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Free SSC English lesson

SSC English Pronouns

Choose the form. Keep the reference clear.

Pronouns refer to people, things or other understood information. Their forms depend on their role: subject, object, possession or reference back to the subject. A grammatically possible pronoun can still be the wrong answer if it changes who the sentence means.

Foundation to intermediate12 original questions20–25 minutes suggested study time

Learn the methodGo to practice

Build the skill

What you will learn

  • Choose appropriate subject, object and possessive forms.
  • Use reflexive forms when the reference or emphasis requires them.
  • Distinguish relative-pronoun roles and recognise clear gender-neutral reference.

Identify the person or thing

Work out exactly whom or what the pronoun must refer to.

Find the grammatical role

Is it a subject, an object, a possessive expression or another role?

Check the surrounding structure

Notice prepositions, following nouns and the role inside a relative clause.

Reread for clarity

Make sure the sentence still identifies the intended person or group.

Understand before you answer

The rules and clues to remember

Subject and object forms have different roles

I, we, he, she and they are subject forms. Me, us, him, her and them are object forms used after verbs and prepositions in the patterns taught here.

SubjectWe checked the register.
ObjectThe supervisor thanked us.
After a prepositionThe parcel is for us.

Remember: Adding another name does not turn an object role into a subject role.

Possessive determiners differ from possessive pronouns

My, your and our come before nouns. Mine, yours and ours can stand without a following noun. The distinction is about how the form works in the sentence.

Before a nounThat is our folder.
Without the nounThat folder is ours.

Remember: Do not place mine or ours directly before a noun in these ordinary possessive phrases.

Reflexive forms can mark same-person reference or emphasis

Myself, herself and themselves can refer back to a subject in the same clause. They can also emphasise who performed an action. They are not automatic formal replacements for me, her or them.

Same personNora accidentally hurt herself.
EmphasisI painted the sign myself.

Remember: Ask whether the subject and object are the same person, or whether the form adds emphasis.

Relative pronouns must fit the role inside the clause

Who can be the subject of a relative clause about a person. Whose expresses possession. Whom is an object form used especially in formal constructions with a preceding preposition.

SubjectThe visitor who called left a message.
PossessiveThe visitor whose coat was missing waited.
Formal objectThe visitor to whom I spoke left a message.

Remember: That can also refer to people in many defining relative clauses; who is not the only possible form in every construction.

Reference and inclusive language need attention

Singular they can refer to a person whose gender is not specified. Their can determine a following noun in that reference. If two people could be meant by a pronoun, repeating a name can make the message clearer.

Gender-neutralSomeone left their notebook here.
Clear namesNita waved at Sarita when they met.

Remember: Do not infer a person’s gender from an occupation or from the word someone.

See the reasoning

Two worked examples

Example 1

Choose the object form: The officer thanked Mira and ___. Options: me / I / my / mine.

Answerme

The pronoun is part of the object of thanked, so me fits. I is a subject form; my needs a following noun as a possessive determiner; mine would refer to something belonging to the speaker rather than the speaker intended here.

Example 2

“When Nita met Sarita, she waved.” Rewrite it to make clear that Nita did the waving.

AnswerNita waved at Sarita when they met.

Repeating Nita as the subject of waved removes the uncertainty about who performed that action. The original she could be read as referring to either person; pronoun form alone does not settle the reference.

Try it yourself

12 questions, with every choice explained

Use the person and role specified in the question. Do not invent a different referent to make an option work. Singular they is accepted in the gender-neutral item; the practice does not treat it as an error.

Write down A, B, C or D before opening each answer. Work at your own pace. These exercises use no exam timer or negative marking.

Question 1 · Subject form

Use the first-person singular subject form: Ravi will speak, and ___ will take notes.

  1. A.my
  2. B.me
  3. C.I
  4. D.mine
Show answer and explanations for question 1

Answer C: I

Completed textRavi will speak, and I will take notes.
  1. Not correct. My is a possessive determiner and cannot serve as the subject alone here.
  2. Not correct. Me is an object form rather than the requested subject form.
  3. Correct. I is the requested first-person singular subject form.
  4. Not correct. Mine is a possessive pronoun and would refer to something belonging to the speaker, not the speaker.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 2 · Object form

Refer to the speaker personally using an object pronoun: The organiser thanked ___ after my talk.

  1. A.mine
  2. B.I
  3. C.my
  4. D.me
Show answer and explanations for question 2

Answer D: me

Completed textThe organiser thanked me after my talk.
  1. Not correct. Mine would refer to something belonging to the speaker, not to the speaker personally.
  2. Not correct. I is a subject form and does not fit this object role in standard written English.
  3. Not correct. My requires a following noun as a possessive determiner.
  4. Correct. Me is the first-person singular object form after thanked.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 3 · After a preposition

Use the first-person plural object pronoun for our group: The parcel is for ___.

  1. A.we
  2. B.us
  3. C.our
  4. D.ours
Show answer and explanations for question 3

Answer B: us

Completed textThe parcel is for us.
  1. Not correct. We is a subject form, not the object form required after for.
  2. Correct. Us is the first-person plural object form used after for.
  3. Not correct. Our is a possessive determiner and needs a following noun.
  4. Not correct. Ours is a possessive pronoun and does not directly refer to the group of people requested here.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 4 · Possessive pronoun

That umbrella belongs to me. It is ___.

  1. A.mine
  2. B.my
  3. C.me
  4. D.I
Show answer and explanations for question 4

Answer A: mine

Completed textThat umbrella belongs to me. It is mine.
  1. Correct. Mine expresses possession without a following noun.
  2. Not correct. My is a determiner and needs a noun in this construction.
  3. Not correct. Me would identify the umbrella as the speaker rather than express ownership.
  4. Not correct. I does not express the required possession.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 5 · Possessive form before a noun

We packed ___ lunches before the trip.

  1. A.we
  2. B.ours
  3. C.us
  4. D.our
Show answer and explanations for question 5

Answer D: our

Completed textWe packed our lunches before the trip.
  1. Not correct. We is a subject form, not the form needed before lunches.
  2. Not correct. Ours is a possessive pronoun and cannot directly determine lunches here.
  3. Not correct. Us is an object form, not a possessive determiner.
  4. Correct. Our is the possessive determiner needed before lunches.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 6 · Emphatic reflexive form

I repaired the lamp ___, without anyone’s help.

  1. A.me
  2. B.myself
  3. C.mine
  4. D.my
Show answer and explanations for question 6

Answer B: myself

Completed textI repaired the lamp myself, without anyone’s help.
  1. Not correct. Me cannot add the required same-person emphasis in this position.
  2. Correct. Myself emphasises that I personally did the repair, fitting the stated lack of help.
  3. Not correct. Mine expresses possession and does not mark who did the repair.
  4. Not correct. My requires a following noun and does not supply this emphasis.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 7 · Subject and object are the same person

Asha injured her own hand. Refer back to Asha: During practice, Asha accidentally cut ___ on a sharp edge.

  1. A.she
  2. B.her
  3. C.herself
  4. D.hers
Show answer and explanations for question 7

Answer C: herself

Completed textDuring practice, Asha accidentally cut herself on a sharp edge.
  1. Not correct. She is a subject form and cannot be the object of cut here.
  2. Not correct. Her would ordinarily refer to another female person here rather than give the required same-person reflexive reference.
  3. Correct. Herself refers back to Asha as both the person cutting and the person injured in this clause.
  4. Not correct. Hers expresses possession, not the person injured.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 8 · Plural reflexive form

The pronoun must refer back to the hikers themselves: The hikers prepared ___ for the steep climb.

  1. A.themselves
  2. B.them
  3. C.their
  4. D.they
Show answer and explanations for question 8

Answer A: themselves

Completed textThe hikers prepared themselves for the steep climb.
  1. Correct. Themselves gives the required same-group reference back to the subject hikers.
  2. Not correct. Them would ordinarily identify a different group as the object rather than the hikers themselves.
  3. Not correct. Their is a possessive determiner and needs a following noun.
  4. Not correct. They is a subject form and cannot fill this object role.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 9 · Relative-clause subject

The volunteer ___ helped us carried a yellow bag.

  1. A.whom
  2. B.who
  3. C.whose
  4. D.which
Show answer and explanations for question 9

Answer B: who

Completed textThe volunteer who helped us carried a yellow bag.
  1. Not correct. Whom is an object form, but this gap is the subject of helped.
  2. Correct. Who is the subject of helped and refers to the human volunteer.
  3. Not correct. Whose marks possession and does not supply the subject needed before helped here.
  4. Not correct. Which does not give the ordinary relative reference to this human volunteer.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 10 · Possessive relative

The artist ___ work won the prize thanked the judges.

  1. A.whom
  2. B.who
  3. C.whose
  4. D.which
Show answer and explanations for question 10

Answer C: whose

Completed textThe artist whose work won the prize thanked the judges.
  1. Not correct. Whom is an object form, not a possessive form before work.
  2. Not correct. Who does not mark possession before work.
  3. Correct. Whose expresses the possessive relationship between the artist and the work.
  4. Not correct. Which does not express the artist’s possessive relationship to work in this construction.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 11 · Object of a preposition

Use the formal relative object form: The officer to ___ I spoke checked the register.

  1. A.whom
  2. B.whose
  3. C.which
  4. D.what
Show answer and explanations for question 11

Answer A: whom

Completed textThe officer to whom I spoke checked the register.
  1. Correct. Whom refers to the human officer as the object of the preceding preposition to.
  2. Not correct. Whose would mark possession and does not fit before I spoke here.
  3. Not correct. Which does not give the ordinary relative reference to this human officer.
  4. Not correct. What does not form this relative clause after the expressed antecedent the officer.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 12 · Gender-neutral reference

Choose the gender-neutral possessive form compatible with singular they: Each participant should bring ___ own pen.

  1. A.theirs
  2. B.his
  3. C.her
  4. D.their
Show answer and explanations for question 12

Answer D: their

Completed textEach participant should bring their own pen.
  1. Not correct. Theirs is a possessive pronoun and cannot determine own pen directly here.
  2. Not correct. His specifies masculine reference rather than meet the gender-neutral instruction.
  3. Not correct. Her specifies feminine reference rather than meet the gender-neutral instruction.
  4. Correct. Their is the determiner used before own pen with gender-neutral singular-they reference.
Review the method ↑Review your learning ↓

Make the learning stick

Review what changed your answer

  1. Identify the role and referent of each answer separately.
  2. Explain why a possessive pronoun cannot replace a possessive determiner before a noun.
  3. Rewrite one sentence with an unclear pronoun by repeating a name.

Keep a simple note: question number → your reason → the correct rule or evidence → one new example. A mistake is useful when you can explain the correction.

SSC English hub →SSC English Articles and Determiners →SSC English Conjunctions →Subject–verb agreement →

Original ESS learning material. Not official SSC questions or a previous-year paper. ESS is independent of SSC. These are untimed skill lessons, not full exam simulations.

References and exam scope

Scope: CGL 2026 Tier-II, Paper-I, Section-II; CHSL 2026 Tier-I and Tier-II English. These are topic lessons, not complete mocks. These topics are included in the linked SSC examination notices. The lesson wording, examples, passages and questions are original ESS teaching material. Check your exam’s current notice and subsequent corrections for its full syllabus, scoring and timing.

Sources reviewed: 3 November 2026. Study-time estimates are suggestions, not official exam limits.