Pronoun types

Techniques > Use of language > Parts of speech > Using pronouns > Pronoun types

Personal pronouns

Personal pronouns may be the subject or object of a sentence. They are a replacement for a name of person or thing or group.

An important element for changing minds is that they signal Identity, both individually (note the capital letter 'I') and collectively. The can also signal identity by contrast of separation, talking about things and other people.

	Subject	Object
First person singular	I	me
Second person singular	you	you
Third person singular: masculine	he	him
Third person singular: feminine	she	her
Third person singular: neutral	it	it
First person plural	we	us
Second person plural	you	you
Third person plural	they	them

Possessive pronouns

Possessive pronouns shows ownership for each of pronouns. They are significant for changing minds in that much persuasion is about possession -- if not of physical items (as in sales) then of ideas, beliefs and values (as in religious proselytizing).

For the sake of completeness and clarity, possessive adjectives are also shown here, as these are easily confused with possessive pronouns.

	Possessive pronoun	Possessive adjective
First person singular	mine	my
Second person singular	yours	your
Third person singular: masculine	his	his
Third person singular: feminine	hers	her
Third person singular: neutral	its	its
First person plural	ours	our
Second person plural	yours	your
Third person plural	theirs	their

Reflexive pronouns

Reflexive pronouns talk reflexively about the person, thing or group, thus turning it in on itself.

In changing minds, there is a confirming aspect to reflexive pronouns, as 'my-self' effectively repeats the identity reference.

First person singular	myself
Second person singular	yourself
Third person singular: masculine	himself
Third person singular: feminine	herself
Third person singular: neutral	itself
First person plural	ourselves
Second person plural	yourselves
Third person plural	themselves

Interrogative pronouns

Interrogative pronouns ask questions of people and things. You cannot ask 'who' of yourself or another person.

In changing minds, asking 'who' places the person in the objective third person. Making something objective reduced emotion, although interrogative questions can seem like interrogation and be rather emotive.

Interrogative pronouns include who, whom, which, what.

Demonstrative pronouns