A1 English GrammarPersonal Pronouns
Learn the English personal pronouns used as subjects and objects. Master I, you, he, she, it, we, and they in different contexts.
1Subject Pronouns
Subject pronouns replace the subject of a sentence - the person or thing doing the action. They come before the verb. English has seven subject pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Note that 'you' is the same for singular and plural.
Subject Pronouns
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | I | we |
| 2nd person | you | you |
| 3rd person | he / she / it | they |
Examples
I am a student.
I am a student.
1st person singular
She works in London.
She works in London.
3rd person singular feminine
They are my friends.
They are my friends.
3rd person plural
We live in New York.
We live in New York.
1st person plural
2Object Pronouns
Object pronouns replace the object of a sentence - the person or thing receiving the action. They come after the verb or preposition. The object pronouns are: me, you, him, her, it, us, them.
Object Pronouns
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | me | us |
| 2nd person | you | you |
| 3rd person | him / her / it | them |
Examples
She loves me.
She loves me.
1st person singular object
I saw him yesterday.
I saw him yesterday.
3rd person singular masculine object
Can you help us?
Can you help us?
1st person plural object
I gave the book to her.
I gave the book to her.
after preposition
3It - Special Uses
The pronoun 'it' has special uses in English. Use 'it' for things, animals (when gender is unknown), weather, time, and as a dummy subject. 'It' is essential for many common expressions.
Examples
It is raining.
It is raining.
weather
It is 3 o'clock.
It is 3 o'clock.
time
It is easy to learn.
It is easy to learn.
dummy subject
The cat is sleeping. It is tired.
The cat is sleeping. It is tired.
animal (unknown gender)
4They - Singular Usage
Modern English uses 'they/them' as a singular pronoun when the gender is unknown or when someone prefers these pronouns. This is grammatically correct and widely accepted.
Examples
Someone left their bag. They will come back for it.
Someone left their bag. They will come back for it.
unknown person
The doctor said they would call tomorrow.
The doctor said they would call tomorrow.
gender-neutral professional
If anyone calls, tell them I am busy.
If anyone calls, tell them I am busy.
indefinite pronoun reference