Definition · Plain-language
Pronoun
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun or noun phrase, so we can refer to something without repeating its name — words such as she, it, they and this.
The step most authors miss
Doing CRediT right? Don’t stop at the statement.
A CRediT statement credits you inside one paper. The recognition CRediT was built for happens when those roles are tied to you, persistently. Sign in with your ORCID — free — and claim your CRediT contributions on casrai.org, the home of the standard. They become a verified, portable part of your identity, not a line that disappears into one PDF.
Free: claim your contributions, then export a journal-ready CRediT statement, schema.org structured data, JATS XML, CSV or BibTeX — and preview your public profile. A membership publishes that profile publicly and verifies the journals you serve.
How pronouns work
A pronoun is a substitute for a noun, used so writers and speakers need not repeat the same name again and again. The word or phrase it replaces is its antecedent: in "the report was long, but it was clear", the pronoun it stands for the antecedent "the report". For communication to stay clear, the link between a pronoun and its antecedent must be obvious; a pronoun with an unclear or missing antecedent is a common source of confusion ("they say it will rain" — who are "they"?). Pronouns therefore carry a lot of grammatical weight despite being short, and they change form depending on the job they do in a sentence.
Types of pronoun
There are several classes of pronoun. Personal pronouns refer to people or things (I, you, she, it, they) and have subject and object forms (I/me, she/her, they/them). Possessive pronouns show ownership (mine, yours, theirs). Reflexive pronouns end in -self or -selves and point back to the subject (myself, themselves). Demonstrative pronouns point to specific things (this, that, these, those). Relative pronouns introduce clauses (who, which, that). Interrogative pronouns ask questions (who, what, which). Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific people or things (someone, anything, everybody). Each class follows its own rules of form and agreement.
Agreement and case
Two rules govern correct pronoun use. First, agreement: a pronoun must match its antecedent in number, person and gender — a singular antecedent takes a singular pronoun. The singular "they" is now widely accepted for a person of unspecified or non-binary gender ("each student brought their book"). Second, case: personal pronouns change between subject and object forms. Use the subject form when the pronoun does the action ("she and I left") and the object form when it receives the action or follows a preposition ("between you and me"). The frequent error "between you and I" comes from misapplying the subject form where the object form is required.
Key facts
At a glance
- Definition: a word that replaces a noun or noun phrase
- Antecedent: the noun a pronoun stands for
- Personal pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
- Other types: possessive, reflexive, demonstrative, relative, interrogative, indefinite
- Agreement: must match the antecedent in number, person and gender
- Case: subject (she, I) vs object (her, me) forms
Common misconceptions
What people often get wrong
Often heard: A pronoun can be used even if it is not clear what it refers to.
Actually: Every pronoun needs a clear antecedent — the noun it stands for. A pronoun with a vague or missing antecedent, such as "they say", leaves readers guessing and should be rewritten.
Often heard: You should always say "between you and I" to sound correct.
Actually: After a preposition, use the object form: "between you and me". The subject form (I) is for the doer of the action; "you and I left" is correct, but "between you and me" is too.
Often heard: The singular "they" is always grammatically wrong.
Actually: Singular they is well established and widely accepted for a person of unknown or non-binary gender, as in "someone left their bag". Major dictionaries and style guides now recognise it.
Going deeper
