By looking again at the definition, you will notice, that pronouns always stand for nouns, but they do not always avoid the repetition of nouns. Repetition means repeating or mentioning the same thing again.  In the sentence, “I come to die for my country,” the pronouns, I and my, stand for the name of the person who speaks; but they do not avoid the repetition of that name, because the name or noun for which the pronouns are used, is not mentioned at all.  Pronouns of the third person, generally avoid the repetition of the nouns for which they stand; but pronouns of the first and second person, sometimes avoid the repetition of nouns, and sometimes they do not.

A little farther illustration of the pronoun will show you its importance, and, also, that its nature is very easily comprehended.  If we had no pronouns in our language, we should be obliged to express ourselves in this manner:  “A woman went to a man, and told the man that the man was in danger of being murdered by a gang of robbers; as a gang of robbers had made preparations for attacking the man.  The man thanked the woman for the woman’s kindness, and, as the man was unable to defend the man’s self, the man left the man’s house, and went to a neighbor’s.”

This would be a laborious style indeed; but, by the help of pronouns, we can express the same ideas with far greater ease and conciseness:  “A woman went to a man, and told him, that he was in great danger of being murdered by a gang of robbers, who had made preparations for attacking him.  He thanked her for her kindness, and, as he was unable to defend himself, he left his house and went to a neighbor’s.”

If you look at these examples a few moments, you cannot be at a loss to tell which words are pronouns; and you will observe too, that they all stand for nouns.

Pronouns are generally divided into three kinds, the Personal, the Adjective, and the Relative pronouns.  They are all known by the lists.

1.  OF PERSONAL PRONOUNS.  Personal Pronouns are distinguished from the relative, by their denoting the person of the nouns for which they stand.  There are five of them; I, thou, he, she, it; with their plurals, We, ye or you, they.

To pronouns belong gender, person, number, and case.

GENDER.  When we speak of a man, we say, he, his, him; when we speak of a woman, we say, she, hers, her; and when we speak of a thing, we say it.  Hence you perceive, that gender belongs to pronouns as well as to nouns.  Example; “The general, in gratitude to the lady, offered her his hand; but she, not knowing him, declined accepting it.”  The pronouns his and him, in this sentence, personate or represent the noun general; they are, therefore, of the masculine gender:  her and she personate the lady; therefore, they are feminine:  and it represents hand; for which reason it is of the neuter gender.  This illustration shows you, then, that pronouns must be of the same gender as the nouns are for which they stand.  But, as it relates to the variation of the pronouns to express the sex,