This type of _er_ is hardly different from the previous type. It comes from _ervan_, meaning 'of it' or 'of them'.
Because 'it' is combined with a preposition, we use _er_ instead. At some point, the Dutch decided to drop the postposition _van_, leaving us with a bare _er._ Note that the omission of _van_ only applies to _er,_ not to _hier_ or _daar._
Examples
[FF](#/lesson/WordOrder.04) | [EHD](#/lesson/WordOrder.09) | [DIROB](#/lesson/WordOrder.16) | [OV](#/lesson/WordOrder.24)
Hij had | er | drie | opgegeten
He had eaten three (of them).
We do not _have_ to omit van:
[FF](#/lesson/WordOrder.04) | [EHD](#/lesson/WordOrder.09) | [DIROB](#/lesson/WordOrder.16) | [MISC](#/lesson/WordOrder.28) | [OV](#/lesson/WordOrder.24)
Hij had | er | drie | van | opgegeten
He had eaten three of them.