‘What did he want?’ – ‘Maurice’s address.’
reported questions
1.153 Interrogative pronouns are also used to introduce reported questions.
I asked her who she had been talking to.
He wondered what Daintry would do now.
For more information about reported questions, see paragraphs 7.32 to 7.38.
Other pronouns
1.154 Many other words can be pronouns, provided that it is clear what is being talked about, because it is then unnecessary to repeat the noun.
For example, most indefinite determiners can also be pronouns. For more information about indefinite determiners, see paragraphs 1.223 to 1.250.
Here is a list of indefinite determiners that are also pronouns:
all
another
any
both
each
either
enough
few
fewer
less
little
many
more
most
much
neither
several
some
Like all noun phrases, they can be used as the subject, direct object, or indirect object of a clause, or the object of a preposition.
Both were offered jobs immediately.
Children? I don’t think she has any.
I saw one girl whispering to another.
1.155 Although a, an, every, and no are indefinite determiners, they cannot stand alone as pronouns.
To refer back to a noun phrase that includes the determiner a or an, you can use the pronoun one. Similarly, you use each to refer back to a noun phrase that includes every, and none to refer back to a noun phrase that includes no.
Note that another and others are pronouns, but other cannot be a pronoun.
all, both, and each for emphasis
1.156 All, both, and each can be used in addition to nouns or personal pronouns for emphasis, in a similar way to the use of reflexive pronouns described in paragraphs 1.116 to 1.118.
The brothers all agreed that something more was needed.
He loved them both.
Ford and Duncan each had their chances.
They come after an auxiliary verb, a modal, or be.
They were both still working at their universities.
The letters have all been signed.
The older children can all do the same things together.
Each can also come at the end of the clause.
Three others were fined £200 each.
numbers
1.157 Numbers can also be pronouns. For example, the answer to the question How many children do you have? is usually Three rather than Three children.
‘How many people are there?’ – ‘Forty-five.’
Of the other women, two are dancers.
They bought eight companies and sold off five.
For more information on numbers, see paragraphs 2.213 to 2.231.
other pronouns
1.158 The number one is a special case. Like other numbers, it is sometimes used to refer to one of a group of things.
One is also used to refer back to a noun phrase with the determiner a.
Could I have a bigger one, please?
It can also be used for emphasis after another determiner.
There are systems of communication right through the animal world; each one is distinctive.
One can be used as a personal pronoun. This use is explained in paragraph 1.121.
1.159 Note that the one and the ones can be used to refer to a noun alone, rather than to the whole of the noun phrase. They are nearly always used with a modifier such as an adjective, or some form of information after the noun, such as a prepositional phrase.
‘Which poem? – ‘The one they were talking about yesterday.’
There are three bedrooms. Mine is the one at the back.
He gave the best seats to the ones who arrived first.
1.160 You use the other, the others, others, or another to refer to different members of a group of things or people.
Some writers are greater than others.
One runner was way ahead of all the others.
1.161 If you want to say something about a member of a group of people or things you can use one. You can then refer to the rest of the group as the others.
The bells are carefully installed so that disconnecting one will have no effect on the others.
They had three little daughters, one a baby, the others twins of twelve.
You use the one and the other to refer to each of a pair of things.
The same factors push wages and prices up together, the one reinforcing the other.
If you do not wish to specify exactly which of a group you are talking about, you refer to one or other of them.
It may be that one or other of them had fears for their health.
Definite and indefinite determiners
1.162 In English, there are two main ways in which you can use a noun phrase. You can use it to refer to someone or something, knowing that the person you are speaking to understands which person or thing you are talking about.
The man began to run towards the boy.
Young people don’t like these operas.
Thank you very much for your comments.
…a visit to the Houses of Parliament.
Alternatively, you can use a noun phrase to refer to someone or something of a particular type, without saying which person or thing you mean.
There was a man in the lift.
I wish I’d bought an umbrella.
Any doctor would say she didn’t know what she was doing.
In order to distinguish between these two ways of using a noun phrase, you use a special class of words called determiners. There are two types of determiner, definite determiners and indefinite determiners. You put them at the beginning of a noun phrase.