Master personal, possessive, reflexive, relative, and demonstrative pronouns with free interactive exercises, clear rules, and real-context examples.
Pronouns are words that stand in for nouns -- they let us refer to people, things, and ideas without repeating the same noun over and over. English has a rich pronoun system with several distinct types, each with its own form and function. For learners at A1–B1 level, pronouns are one of the first grammar areas to study, yet they continue to cause errors even at advanced levels -- particularly object pronouns, reflexive forms, and the choice between relative pronouns.
The exercises on this page target all major pronoun categories through gap-fill, multiple-choice, error correction, and matching activities. Regular interactive practice is the fastest way to make correct pronoun use automatic.
Subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) perform the action of the verb. They are used as the subject of a clause: She speaks Spanish fluently. They arrived late. I don't understand.
Object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) receive the action of the verb or follow a preposition. They function as direct object, indirect object, or prepositional object: Can you help me? I gave him the book. She came with us. This is between you and me.
Common mistakes with personal pronouns:
English makes a clear distinction between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns. Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) always come before a noun: This is my car. Where is your bag? I forgot her name.
Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs) replace a noun phrase completely -- they stand alone without a following noun: This car is mine. Where is yours? The decision was hers. Note that "its" rarely appears as a standalone possessive pronoun in standard use.
Key patterns to practise:
Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) are used when the subject and object of a verb refer to the same person or thing: She hurt herself. They introduced themselves. I can see myself in the mirror. They are also used after certain verbs that conventionally take reflexive objects: enjoy yourself, help yourself, behave yourself, make yourself comfortable.
Emphatic pronouns use the same forms but add emphasis to a noun or pronoun, answering "who exactly?": I made this myself (nobody helped me). The president himself signed the letter. We painted the house ourselves. Unlike reflexive use, emphatic pronouns can be removed without making the sentence grammatically wrong -- they add stress, not grammatical structure.
Common mistakes:
Relative pronouns (who, whom, which, that, whose) introduce relative clauses that modify a noun. The choice depends on the antecedent and the clause's grammatical function:
Demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) point to specific people or things. This and these indicate proximity (near); that and those indicate distance (far). Used as pronouns (without a noun following): This is my favourite song. Are those your keys? That was a great idea. These are the best results we've ever seen. As adjectives (with a noun): this book, that house, these days, those people.
Fill in the correct pronoun (subject, object, reflexive, or possessive) in context.
Choose the correct pronoun form from a dropdown in authentic sentences.
Multiple-choice questions covering all pronoun types and common error patterns.
Identify whether pronouns are used correctly or incorrectly in sentences.
Reorder words to build correct sentences using pronoun forms.
Drag the correct pronoun into its position in context sentences.
Pronoun paradigms -- practise subject/object/possessive/reflexive sets as memory cards.
Match pronouns to the noun phrases they replace in paired sentences.
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Browse All ExercisesSubject pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) perform the action of the verb and occupy the subject position in a sentence: She called me. They arrived early. I don't know. Object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) receive the action or follow a preposition: Can you help me? I told him the truth. She came with us. The most common error is mixing them: "Me and John went" should be "John and I went" (subject position); "between you and I" should be "between you and me" (after a preposition). A simple test: remove the other person from the sentence -- you would never say "Me went" or "between I," which reveals the error.
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) always come directly before a noun: This is my laptop. I forgot her address. They cannot stand alone. Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs) replace an entire noun phrase and stand alone without a following noun: This laptop is mine. The decision is hers. The key test: if a noun follows, use the adjective form; if the noun is replaced entirely, use the pronoun form. Note that "his" serves both functions without changing form: his book (adjective) and the book is his (pronoun). Never use apostrophes with possessive pronouns: "your's" and "her's" do not exist in standard English.
Reflexive pronouns are used in two main situations. First, when the subject and object of a verb refer to the same person: She cut herself. They enjoyed themselves. I can see myself in the photo. Certain verbs commonly take reflexive objects: enjoy yourself, help yourself, introduce yourself, behave yourself, make yourself at home, express yourself. Second, as emphatic pronouns to add stress (the same forms, but removable without changing the grammar): I made this cake myself. The CEO himself answered the call. The most common misuse is using reflexive pronouns as substitutes for simple object pronouns: "Please send it to myself" is incorrect -- the correct form is "Please send it to me," because the subject (you) and the object (me) are different people.
The choice depends on the antecedent (what the pronoun refers to) and the type of clause. Use who (or whom in formal/written English) for people: The teacher who helped me retired. The person whom you met is my colleague. Use which for things and animals: The report which I submitted was approved. The park, which was built in 1920, is beautiful. Use that for people or things, but only in defining (restrictive) clauses -- clauses that identify which specific person or thing is meant: The book that I borrowed is overdue. Never use "that" in non-defining clauses (those with commas): My sister, who lives in Paris, is visiting next week -- not "My sister, that lives in Paris." The comma test is useful: if you can remove the clause with commas, use "who" or "which," never "that."
Demonstrative pronouns (and adjectives) indicate proximity. This (singular) and these (plural) refer to things that are near in space or time: This is my favourite restaurant. These are the documents you need. In time, "this" often refers to the present or near future: this week, this year, this morning. That (singular) and those (plural) refer to things that are further away in space or time: That building over there is the town hall. Those were difficult years. They can also be used on the phone to ask who is speaking: "Hello, is that Maria?" In contrast to this/these, "that" can also replace a previous idea: She said she was tired. That surprised me.
The grammatically correct form is "between you and me". Prepositions (between, for, with, from, to, about, etc.) always take object pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, them. "Between you and I" is a hypercorrection -- speakers have heard "my friend and I" corrected (rightly, in subject position) and then over-apply "I" even after prepositions. Further examples: She gave the task to him and me (not "he and I"). This is a secret between us. A quick test: remove the second person. You would never say "between I" -- so the compound form should be "between me." This applies to all prepositions: "for you and me," "with her and us," "from them to us."
Whose is the possessive relative pronoun (and possessive question word). As a relative pronoun, it introduces a clause showing belonging: The student whose essay won the prize is in my class. A company whose profits fell last year is restructuring. Note that "whose" can refer to people and things. As a question word: Whose bag is this? Whose idea was it? Who's is a contraction of "who is" or "who has": Who's coming to the party? (= Who is coming?) Who's already eaten? (= Who has already eaten?) The test: expand the contraction. If the sentence still makes sense with "who is" or "who has," use "who's." If you need the possessive, use "whose" (no apostrophe).
Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific people or things. They are formed from: someone/somebody/something/somewhere, anyone/anybody/anything/anywhere, no one/nobody/nothing/nowhere, everyone/everybody/everything/everywhere. Grammar rules: (1) They are grammatically singular and take a singular verb: Everyone is ready. Nobody knows. Something is wrong. (2) In modern English, they are often referred back to with "they/their/them" to avoid "he or she": Everyone should bring their own lunch. (3) Negative meaning: words with "no-" (nobody, nothing, nowhere) are already negative -- do not add another negative: Nobody said anything (not "Nobody didn't say nothing"). (4) "Any-" forms are used in questions and negative sentences; "some-" forms in affirmative statements and offers.
Yes, pronoun errors are penalised across all major English proficiency exams. In IELTS Writing, pronoun reference errors (unclear antecedents, wrong forms) reduce the Coherence and Cohesion score, which is worth 25% of the Writing band. In Cambridge exams (FCE/B2, CAE/C1, CPE/C2), the Use of English paper tests pronouns in open cloze tasks, and pronoun errors in Writing reduce the Language mark. In TOEFL, pronoun errors in the Integrated and Independent Writing tasks lower the Language Use score. Common exam errors: reflexive pronoun misuse (myself instead of me), wrong relative pronoun (which for people, that in non-defining clauses), and possessive adjective/pronoun confusion (its/it's). Practising with targeted exercises is the most efficient way to eliminate these errors before an exam.
The most effective pronoun practice methods: (1) Gap-fill production -- read sentences with pronouns removed and write the correct form; production is more effective than recognition for grammatical acquisition. (2) Substitution drills -- take a sentence with a full noun phrase and rewrite it using the correct pronoun: "Maria called Maria's boss" → "She called her boss." (3) Error correction -- read sentences with deliberate pronoun errors and identify and fix each one; this builds awareness of the most common mistake patterns. (4) Reading aloud -- notice pronoun choices in authentic texts; ask yourself why each pronoun was chosen. (5) Interactive exercises -- LexFizz Complete the Sentence and Cloze Dropdown are particularly effective because they present pronouns in context, not in isolation. Consistent short practice sessions (10–15 minutes daily) outperform occasional long sessions for grammar acquisition.