pronoun

For example:

Stand/Alone/Bitch is a prolific noder here on Everything2. Stand/Alone/Bitch has written some of the most interesting nodes I've encountered. If you are looking for something to read, I highly recommend you read anything by Stand/Alone/Bitch.

Stand/Alone/Bitch is a prolific noder here on Everything2. She has written some of the most interesting nodes I've encountered. If you're looking for something to read, I highly recommend her writeups.

One of the most common problems newer writers have concern vague pronoun references.

For example:

Sending digital data from your computer through your modem presents security issues that can compromise its integrity.
What can be compromised, the data, the computer or the modem?

When Wharfinger /msg'd FelonyMPulse, he was curious.
Who was curious... Wharfinger or FelonyMPulse?

For example:

Mat Catastrophe nuked all of the Nodeshell Rescue Team's writeups in retaliation for their posting his credit card number. This started the Great E2 Feud.
What started the feud, Mat's nuke or the credit card post?

Nate's policy prohibited trolls, which most noders resented.
What did the noders resent, trolls or Nate's policy?

In English, these bear the inflectional categories of number, case, gender, and person. There are several subclasses of pronouns and they all behave and look quite differently:

Personal Pronouns

They distinguish participants in the speech event (e.g., speaker vs. addressee). They are what usually comes to mind first when we talk about pronouns.

e.g. I, we, you, y'all, he, she, it, they

Reflexive Pronouns

These are closely related to personal pronouns. They are easily identified because they end in self or selves. They commonly mark an object that refers to the same person as the subject.

e.g. Timmy hurt himself. We gave ourselves a present.

Demonstrative Pronouns

These typically "point out" the things they modify. They can be used to distinguish things on the basis of closeness to the speaker. Sometimes they stand by themselves.

e.g. That is a lie. I like those.

Interrogative Pronouns

These are question words, including who, which and what.

Indefinite Pronouns

These are pronouns that refer to non-specific entities. They may appear in combination with a noun, but more commonly appear alone.

e.g. some, somebody, every, everyone, each, anybody, nobody, none

Relative Pronouns

These introduce relative clauses. They look like other pronouns but they function differently.

e.g. I found a friend who likes cheese. The book that I read is on the table.

Pro"noun (?), n. [Pref. pro- + noun: cf. F. pronom, L. pronomen. See Noun.] Gram.

A word used instead of a noun or name, to avoid the repetition of it. The personal pronouns in English are I, thou or you, he, she, it, we, ye, and they.

© Webster 1913.