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Personal pronouns are the words we use to stand in for people and things. They’re the most common type of pronoun in everyday communication.

There are two distinct types of personal pronouns: subject pronouns and object pronouns. The table below shows their various forms.

Personal Pronouns

Subject Pronouns	Object Pronouns
I	me
you	you
he	him
she	her
it	it
we	us
they	them

Which pronoun we choose depends on who or what we are referring to: the grammatical person (first, second, or third), number (singular or plural), and gender of the noun being replaced.

✏️ Jump to Practice Makes Perfect

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• Personal Pronouns in Use

  • You are a good friend!
  • He plays football twice a week.
  • They live in Australia now.
    
    
  • My grandmother always gives me sweets to take away.
  • I can’t find my charger. Have you seen it?
  • The tour guide told us to stay away from the cliff edges.

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  * Subject Pronouns / Object Pronouns

Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns, as the name suggests, are used as the subject in sentences. They stand in for the person or thing that performs the action of the verb.

Firstly, let’s go over what we mean by subject.

• Luna goes to the gym at least four times a week.

Here, Luna is the subject because she is the one carrying out the action of the verb. Luna is the one who goes.

Once introduced, we can replace Luna with the relevant subject pronoun she to avoid redundancy:

• Luna goes to the gym at least four times a week. > She is dedicated to her fitness.

More examples of subject pronouns in action:

• I try to eat healthily, which is easier said than done living next to a McDonald’s. 
• He serenades his dog every evening. The poor pooch deserves a medal for his patience.
• We always come here to get peace and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Subject Pronouns – Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Pronouns must mirror the properties of the nouns that they refer to, in terms of gender, number, and person. This is called pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Consider again the following example:

• Luna goes to the gym at least four times a week. > She is dedicated to her fitness.

Here, the name Luna is feminine, singular, and expressed in the third person. Consequently, the correct subject pronoun to replace Luna is she.

Gender

With subject pronouns, we use he for masculine antecedents, she for feminine antecedents, and it for both inanimate objects and animals.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Subject Pronouns – Gender

Gender	Nouns as Subjects	Pronouns as Subjects
Masculine	– Jack is talking to the teacher.	– He is talking to the teacher.
Feminine	– Sandra loves to play tennis.	– She loves to play tennis.
Neutral – Inanimate Object	– This building dates back to the 19th century.	– It dates back to the 19th century.
Neutral – Animal	– The spider is on your head.	– It is on your head.

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Number

We use singular pronouns to replace singular nouns and plural pronouns to replace plural nouns.

Singular Subject Pronouns:

• First Person: I
• Second Person: you
• Third Person: he / she / it

Plural Subject Pronouns:

• First Person: we
• Second Person: you
• Third Person: they

The table below demonstrates how subject pronouns align with their antecedents by matching in number.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Subject Pronouns – Number

Number	Nouns as Subjects	Pronouns as Subjects
Singular (People)	– Sandra is going to the cinema later.	– She is going to the cinema later.
	– Fred is a good swimmer.	– He is a good swimmer.
Singular (Things & Animals)	– The dress is red.	– It is red.
	– A cheetah can reach a top speed of around 75 mph.	– It can reach a top speed of around 75 mph.
Plural (People)	– Sandra and John are going to the cinema later.	– They are going to the cinema later.
	– Fred and Mike are good swimmers.	– They are good swimmers.
Plural (Things & Animals)	– The dresses are red.	– They are red.
	– Cheetahs are the fastest land animals.	– They are the fastest land animals.

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Grammatical Person

The table below illustrates how subject pronouns align with the grammatical person of the nouns they replace.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Subject Pronouns – Grammatical Person

Grammatical Person	Nouns as Subjects	Pronouns as Subjects
First Person Singular	– I, Daniel, am going to the beach.	– I am going to the beach.
First Person Plural	– My friends and I love to travel and see the world.	– We love to travel and see the world.
Second Person Singular	– Alex, you are very kind.	– You are very kind.
Second Person Plural	– Guys, you are all invited to the party.	– You are all invited to the party.
Third Person Singular (Masculine)	– Michael is watching the news.	– He is watching the news.
Third Person Singular (Feminine)	– Emily enjoys surfing.	– She enjoys surfing.
Third Person Singular (Neutral)	– The blue whale is the largest in the whale family.	– It is the largest in the whale family.
Third Person Plural	– The students are revising for their exams.	– They are revising for their exams.

Subject Pronouns – Common Mistakes & Issues

1. Using the Wrong Pronoun in Sentences with Multiple Subjects

A common mistake is using object pronouns as subject pronouns in sentences with more than one subject.

For example:

❌ – Me and John went out for a run earlier.

Here, me is acting as a subject, but me is an object pronoun. Since the pronoun is doing the action, we need the subject form instead. The correct subject pronoun to replace me is I.

Therefore, the correct sentence should be:

✅ – John and I went out for a run earlier.

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An easy way to check for this common mistake is to split the compound subject and make sure that each subject works correctly on its own. For example, we wouldn’t say ‘Me went out for a run earlier.’

❌ – Me went out for a run earlier.
✅ – I went out for a run earlier.

✅ – John and I went for a run earlier.

Other examples:

❌ – Her and Tim will be joining us shortly.
✅ – She and Tim will be joining us shortly.

❌ – Him and I share the allotment plot.
✅ – He and I share the allotment plot.

❌ – Me, Sam, and Alex are going out to eat. Do you want to join us?
✅ – Sam, Alex, and I are going out to eat. Do you want to join us?

Note: In everyday spoken English, many native speakers use object pronouns as subjects, and it’s widely accepted in casual contexts. However, if you’re learning English, it’s best to start by mastering the proper grammar rules. Over time, you’ll get to know when it’s appropriate to relax these rules and adapt your language to more informal settings.

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2. Ambiguous Pronoun Use

Subject pronouns can be unclear when more than one person is mentioned, especially in situations with limited context.

For example:

• John told Mark he was in the wrong.

Was John in the wrong? Or was Mark in the wrong? It’s not clear whether the subject pronoun he refers to John or to Mark. In such cases, we would have to add extra details to reduce ambiguity.

For instance:

• If John meant that Mark was in the wrong:
  > John told Mark that Mark was in the wrong.
  
  
• If the meaning is that John admitted he was in the wrong:
  > John told Mark that he himself was in the wrong.

Other examples show how using subject pronouns can sometimes make sentences unclear:

• Dr. Brown told Dr. Clark he needed to review the test results.
  – Who needs to review the test results?
  
  
• Kristin mentioned to Denise that she had missed her appointment.
  – Whose appointment was missed?
  
  
• Bob told Jordan he was responsible.
  – Who was responsible?

Object Pronouns

Object pronouns, as the name suggests, are used as objects in sentences. They serve as the receivers of verb actions in sentences.

So, what exactly is an object?

• Mark gave James the directions to the conference.

Here, while Mark is the subject performing the action, James is the object receiving the action. James is the one who gets the directions.

Once introduced, we can replace James with the relevant object pronoun him to avoid redundancy:

• Mark gave James the directions to the conference. > Mark gave him the directions to the conference.

More examples of object pronouns in action:

• I have already given you the keys.
• Have you invited her?
• I bought him a video game for his birthday.
• We told them about the haunted house on the hill.

Object Pronouns – Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Just like subject pronouns, object pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number, gender, and grammatical person.

Consider again the following example:

• Mark gave James the directions to the conference. > Mark gave him the directions to the conference.

Here, the name James is masculine, singular, and expressed in the third person. Therefore, the correct object pronoun to replace James is him.

Gender

With object pronouns, we use him for masculine antecedents, her for feminine antecedents, and it for both inanimate objects and animals.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Object Pronouns – Gender

Gender	Nouns as Objects	Pronouns as Objects
Masculine	– I gave Tom the bag.	– I gave him the bag.
Feminine	– I spoke to Debra yesterday.	– I spoke to her yesterday.
Neutral – Inanimate	– I found a wallet on the train.	– I found it on the train.
Neutral – Animal	– The seagull stole my sandwich and then the seagull flew away.	– The seagull stole my sandwich and then it flew away.

Note: While it is grammatically correct to use the pronoun it to refer to animals, it is common practice to use gendered pronouns when referring to animals that we are fond of, such as beloved family pets.

For instance:

• My dog really liked the beach, so I am going to take her there again.

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Number

Singular Object Pronouns:

• First Person: me
• Second Person: you
• Third Person: him / her / it

Plural Object Pronouns:

• First Person: us
• Second Person: you
• Third Person: them

The table below demonstrates how object pronouns align with their antecedents by matching in number.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Object Pronouns – Number

Number	Nouns as Objects	Pronouns as Objects
Singular (People)	– My boss called Sandra to find out what happened.	– My boss called her to find out what happened.
	– The students voted Barry teacher of the year.	– The students voted him teacher of the year.
Singular (Things & Animals)	– We found the TV remote under the chair.	– We found it under the chair.
	– He found a stray cat wandering in the garden.	– He found it wandering in the garden.
Plural (People)	– The host thanked the guests for attending.	– The host thanked them for attending.
	– I introduced my cousins to my friends.	– I introduced them to my friends.
Plural (Things & Animals)	– He returned the books to the library just in time to avoid late fees.	– He returned them to the library just in time to avoid late fees.
	– When the aquarium staff fed the sharks, the visitors watched in amazement.	– When the aquarium staff fed them, the visitors watched in amazement.

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Grammatical Person

The table below illustrates how object pronouns align with the grammatical person of the nouns they replace.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Object Pronouns – Grammatical Person

Grammatical Person	Nouns as Objects	Pronouns as Objects
First Person Singular	– *Not applicable	– Will you send the file to me via email, please?
First Person Plural	– *Not applicable	– As promised, they sent us a postcard from Spain.
Second Person Singular	– *Not applicable	– Can I help you with those boxes?
Second Person Plural	– *Not applicable	– They will ask you for feedback.
Third Person Singular (Masculine)	– I called Barry last night to go over the details of the trip.	– I called him last night to go over the details of the trip.
Third Person Singular (Feminine)	– He proposed to Emma in Venice.	– He proposed to her in Venice.
Third Person Singular (Neutral)	– She found a mobile phone on her hike.	– She found it on her hike.
Third Person Plural	– The president congratulated the sports team on their win.	– The president congratulated them on their win.

* For first and second person, self-reference and direct address are always expressed using the relevant object pronouns (me / us / you).

Object Pronouns – Common Mistakes & Issues

1. Using I Instead of Me in Compound Objects

Compound objects are phrases made up of two or more objects that are joined together (often by words like and or or) to function as a single unit in a sentence (e.g., him and me).

A common mistake with compound objects is using the subject form I instead of the correct object form me.

For example:

❌ – She invited Emily and I to her birthday party.
✅ – She invited Emily and me to her birthday party.

Some speakers, including native speakers, use I in compound objects because it sounds more formal. It’s one of the more common mix-ups in English, but the object form me is the correct choice here.

More examples:

❌ – My parents visited John and I on their trip.
✅ – My parents visited John and me on their trip.

❌ – Between you and I, I don’t think Tom should have been sacked.
✅ – Between you and me, I don’t think Tom should have been sacked.

2. Direct and Indirect Objects

English grammar can be tricky when it comes to using and ordering multiple objects correctly within a sentence.

Let’s first go over what exactly direct and indirect objects are in a sentence.

• Direct Object: This is the noun or pronoun that directly receives the action of the verb. It typically answers the question: what?
  – Example: in ‘I gave her a gift.’, the direct object gift answers: ‘What did I give?’
  
  
• Indirect Object: This is the noun or pronoun that benefits from or is affected by the action. It typically answers the question: to whom?
  – Example: in ‘I gave her a gift.’, the indirect object her answers: ‘To whom did I give a gift?’

Native speakers intuitively know the correct order of objects in a sentence, but figuring out these patterns can be challenging for learners of English as a second language.

A helpful way to better grasp object placement is to compare two scenarios: one in which one object is a noun and the other is a pronoun, and another in which both objects are pronouns.

– When the Indirect Object is an Object Pronoun

In such sentences, the indirect object is typically placed before the direct object.

Example:

Subject	Verb	Indirect Object	Direct Object
I	gave	him	the book.
		(pronoun)	(noun)

– When Both Objects are Pronouns

In such sentences, it would sound awkward to say ‘I gave him it.’, so we typically mention the direct object first and tack on the indirect object using a prepositional phrase.

Example:

Subject	Verb	Direct Object	Prepositional Phrase
I	gave	it	to him.
		(pronoun)	(pronoun)

Practice Makes Perfect: Personal Pronouns

Put your knowledge of personal pronouns to the test here in our interactive practice section.

Subject Pronouns

Exercise 1: Identify the Subject Pronoun

Identify the subject pronoun(s) in each sentence.

1. She is dedicated to her fitness.
   
   
2. We are planning a trip to Spain.
   
   
3. He serenades his dog every evening. The poor pooch deserves a medal for his patience.
   
   
4. They arrived late to the meeting, as usual.
   
   
5. I always forget where I put my keys.
   
   
6. It looks like rain, so grab an umbrella.
   
   
7. You deserve a break after all that hard work.
   
   
8. We told them the good news, and they couldn’t stop smiling.
   
   
9. She and I have been friends since childhood.
   
   
10. He said he would call, but he never did. Typical.

Exercise 1: Answers [Click]

1. She
2. We
3. He
4. They
5. I / I
6. It
7. You
8. We / they
9. She / I
10. He / he / he

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Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Subject Pronoun

Choose the correct pronoun to complete each sentence.

1. ____________ is my brother. (He / Him)
   
   
2. ____________ are going to the cinema tonight. (Us / We)
   
   
3. ____________ lives in Canada now. (She / Her)
   
   
4. ____________ need to leave soon or we’ll miss the train. (They / Them)
   
   
5. ____________ am not feeling well today. (I / Me)

Exercise 2: Answers [Click]

1. He
2. We
3. She
4. They
5. I

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Exercise 3: Replace the Noun with a Subject Pronoun

Replace the underlined noun(s) with the correct subject pronoun.

1. Luna goes to the gym at least four times a week.
   
   
2. My brother and I went fishing last weekend.
   
   
3. The car needs a service – it’s making strange noises again.
   
   
4. Tom and Sarah are getting married next year.
   
   
5. The neighbours complained about the noise last night. Apparently, our karaoke skills aren’t as good as we thought.

Exercise 3: Answers [Click]

1. She goes to the gym at least four times a week.
2. We went fishing last weekend.
3. It needs a service – it’s making strange noises again.
4. They are getting married next year.
5. They complained about the noise last night. Apparently, our karaoke skills aren’t as good as we thought.

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Exercise 4: Spot and Correct the Error

Each sentence contains a common mistake with subject pronouns. Find it and fix it.

1. Me and John went out for a run earlier.
   
   
2. Him and I play tennis every Saturday.
   
   
3. Her and Kate are going travelling this summer.
   
   
4. Me, Sam, and Alex are going out to eat. Do you want to join us?
   
   
5. Him is always late. We’ve stopped being surprised.

Exercise 4: Answers [Click]

1. John and I went out for a run earlier.
2. He and I play tennis every Saturday.
3. She and Kate are going travelling this summer.
4. Sam, Alex, and I are going out to eat. Do you want to join us?
5. He is always late. We’ve stopped being surprised.

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Exercise 5: Subject Pronouns in Context

Fill in the blanks using the correct subject pronoun from the word bank below.

Word Bank: a) I | b) she | c) it | d) we | e) you

My friend Luna and (1) ____________ go to the same gym. (2) ____________ is dedicated to her fitness and goes at least four times a week. (3) ____________ usually go on the weekends together. After our last session, (4) ____________ went to the gym café and got drinks. Luna ordered a green smoothie because (5) ____________ is healthier, apparently. (6) ____________ stuck with coffee – some habits are hard to break, I guess.

Exercise 5: Answers [Click]

1. a) I
2. b) she
3. d) we
4. d) we
5. c) it
6. a) I

Full Text: My friend Luna and I go to the same gym. She is dedicated to her fitness and goes at least four times a week. We usually go on the weekends together. After our last session, we went to the gym café and got drinks. Luna ordered a green smoothie because it is healthier, apparently. I stuck with coffee – some habits are hard to break, I guess.

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Object Pronouns

Exercise 1: Identify the Object Pronoun

Identify the object pronoun(s) in each sentence.

1. Mark gave him the directions to the conference.
   
   
2. Can you pass me the salt, please?
   
   
3. We told them about the haunted house on the hill, and funnily enough, they wouldn’t rest until they saw it in person.
   
   
4. The teacher asked her to read aloud.
   
   
5. I bought him the new Call of Duty for his birthday. He hasn’t been seen since.
   
   
6. Have you seen it anywhere?
   
   
7. She sent us a postcard from sunny Spain. We were not jealous at all.
   
   
8. I called her yesterday, but she didn’t answer.
   
   
9. They invited us to the wedding.
   
   
10. The cows followed us around the entire farm tour and, if I’m honest, I have never felt more paranoid in my life.

Exercise 1: Answers [Click]

1. him
2. me
3. them / it
4. her
5. him
6. it
7. us
8. her
9. us
10. us

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Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Object Pronoun

Choose the correct pronoun to complete each sentence.

1. The teacher gave ______ homework again. (we / us)
   
   
2. I saw ______ at the supermarket. (she / her)
   
   
3. Can you help ______ with these boxes? (I / me)
   
   
4. We invited ______ to the party. (they / them)
   
   
5. She told ______ the good news. (he / him)

Exercise 2: Answers [Click]

1. us
2. her
3. me
4. them
5. him

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Exercise 3: Replace the Noun with an Object Pronoun

Replace the underlined noun(s) with the correct object pronoun.

1. Mark gave James the directions to the conference.
   
   
2. I called Sarah last night.
   
   
3. We took the dog to the beach and he loved it.
   
   
4. My parents recommended the restaurant to us, and it didn’t disappoint.
   
   
5. A seagull actually stole my burger right out of my hands before I had a single bite. Can you believe that?

Exercise 3: Answers [Click]

1. Mark gave him the directions to the conference.
2. I called her last night.
3. We took him to the beach and he loved it.
4. My parents recommended it to us, and it didn’t disappoint.
5. A seagull actually stole it right out of my hands before I had a single bite. Can you believe that?

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Exercise 4: Spot and Correct the Error

Each sentence contains a common mistake with object pronouns. Find it and fix it.

1. She invited Emily and I to her birthday party.
   
   
2. The manager spoke to he about the deadline.
   
   
3. Between you and I, I don’t think he should have been sacked.
   
   
4. They sent she a letter about the results.
   
   
5. My parents visited John and I on their trip.

Exercise 4: Answers [Click]

1. She invited Emily and me to her birthday party.
2. The manager spoke to him about the deadline.
3. Between you and me, I don’t think he should have been sacked.
4. They sent her a letter about the results.
5. My parents visited John and me on their trip.

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Exercise 5: Object Pronouns in Context

Fill in the blanks using the correct object pronoun from the word bank below.

Word Bank: a) me | b) him | c) her | d) them | e) us | f) it

My friend Steve invited (1) ____________ to a barbecue last weekend. I brought some drinks and handed (2) ____________ to his partner at the door. Steve was in the back garden manning the grill. I offered to help (3) ____________, but he refused, something about the unwritten rule of not touching another guy’s BBQ. He’d made his famous burgers and we just couldn’t get enough of (4) ____________. After a few drinks, the quiz came out. As usual, things got competitive between (5) ____________ and Steve, and as usual, Steve didn’t take losing too well. He suggested we put (6) ____________ away and play cards instead.

Exercise 5: Answers [Click]

1. a) me
2. d) them
3. b) him
4. d) them
5. a) me
6. f) it

Full Text: My friend Steve invited me to a barbecue last weekend. I brought some drinks and handed them to his partner at the door. Steve was in the back garden manning the grill. I offered to help him, but he refused, something about the unwritten rule of not touching another guy’s BBQ. He’d made his famous burgers and we just couldn’t get enough of them. After a few drinks, the quiz came out. As usual, things got competitive between me and Steve, and as usual, Steve didn’t take losing too well. He suggested we put it away and play cards instead.

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