How to Use Pronouns in IELTS

A pronoun is a word that succeeds nouns in the next mentions of the same subject/object. It basically replaces the noun for other parts of a content (essay, article, blog, etc.). The important possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs. Pronouns allow us to shorten a sentence and make them sound less repetitive. Pronouns upgrade your grammar skills which helps to ace IELTS scores.

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Example:

1) Without pronouns:

The wage workers are building the office. The wage workers are making good progress. The wage workers should finish the project in no time.

2) WIth pronouns

The wage workers are building the office. They are making good progress. They should finish the project in no time.

Examples of ‘Pronouns’ used in a sentence

• We looked for Britney at her house, but she wasn’t there.
• I took my car to the mechanic to get it fixed.
• This is the best birthday ever!
• Someone donated $1000 to our charity.
• Andy thinks that mayonnaise goes well with anything.

The common types of ‘Pronouns’ used are-

1. Possessive pronouns - Mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
2. Personal pronouns - I, you, she, he, it, we, they, me, us, them
3. Relative pronouns - Who, whom, which, what, that
4. Reflexive pronouns - Myself, yourself, itself, herself, himself, ourselves, themselves
5. Intensive pronouns - Myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves, themselves
6. Indefinite pronouns - Some, somebody, anyone, anywhere, nothing, everybody
7. Demonstrative pronouns - This, that, these, those
8. Interrogative pronouns - Who, whom, what, which, whose
9. Reciprocal pronouns - each other, one another

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Steps to Establish Pronoun Reference

With the usage of pronouns, it should be indicative as to who or what the pronoun is referring to. A pronoun’s antecedent should be easily identifiable when reading or listening to a sentence.

Step 1. Use a noun first before replacing it with a pronoun:

Incorrect: After an exciting race, she narrowly won. She celebrated her victory.

Correct: After an exciting race, Anna narrowly won. She celebrated her victory.

Step 2. Use an appropriate pronoun to refer to a person or a thing.

Incorrect: The trophy looked like he was brand new.

Correct: The trophy looked like it was brand new.

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Example: Mistakes undertaken by students while writing in the use of ‘Pronouns’.

The government should spend more money on public services because public services are a huge part of people’s everyday lives. People pay their taxes so they can be provided with public services, either for free or at an affordable cost. In recent years there have been huge cuts to public services, and the government says that more money is needed. The government is in the process of raising tax rates so they can fund increased public services, and the government knows people will support raising tax rates.

The above-mentioned paragraph reveals that the writer does not either have a good command of using pronouns or does not know how to use them at all.

After the noun has been introduced, it is invariably not used again unless in a different paragraph, or it needs to be indicated to avoid confusion for the reader or listener.

The government should spend more on public services because they are a huge part of people’s lives and many individuals depend on them. People pay their taxes so they can be provided with these either for free or at an affordable cost. In recent years there have been huge cuts, and more money is needed to fund the restoration of those things, such as hospitals, schools and public transport. Raising tax rates might be required to restore most services, and it is believed that it/this will be supported across the country.

Can Pronouns be used in IELTS Essays?

This is a question striking the minds of students sitting for IELTS. Since there is no clear mention regarding the limitations on usage of pronouns, it becomes difficult to find the answer risking low scores. But pronouns can definitely be used in IELTS essays if one has a good command over their use. Also, as the use of pronouns after a certain limit makes the content appear informal which is not as per the demands of IELTS essays, it is very crucial to wisely use such pronouns.