Personal Pronouns
Referring to people
1st Person: I / We — Me / Us
| SUBJECT PRONOUN | OBJECT PRONOUN |
|---|---|
After a noun is mentioned the first time, we tend not to repeat it. Instead, we use a pronoun to refer to the noun. The first-person singular pronoun for the subject (the agent of the action) is I, and the plural pronoun is we. |
The first-person singular pronoun for the object (the receiver of the action) is me, and the plural is us. |
SINGULAR |
SINGULAR |
PLURAL
|
PLURAL
|
watch (v.) – see and observe something moving
look (v.) –
– see something with no particular attention to movement
Personal Pronouns
2nd Person
2nd Person: You — You
| SUBJECT PRONOUN | OBJECT PRONOUN |
|---|---|
The second person pronoun for the subject (the agent of the action) is you, and the plural is also you. |
The second-person singular pronoun for the object (the receiver of the action) is you, and the plural is you. |
SINGULAR You enjoy dancing. |
SINGULAR Look at you. |
PLURAL You (all) enjoy dancing. |
PLURAL Look at you (all). |
Personal Pronouns
3rd Person
3rd Person: He / She / We — Him / Her / Them
| SUBJECT PRONOUN | OBJECT PRONOUN |
|---|---|
The third-person singular pronoun for the subject (the agent of the action) is he (male) or she (female). The plural pronoun is them (for males or females.) |
The third-person singular pronoun for the object (the receiver of the action) is him (male) or her (female), and the plural is them for males and females. |
SINGULAR
|
SINGULAR
|
|
|
PLURAL
|
PLURAL
|
Impersonal Pronouns
It / They
3rd Person – impersonal
| SUBJECT PRONOUN | OBJECT PRONOUN |
|---|---|
We use it to refer to an impersonal noun, such as a thing, a place, an idea, or an animal of unknown gender (not pets). The impersonal singular noun for the subject is it, and the plural is they. |
The impersonal singular pronoun for the object (the receiver of the action) is it, and the plural is them. |
SINGULAR
|
SINGULAR
|
PLURAL
|
PLURAL
Look at them. |
Common Mistakes
Errors and Solutions
| ERROR | SOLUTIONS |
|---|---|
*My brother he helps me sometimes. (repeated noun)
|
My brother helps me. (Delete repeated noun.) My brother is helpful. He helps me. |
Look at my car! Isn't she a beauty. |
This is not a mistake. Cars, boats, planes, ships, etc. are often affectionately referred to as "she".
|
The baby dropped its sock. |
The baby dropped his / her sock. (We use gender pronouns with babies. When in doubt, we look for "pink" (female) or "blue" (male) clues, or we ask the parent.)
|
The dog dropped its bone. (not incorrect, but not preferred) |
The dog dropped his / her bone. (We use gender pronouns with pets when the gender is know.)
|
Grammar Notes
It is I / It is me
| FORMAL | INFORMAL |
|---|---|
The old argument over whether to use a subject or object pronoun after a "be" verb can be simplified to formal vs. informal usage. Grammarians often look back to Latin (not French "C'est moi.") for resolution. Linguists look at present day usage. To be safe, use the subject pronoun after a "be" verb for academic and business English usage. |
In everyday, informal usage. The object pronoun commonly occurs after a "be" verb. A speaker may switch to the formal usage in an informal situation in order to add importance to the identity. "It is I, your mother, who is telling you what to do." |
May I please speak to Hillary Clinton? — I am she. in speech |
May I please speak to Hillary? This is her. / This is Hillary. (not: I am her.) |
Who said that? — It was I who said that. / I did. |
Who said that? It was me. / Me. |
Who is on the phone? — It is she, the Secretary of State. with a title |
Who is on the phone? It's her, your wife. |
"It’s I / it’s me." Fowler's Modern English Usage. Ed. R. W. Burchfield. Rev. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print. (421.6) (373)
Garner, Bryan A.. "It is I; it is me." Garner's Modern American Usage. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press. 2009. Print (485)
"it's me." Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1994.Print. (566)
Practice 1
Title
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.
Practice 2
Attending a Musical
Complete the paragraph with pronouns.
- Select the option that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.