Understanding Pronouns: Types, Uses, and Functions
Pronouns
Pronouns are words that replace noun phrases and can fulfill the same functions as nouns. Neutral pronouns may be substituted for a sentence, a paragraph, or even a whole text. They can replace words that are not nouns. Pronouns are distinguished because they have a meaning that is context-dependent, occasional, linguistic, and communicative. They can be deictic or perform a function referring to an element of linguistic context. When referring to a previous item, it is called anaphora, and when referring to a later item, it is called cataphora.
Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns indicate the three grammatical persons (first, second, and third) and have various forms according to their role in the sentence.
Features
- Verbal inflections indicate the grammatical person, so the presence of personal pronouns in the subject function is only needed when you want to emphasize or remove ambiguity.
- Unstressed personal pronouns can appear before or after the verb. Third-person unstressed pronouns differ depending on whether they are the direct object (DO) or indirect object (IO).
- The personal pronouns me, you, us, and you are reflexive when replacing a noun phrase that matches the subject noun phrase. They function as DO or IO and welcome reinforcements like mutually or to each other.
Uses of the Pronoun ‘Se’ (‘It’ in English, but not always)
The form se may be a pronoun with a syntactic function or a marker indicating the absence of an agent. It can be pronominal or non-pronominal.
Pronominal ‘Se’
Pronominal se is based on DO or IO.
- Personal pronoun: It is a variant of it/them, depending on the IO. For example, I (IO) is replaced by se when it coincides with third-person pronouns, singular or plural.
- Reflexive: Se functions as DO or IO and is replaced with a subject noun phrase. The pronoun is allowed to strengthen itself, as in to itself.
- Reciprocal: Se functions as DO or IO in reciprocal sentences in which two or more subjects perform the same action on each other. It accepts mutual reinforcement, such as each other.
- Dative of interest or ethical: Se functions as IO and reinforces the subject’s participation in the action (emphatic).
Pronominal Function ‘Se’ with no DO or IO
Se as a morpheme is attached compulsorily to pronominal verbs or other verbs that may or may not be used as pronouns. In these cases, it does not function as DO or IO.
Non-Pronominal ‘Se’
- Impersonal marker: Se appears in sentences without a subject in the third person singular.
- Passive marker: Se is used in passive constructions, which are formed with se + an active verb in the third person and a patient subject.
Pronouns Whose Forms Match Adjective Determiners
Determinative adjectives modify nouns and limit the extent of their meaning, while pronouns that match them are equivalent to a noun phrase.
Forms that can only function as pronouns:
- Neutral demonstrative pronouns: this, that, that over there.
- Possessive pronouns: mine, yours, etc.
- Indefinite pronouns: anyone, someone, something, anything, one. Nobody and someone allude to the notion of a person, while something and nothing do not.
- Ordinal numeral pronouns: first, second, etc.
- Interrogative pronouns: who, what, how.
Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns refer to an element named above (antecedent) and replace it while introducing a subordinate adjective clause.
- Que (that, which) replaces a person, animal, or thing.
- Quien (who) replaces a person.
- Cuanto (how much) is used when the antecedent implies an amount, equivalent to all that.
- Cuyo (whose) is a relative pronoun that always functions as a possessive adjective.