What is it?
Personal pronouns are short words used instead of names or nouns.
They help avoid repeating the same person, animal, place, or thing.
English has subject pronouns and object pronouns.
| Subject pronoun | Object pronoun |
|---|---|
| I | me |
| you | you |
| he | him |
| she | her |
| it | it |
| we | us |
| they | them |
Subject pronouns perform the action.
- She works here.
- They know my brother.
Object pronouns receive the action or come after a preposition.
- I called her.
- He spoke to them.
When to use
Use subject pronouns before a verb.
- I live in Canada.
- You look tired.
- He plays football.
- She works at a hospital.
- It is very cold.
- We study English.
- They have two children.
Use object pronouns after a verb.
- She knows me.
- I can help you.
- We invited him.
- They called her.
- Please open it.
- He visited us.
- I saw them.
Use object pronouns after prepositions such as to, for, with, and from.
- Talk to me.
- This gift is for her.
- Come with us.
- I received a message from them.
Structure
Subject pronouns
Use:
subject pronoun + verb
| Pronoun | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | the speaker | I am ready. |
| you | the person or people spoken to | You are welcome. |
| he | one male person | He lives nearby. |
| she | one female person | She speaks French. |
| it | one thing, animal, or situation | It looks expensive. |
| we | the speaker and other people | We work together. |
| they | other people, animals, or things | They are outside. |
Object pronouns
Use:
subject + verb + object pronoun
- She called me.
- I know him.
- We invited them.
Use:
preposition + object pronoun
- with her
- for us
- from him
- to them
Using it
Use it for:
- a thing: I bought a phone. It is new.
- an animal when its sex is unknown or unimportant: The dog is outside. It is hungry.
- weather: It is raining.
- time: It is six o’clock.
- distance: It is five kilometres away.
Using they
Use they for plural people, animals, and things.
- My parents are here. They are waiting.
- The books are new. They are expensive.
They can also refer to one person when the person’s gender is unknown, unimportant, or not specified.
- Someone left their phone. They may return for it.
Examples
- I work from home.
- She is my new manager.
- He called me yesterday.
- We invited them to dinner.
- The children are tired, so they are going to bed.
- This is my phone. It is very old.
- Can you help us?
- I spoke to her after work.
- My brother lives nearby, and I visit him often.
- Someone is at the door. They are waiting outside.
Exceptions
The pronoun I is always written with a capital letter.
- Correct: Anna and I are friends.
- Incorrect: Anna and i are friends.
Use you for one person or several people.
- You are my friend.
- You are all welcome.
Animals can be called he or she when their sex is known or when they are treated as individuals.
- This is my dog, Max. He is very friendly.
Use it for general weather, time, and distance expressions, even when it does not replace a specific noun.
- It is sunny.
- It is midnight.
- It is far from here.
Common mistakes
-
Incorrect: Me live in Canada. Correct: I live in Canada. Explanation: Use the subject pronoun I before a verb.
-
Incorrect: She called I yesterday. Correct: She called me yesterday. Explanation: Use the object pronoun me after a verb.
-
Incorrect: Him is my brother. Correct: He is my brother. Explanation: Use the subject pronoun he as the subject.
-
Incorrect: I spoke to she. Correct: I spoke to her. Explanation: Use an object pronoun after a preposition.
-
Incorrect: My friends are here. He are waiting. Correct: My friends are here. They are waiting. Explanation: Use they for more than one person.
-
Incorrect: The car is new. She is expensive. Correct: The car is new. It is expensive. Explanation: Use it for a thing.
-
Incorrect: Us work together. Correct: We work together. Explanation: Use the subject pronoun we before a verb.
-
Incorrect: Please help we. Correct: Please help us. Explanation: Use the object pronoun us after a verb.