- You hit yourself.
he It happened by itself.
- It happened by itself.
you (plural) They will introduce themselves tomorrow.
- They will introduce themselves tomorrow.

However, when using reflexive pronouns, you need to remember a number of rules:

Instead of a personal pronoun, the corresponding noun can be used:


My dog ​​opened a door itself.- My dog ​​opened the door herself.


Reflexive pronouns are not used with verbs, which themselves imply that the action is directed at themselves, or at each other. These include wash, bath, feel, shave, dress, undress, change, relax, hide:


She felt bad (can't say felt herself).- She felt bad.
They kissed at street.- They kissed on the street.


Reflexive pronouns cannot be used with place prepositions. Since the personal pronoun in the objective case can also be translated to itself, to itself, confusion can arise. In order not to get confused which pronoun to put (reflexive or personal pronoun in the objective case), use the rule: if you can put "yourself" in the Russian translation of the sentence, then the reflexive pronoun is used, otherwise the personal pronoun is used in the objective case:


She spent all money herself.- She spent all the money herself.
She put an ambrella in front of her.- She put the umbrella in front of her (in front of herself you will not tell).

Interrogative pronouns (words). It is also a very common type of pronoun that is used in interrogative sentences. Let's look at the main ones:

What do you do? What are you doing? When could this happen? When could this have happened? Why do we work here? Why do we work here?

how - how

How is it possible? How is this possible?

In general, English interrogative words correspond to Russian ones, but there are a number of peculiarities:

Interrogative pronoun who acts as a subject, and is applied when asked to people.


Who runs with him? - Who's running with him?

Although the interrogative pronoun who has an objective case whom - whom, but more and more often performs this role itself in the proposal:


Who (whom) did they invite to us? - Who did they invite to us?

Pronoun which used in interrogative sentences when a choice of a limited number of subjects is offered:


Which lock of these three do you prefer? - Which castle do you prefer?


But if we were talking about an unlimited number of locks of all types, the pronoun would be used what:

What lock do you prefer? - Which castle do you prefer?

Relative pronouns. These pronouns are used in complex sentences and refer to subordinate clauses. Most of them also apply to interrogative pronouns. Unlike unions, they act in a subordinate clause as a member of a sentence (usually a subject). Let's look at the main relative pronouns:

Who- who, who. Used in sentences with animate human objects: I saw the gardener who planted this tree. “I saw the gardener who planted this tree.


Whose- which (whose)

Indicates that an item belongs to an object:

We know a man whose spoon you took.“We know the person whose spoon you took.


Which- which the. Applies to inanimate objects or animals:


Parents knocked the door which was closed.- Parents knocked on the door, which was closed.


That[ðæt] - which

Replaces previous pronouns who and which, and can refer to both animate and inanimate objects:

This was the writer that can "t finish his last book.- It was a writer who could not finish his last book.
Mother bought the new knives that were very sharp.- Mom bought new knives, which were very sharp.

Demonstrative pronouns. Indicate an object or person. Basic demonstrative pronouns:

those [ðəʊz] - those

Demonstrative pronouns indicate remoteness not only in terms of distance, but also in time. In the proposal, they can be as the following members of the proposal:

Subject:


This is my ball.- This is my ball.
Those were their friends.- These were their friends (Although this is translated, it means that the friends are in a different place).


Noun qualifier:

These cars are very beautiful.- These cars are very beautiful.
I like that place.- I like that place.


Addition:

Remember this!- Remember this!
A doctor chose these... - The doctor chose these.

Please note that if the noun is preceded by a demonstrative pronoun in the form of a determinant, then you do not need to use the article, since the pronoun itself acts as an article.

Demonstrative pronouns include two more pronouns:

such - such
the same - the same

For example:

Such a big room looks nice.“Such a large room looks good.
It happened in the same time.- It happened at the same time.

Quantitative pronouns.

The most famous of this group are two quantitative pronouns that can come before any noun in almost any situation: some

AND any["eni]. Therefore, in case of difficulty in choosing a qualifier for a noun, you can always use one of these pronouns. They denote the quality or quantity of an object. Moreover, the pronoun some is usually used in affirmative sentences, and the pronoun any in negative or interrogative sentences:
I have some question.- I have a question (some question).
I don "t have any questions.- I don't have any questions.
Do you have any questions?- Do you have any questions?
Some boy calls you.- Some guy is calling you (quality).

Often, when translated into Russian, they are omitted as articles:

Some stranger asked you.- The stranger asked you.

There are a number of features with these pronouns:

In questions of requests, the pronoun is used some:


Will you give us some water?- Will you give us some water?


If the pronoun some stands before a numeral, then it translates around, approximately:


Some twenty time he went past her.“About twenty times he walked past her.


Pronouns some and any before the preposition of is translated as any, any:


Some of them can go away.- Some of them may leave.
Did you see any of us there?- Did you see any of us there?


Pronoun any translated in affirmative sentences - any:


You can arrive there by any car.- You can come there by any car.

The remaining quantitative pronouns have similar qualities, so we summarize them in one table:

Pronoun	Application condition	Examples of
a lot of [ə lɒt ɒv] - a lot	In affirmative sentences before countable and uncountable nouns	She has a lot of problems.- She has a lot of problems. Workers brought a lot of coal.- The workers brought in a lot of coal.
many ["meni] - many	In interrogative and negative sentences before countable nouns	Do you have many pairs of shoes?- Do you have a lot of shoes? There weren "t many trees in the park.- There weren't many trees in the park.
much - a lot	In interrogative and negative sentences before uncountable nouns	Does he have much water?- Does he have a lot of water? They don "t have much time.“They don't have much time.
few - few	In sentences before countable nouns	He gives few coins.- He gives few coins.
little ["litl] - little	In sentences before uncountable nouns	A plane has little fuel.- The aircraft is low on fuel.
a little [ə "litl] - a little	There is a little tea in the cup.- There is some tea in the mug.
a few [ə fju:] - a little	I want a few new t-shirt.- I want some new T-shirts.

Often these pronouns are referred to as adverbs, since they are translated into Russian by adverbs, and it cannot be said that this will be a mistake (see the formation of the degrees of comparison of adverbs).

And there is one more quantitative pronoun-determinant of nouns: several["sevrəl] - several

: Several new students took wrong books.- Several new students took the wrong books.

Indefinite and negative pronouns... This is the largest group of pronouns in the English language.

Look at the negative pronoun first no

Which is involved in the formation of other negative pronouns. It stands before a noun and denotes the absence of something in a categorical form (that is, this issue is not discussed further):

I saw no children.- Have not seen children.
A cat has no toys.- The cat has no toys.

To form indefinite and negative pronouns, use some, any and no... It must be remembered that in English there can be no double negation, that is, if in Russian we can say: No one can help me in English, this sentence will contain only one negation: Nobody can help me or Anybody can "t help me... Also derivatives formed from particles -one and -body, mean the same thing. For clarity, consider these pronouns in one table:



I cooked something for you. -
I have prepared something for you.
Did the professor ask you anything? -
Did the professor ask you anything?
Somebody will come here. -
Someone will come here.
I don "t see anyone. -
I don't see anyone.
He is somewhere over there. -
He's out there somewhere.
Did we meet anywhere else? -
Have we met somewhere else?


Pronouns each- each

AND every["evri] - although each has a similar meaning, they still differ in meaning:

Pronoun each separates an object from a group (therefore only applies with countable nouns):


Each forester could do it differently.- Each forester could do it differently (each of the foresters separately).

Pronoun every in general meaning (all):


Every forester likes a forest.- Every forester loves the forest (all foresters).

Derived from every- (each):

everything["evriθiŋ] - everything

For better memorization, let's break the pronoun into two words: every - each and thing - a thing. And if you add up both parts of the Russian translation: each + thing = everything, for example:

I know everything about him.- I know everything about him. Everything will start here.- It all starts here.

everybody["evribɒdi] - everything

For memorization, we will use the same method: every - each and body - the body. And if you add up both parts of the Russian translation: each + body = everything, for example:

Our teacher said to do this exercise to everybody.- Our teacher told everyone to do this exercise. Everybody likes ice-cream.- Everyone loves ice cream.

everywhere["evriweə (r)] - everywhere

: There were pencils everywhere.“There were pencils everywhere. It was dangerous everywhere.“It was dangerous everywhere.

Please note that all these pronouns correspond to 3p. units h. (from the word each), so the verb after them takes the appropriate form.

Pronoun one applies:

In the form of an indefinite personal pronoun and is usually not translated into Russian:


One must not smoke here.- No smoking here.
One never can go faster this area.- Nobody can go faster in this area.


As a substitute word, to avoid unnecessary repetition of a word in a sentence:


I buy new book. This one more interesting.- I'm buying a new book. This book is more interesting.


Pronouns other["ʌðə (r)] - another, one more

, another[ə "nʌðə (r)] is different.

Other stands in front of a noun and denotes that the noun is definite, but not the one that was mentioned earlier in the sentence:


I took this glass and you take the other glass on the table.- I took this glass, and you take another glass on the table. (There were 2 glasses on the table, I took one, and you take the second glass)


That is, the pronoun other used if selected from a certain number of certain items. If another subject is unknown, then before other the indefinite article an is placed and the pronoun becomes another:


I took this glass and you take another glass.- I took this glass, and you take another glass.


This means any other glass. But if the noun is in the plural, then the pronoun is always used other:


Give me other glasses.- Give me other glasses.


In the case when a pronoun stands without a noun, then it itself is put in the plural:


These are my glasses. You can take others.- These are my glasses. You can take others.

• Pronoun both- both, both

  : I like both colors.- I like both colors.
  They are both twenty years old.- They are both 20 years old.
  

• Reciprocal pronouns... This group includes two pronouns:

  each other	each other, one another
  one another	each other, one another

  These pronouns mean the same thing, and in principle they can be used interchangeably in a sentence:
  

  We love each other.- We love each other. Parents didn "t see one another for a long time.- The parents did not see each other for a long time.

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 serves as an object in the sentence.

In English, the following are distinguished kinds of pronouns:

Personal pronouns - I, you, he, she, him, them, me, it, etc.
Possessive pronouns - my, his, her, mine, its, ours, etc.
Demonstrative pronouns - this, that, these, those.
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 - who, whom, why, when, etc.

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

1. Subject 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 - him, him
her - her, her
it - him / her, him / her (inanimate)
us - us, us
them - them, them

Subject and object personal pronouns in sentences can replace nouns and additions. For example:
She is a high school student. - She's 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, even a deluge.
As you sow, so shall you reap. - What goes around comes around.
Man can do no more than he can. - A man cannot do more than he can. / You cannot 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. / Do not recognize a friend in three days, recognize in three years.
We know not what is good until we have lost it. - We learn that it is good when we lose it. / What we have, we do not store, having lost, we cry.

II. The following pronouns, which are also commonly used in English sentences, are possessive, i.e. indicating belonging, and answering the question "whose?" :

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

A special kind of possessive pronouns is indicated in parentheses. If the words my, your, their are usually used with nouns then mine, yours, theirs are used on their own. For example:
It "s my pillow. (This is my pillow.) It" s mine. (She is mine.)
Is this your car? (This is your car?). -No, it "s his. (-No, it's his.)

Unlike Russians, 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 hides a sting in its tail.
All is fish that comes to his net. - All the fish that come across to him in the net. / He benefits from everything.
Don "t count your chickens before they are hatched. - Don't count your chickens until they hatch. / Count your chickens in the fall.

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

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

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

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

Demonstrative pronouns are also found in some proverbs:

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

IV. Reflexive pronouns , or as they are popularly called "mirror" - another category of English pronouns. They are formed by adding the singular suffix "-self", indicating "myself, myself", to possessive pronouns; or the suffix "selves" for plural pronouns:

myself - myself
yourself - you yourself
himself - he himself
herself - 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 perform the function of complements, and are used after transitive verbs(semantic verbs related 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 on their own.

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

There are some verbs after which do not use reflexive pronouns. It: wash (wash), dress (dress), shave (shave), relax (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 and then shaved.

There is no need to add the pronouns "herself" or "himself" in these sentences, because it is clear that the action is performed independently.

Some reflexive pronouns are found in English folklore:

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

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

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

He is the man who saved me. “He's 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's the woman whose son is a thief.

Now let's see how various 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 - a friend, when giving - an enemy.
He knows much who knows how to hold his tongue. - He knows a lot who knows how to keep his tongue. / Clever words do not throw to the wind.
He who hesitates is lost. - Who hesitates. he dies. Delay is like death.
That "s where the shoe pinches!"
He who would search for pearls must dive below. - Anyone who is looking for pearls should dive deep. / Who wants to eat fish, he should climb 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 mean more persons)

In sentences, these pronouns are placed in the middle or at the end, and, as a rule, serve as an object. 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. - Students spoke to each other (one to another) in a low 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 reads:

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 replacement of adjectives, and substitution of nouns... For example:

They have some problems. - They have some problems. (Change of adjective)
Are there any books there? -There are some on that shelf. - Are there any books in there? -There are a few on that shelf. (noun replacement)

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

1. Indefinite pronouns with the word "some":

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

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

(+) * There is someone in the house. - Someone is 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-proposal)

2. Indefinite pronouns with the word "any":

any - no, a little, a few, any
anyone / anybody - someone / anyone, anyone
anything - something / anything, whatever
anywhere - anywhere / anywhere, anywhere / anywhere
anyhow - somehow / somehow, whatever
any day / any time - anytime

These pronouns are used either in negative and interrogative sentences, or in affirmative with the value "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 - nobody
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 it is the indefinite pronouns that are used:

By doing nothing we learn to do ill. - Doing nothing, 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 is to know nothing.
To put a spoke in somebody "s wheel. / Insert a spoke in somebody's wheel.
Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. - Nothing is impossible for a loving heart.

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

who? - who?
whom? - whom? to whom?
which? - which the?
what? - what?
where? - where?
when? - when?
whose? - whose?
why? - why?

Interrogative pronouns most often appear in a sentence 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 this book about? (addition)

Sometimes interrogative pronouns serve the 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 will tell who you are. (Literal translation) ./ Tell me who your friend is, and I will tell you who you are. ( literary translation).

Thus, in this lesson we got acquainted with pronouns in English, its varieties and functions in sentences. We also learned useful proverbs and sayings. In the following lessons, personal, possessive and demonstrative pronouns will be described in a little more detail.

To make your speech in a foreign language expressive, correct and varied, as well as to learn to understand what other people say (write), you need to know English pronouns. A table (and more than one) will be presented in this article with the necessary explanations to facilitate the assimilation of grammatical material.

What is a pronoun and what is it for

This part of speech is used in any language to avoid tautology, animate dry statements, and also make them more logical. Pronouns in English are called Pronouns, which translates as "instead of nouns."

This service component acts as a placeholder for those parts of speech that have already been mentioned in spoken or written text. Nouns and adjectives can be replaced, a little less often - adverbs and numbers. Pronouns help us to maintain consistency and clarity of presentation of thought, but at the same time not to repeat ourselves, calling again the same people, objects, phenomena, signs, etc.

What are the pronouns in English

English pronouns, like Russian ones, change in face, gender and number. In addition, they necessarily agree with the part of speech that they are replacing. For example, gender matching: girl - she. In the same way, agreement is carried out in the number: boys (boys) - they (they).

Now let's take a closer look at what each type is and how this service part of speech manages to simplify English.

Personal Pronouns

They have their name because they replace nouns - animate and inanimate. There are seven of them.

• I - I;
• you - you (you);
• he - he;
• she - she;
• it - it;
• we - we;
• they are they.

Pay attention to the following features:

1. You is used in both singular and plural. It translates accordingly: "you", "you" (appeal to one person) or "you" (appeal to a group of people).

2. It denotes not only inanimate objects, but also animals.

The above personal pronouns are given in the nominative case. But what if you need to say: "you", "me", "about us", etc.? That which in Russian is transmitted by the rest of the cases (dative, genitive, prepositional, etc.) is called in English in one word - the subjective case. Such pronouns replace words that are not subject in the sentence. The correspondence table is shown below.

Who? What?	Whom? What? To whom? What? By whom? How? About whom? About what?
	me - me, me, me, etc.
	you - you (you), you (you), etc.
	him - him, him, etc.
	her - her, her, etc.
	it - him, him, etc.
	us - us, us, etc.
	them - them, them, etc.

Start practicing the use of the subjective case when you thoroughly understand and learn the forms of the nominative. Otherwise, you just run the risk of confusion. In general, remembering pronouns is quite simple, and the more often you study a foreign language, the more confident you will become in speaking.

Possessive Pronouns

This group is the second most frequently used. But don't be in a hurry to get scared when you see new English pronouns. The table below shows the correspondences between personal and possessive types.

Personal pronoun	Possessive pronoun
you - you (you)	your - your (your)

As you can see, the stem of almost all pronouns is the same, and the differences are most often only in one letter.

It is recommended to learn and work out in the exercises first personal pronouns, then possessive ones, and then practice in mixed tests, where you need to choose a variant that is suitable in meaning and grammar: you or your, etc. So you will firmly grasp everything and you will never confuse these two externally similar groups.

Demonstrative Pronouns

We continue to study pronouns in English and now we turn to the variety that helps to navigate in space, to show a certain object, direction and place. They do not change by person and gender, but they have forms of the only and Further in the table you will see demonstrative English pronouns with translation.

For example, if there is a picture on the wall in the distance, then they say about it: That is a picture. And if there are pencils next to it on the table, it can be denoted as follows: These are pencils.

This group of service parts of speech also has another function. They can replace single words or even whole expressions. This is done to avoid repetitions. For example: Air quality in the village is better than that in the city - Air quality in the village is better than (air quality) in the city.

Relative Pronouns

This variety can often be found in complex sentences for connecting the main and subordinate parts. Such an English pronoun with translation and understanding of foreign speech can create difficulties. Therefore, you need to understand this issue well. The following relative pronouns exist:

• that - what, which (used to refer to both animate and inanimate objects);
• which - which (only to designate objects or phenomena);
• who - who, who (indicates only people);
• whom - to whom, who, whom (it does not occur in the spoken language, it is used only in official speech as a speech cliche).

Interrogative Pronouns

As you might guess, this type is used in interrogative sentences. If you are already familiar with the topic "Special Questions", then you know these English pronouns well. All of them are notable for the fact that they begin with the letter combination wh:

• what? - what? which? which the?
• which? - which? which (of the two)?
• who? - who?
• whom? - to whom? whom?
• whose? - whose?

Sometimes the suffix -ever can be added to them, and then the combinations are whatever (any, whatever), whoever (anyone, anyone), etc.

Pay particular attention to the following features.

Who is used in the singular and assumes the verb form is and the -s ending in the present simple tense.

Who is there? Who likes this film?

The exception is when the personal pronoun is used in the plural (you, we, they), if the answer implies the naming of several people, objects, phenomena, etc.

Who of you live in this house? - We do. (Which one of you lives in this house? - We.)

(Indefinite Pronouns)

Situations often arise when the information is not entirely clear, or the speaker is not sure of its truthfulness. For such cases, there is a special group of service words. Below you can see all indefinite English pronouns with translation.

Animated items	Inanimate objects
anybody, anyone - anyone, anyone	anything - anything, anything
everybody, everyone - everyone, everyone	everything - everything
no one, nobody - nobody	nothing - nothing, nothing
someone - someone	something - something
other - other either - any (if you choose from two) neither - neither (if you choose from two) each - each

Please note that all pronouns listed in the table are singular (even if translated into Russian they mean many objects or people).

The plural of indefinite pronouns is represented by the following words:

• any - any;
• both - both;
• several - several;
• others - others, others;
• many - not enough;
• few - few.

Reflexive Pronouns

Used to indicate actions that are performed with oneself. These English pronouns are associated with the varieties you already know - personal and possessive. Only in this case the particle -self (singular) or -selves (plural) is added.

• (i) I - myself;
• (you) you - yourself;
• (he) he - himself;
• (she) she - herself;
• (it) it - itself (about animals and inanimate objects);
• (we) we - ourselves;
• (you) you - yourselves;
• (they) they are themselves.

How to translate This is the best way to understand the examples.

Sometimes it can be translated as "myself", "myself", etc.

"Why?", She asked herself - "Why?" she asked herself.

We arranged a great holiday for ourselves - We arranged a great holiday for ourselves.

In some cases, you can translate such pronouns with reflexive particles -с and -ся.

A cat washed itself - The cat washed.

Where are you hiding yourself? - Where are you hiding?

In cases where it is emphasized that the action was performed by someone independently, one can translate reflexive pronouns with the words “myself”, “herself”, etc.

He has built this house himself - He built this house himself.

Reciprocal Pronouns

This type includes only two representatives: each other and one another. They are synonymous.

Such pronouns are used in cases where two objects perform the same action directed at each other.

We love each other - We love each other.

They hugged and kissed one another - They hugged and kissed.

On Christmas day the friends gave each other presents - On Christmas, friends gave each other gifts.

In cases where it is necessary to designate a group of people performing the same action in relation to each other, it is necessary to use the form one another. For example:

We are a united family and always help one another. - We are a close-knit family and always help each other.

People of different generations have difficulties in understanding one another - It is difficult for people of different generations to understand each other.

This is what the pronoun system looks like in English. There is nothing complicated in it, since some groups of service words are formed from others: reflexive and possessive - from personal, mutual - from indefinite, etc.

Once you have studied and understood the theory, start practicing different types of exercises. The more often you do this, the sooner you will achieve a noticeable result: you will not hesitate to start using English pronouns in your speech.

Relative pronouns are pronouns that introduce relative clauses (Relative Clauses). Let's look at a few examples:

The man who lives opposite my house is an architect.	Man, which the lives in front of my house, architect.
Have you found the book that you lost?	You found the book , which are you lost?
The girl whom I wanted to see left for London.	Young woman, with which i wanted to meet left for London.
I want to go back to the village where I was brought up.	I want to go back to the village , where I was raised.

Relative pronouns who / that / which

The most common relative pronouns are perhaps who/ that / which... And they also cause the greatest difficulties in use. But the rule here is quite logical and simple:

• who used in the meaning " who / who " if the subordinate clause refers to an animated character, for example:

The man who lives next door is an engineer.	Man, which the lives next door, engineer.
A pensioner is someone who doesn’Twork any more and gets pension from the state.	A pensioner is one who no longer works and receives money from the state.
The girl who was injured in the accident is now in hospital.	Girl, which suffered in an accident, now in the hospital.

• which applies in the meaning "Which / what", if the subordinate clause characterizes an inanimate object or phenomenon, for example:

• that is used in the same sense as the two previous relative pronouns, but it can introduce a subordinate clause characterizing both an animate character and an inanimate object.

This book is about a girl that runs away from home.	This book is about a girl which runs away from home.
Sarah works at a factory that makes car details.	Sarah works in a factory which manufactures car parts.
Where is the cake that was on the table?	Where is the cake which the was on the table?

In cases with an inanimate head word that even more common than which... However, there are cases when the use that impossible, which will be discussed below.

Situations where the relative pronoun can be omitted

Surely many have come across such sentences where the relative pronoun was absent, and the fact that in most cases the relative clauses are not highlighted with commas, further exacerbated the situation with the understanding of such sentences.

Indeed, relative pronouns who/ that / which may be omitted in a sentence without losing their meaning, if relative pronoun does not fulfill in the subordinate clause functions of the subject, for example:

As you can see from the above examples, in the subordinate clause, in this case, the subject must be present, which is not a relative pronoun. If the union word performs the function of the subject, then you can't omit it as in the following examples:

The waiters who work at this restaurant were very polite.	Waiters, which work in this restaurant were very polite.
What happened with the flowers that were in the vase?	What happened to the flowers which were in a vase?
It was the worst thing that has ever happened to me.	It was the worst what ever happened to me.

Relative pronouns whose / whom / where

Pronoun whose used in the relative clause in the meaning "whose" and denotes belonging to the main word of that object, character or phenomenon that appears in the subordinate clause immediately after whose:

Relative pronoun whom can be used instead of who, when it performs the function of a complement and is translated as "Which, to whom" etc.

In all sentences of this kind, it is possible to replace whom with who / that, as well as the complete absence of a union word. Therefore, whom is used quite rarely, more often in written speech, and in colloquial English, preference is given to pronouns who / that or the use of a non-union relative clause.

Relative pronoun where corresponds to the Russian union word "Where, where" and is used to introduce subordinate clauses characterizing a place, for example:

The hotel room where we stayed last night wasn’t very clean.	Hotel room, where we stopped last night was not very clean.
I would like to live in a country where I could find good medicine and good education for my children.	I would like to live in a country where i could find good medicine and good education for my children.
Tom went back to the town where he had grown up.	Tom drove back to town where he grew up.

Other interrogative words, in particular when (when) and why (why), can be used as relative pronouns introducing relative clauses, but such sentences are much less common:

Using relative pronouns with prepositions

Prepositions with relative pronouns in Russian and English are used differently. In Russian, it is customary to use a preposition before a relative pronoun, while in English the preposition has a stronger connection with the verb and is most often placed at the end of a subordinate clause or immediately after the predicate, for example:

Is this the remote control (that) you were looking for ?	This is the remote control which the you were looking?
Unfortunately we couldn’t go to the wedding (that) we were invited to .	Unfortunately we couldn't go to the wedding to which we were invited.
Jack doesn’t like the people (who) he has to work with.	Jack doesn't like people With which he has to work.

However, if the union word is applied whom, then the preposition is put directly before it, and not at the end of the subordinate clause, for example:

Highlighting relative clauses with a comma

Among the relative clauses in the English language, there are very few of those that should be separated by commas, but they do exist. These are subordinate clauses that carry the so-called "additional information", that is, information that is not required to understand who or what the speaker is talking about, it is redundant, since it is clear from the context who or what the speaker means. Examples of similar sentences:

His sister liz , who lives in New York, is a bank attendant.	His sister Lisa, which lives in new york, is a bank employee.
Harry told me about his new project , which he was very proud of.	Harry told me about his new project, which he was very proud.
Sheila , whose job involves meeting new people, has rich experience in communicating.	Sheila, whose work includes meeting new people, has a wealth of experience in communication.

It is not always easy to understand what information the subordinate clause contains - basic or additional, and, accordingly, whether a comma is needed in this case or not. Here's a simple solution: Try mentally taking the subordinate clause out of context and taking a closer look at the rest. If the sentence remains complete, and you still understand who or what it is talking about, then the information in the subordinate clause was additional, and, accordingly, you need to separate such a subordinate clause with commas. The main (important) semantic component of the sentence “to be thrown out” will not work, since the sentence will cease to be full, and, accordingly, it will not be clear to us who or what it is talking about. Let's compare the sentence with basic and additional information:

The hotel name in the example on the right specifies it, and further information becomes redundant, so a comma is required to separate the subordinate clause.

An important feature of subordinate clauses with additional information is that they do not use pronounsthat, and allied words which orwho cannot be released... That is, subordinate clauses with additional information are not non-union.

We hope that this article will be a good help for you in mastering the relative pronouns of the English language!