English grammar is vast and to develop perfection in each aspect, it requires a lot of practice. Every day we strive to cover a new topic and ensure you understand the rules of using it in the practical world. If you read a sentence like, Jack was walking and suddenly it started to rain. Jack didn’t carry an umbrella. Because of it Jack fell ill. In the above example, Jack is repeated in every sentence so it makes the reading very repetitive. Instead, if we write, Jack was walking and suddenly it started to rain. He didn’t carry an umbrella so he fell ill.

Here in the above example, 'Jack' has been replaced by 'he'. 'He' is a pronoun and  it takes the place of a noun. Instead of using the noun that is the name of a person repeatedly, we replace it with a pronoun. A pronoun can be classified into two forms:

Definite pronoun
Indefinite pronoun

1) Definite pronoun

A definite pronoun is used to replace a noun that is already mentioned. Definite pronoun refers to a specific person or thing. For instance: I, me, mine, myself, she, her, hers, herself, we, us, etc.

Examples:

a. I will go out today.
b. Sarah took my pen yesterday.
c. We are learning English.
d. She is going out for a dinner date today.
e. That red shirt, which my brother wore yesterday, is mine.

2) Indefinite pronoun

An indefinite pronoun also replaces a noun in a sentence but does not refer to a specific person or a thing. For instance: all, anybody, anyone, anything, each, everybody, everyone, everything, few, many, nobody, somebody, someone, etc.



Examples:

a. Aren’t you all coming for the party?
b. Nobody is interested in the lectures.
c. Everyone is excited for Shimla trip.
d. Only few know the history of this place.
e. Each one of you will get a chance to play.

Let’s take a test and find out how well you have understood the concept:

1. This is a matter for you and _______ to decide. (a.me  b.I)
2. Everybody has completed _______ test. (a.her/his b.their)
3. ___ of the players have a substitute. (a.Every b.Each)
4. _____ have expressed their views. (a.His/her b.Many)
5. The earthquake destroyed _______. (a.Something b.Everything)

Answers:

1.a 2.a 3.b 4.b 5.b

With the above examples and explanations, you can differentiate a definite and an indefinite pronoun and improve your English. Learning grammar will automatically improve your spoken English skills with confidence. Join an online English class today to better your grammar understanding.

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