Course on Personal Pronouns - TOEIC® Preparation
Personal pronouns refer to the person speaking (the first person), the person being addressed (the second person), or the person or thing being talked about (the third person).
There are mainly two major categories of personal pronouns:
- Subject Pronouns
- I, you, he, she, it, we, they
- Object Pronouns
- me, you, him, her, it, us, them
These pronouns vary according to person (1st, 2nd, 3rd), number (singular, plural), and sometimes gender (masculine, feminine).
1. Subject Pronouns
Subject pronouns are used before a verb to indicate who or what is performing the action.
| Subject Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|
| I | I study every evening. |
| You | You are very kind. |
| He | He likes football. |
| She | She lives in London. |
| It | It is raining outside. |
| We | We want to travel next year. |
| They | They play tennis every weekend. |
Important Notes:
- In English, the first letter of the pronoun "I" is always capitalized.
- The pronoun "you" is used for both singular and plural.
- The pronoun "it" is generally used to refer to an object, an animal, or an idea, but it can also serve as an impersonal subject (e.g., It is raining).
- The pronoun "they" can refer to multiple people (they), multiple objects or animals (they). It is sometimes used in a neutral way to refer to a person without specifying their gender.
- In English, subjects are never repeated in the same sentence:
- ❌ Me and my friend, we played football yesterday
✅ Me and my friend played football yesterday
✅ We played football yesterday
- ❌ Me and my friend, we played football yesterday
Special Case of one / ones
In a formal or elevated context, the personal pronoun "one" can be used when expressing a generality.
- One should always be careful when crossing the road.
- One never knows what tomorrow may bring.
- If one works hard, one will succeed.
However, in spoken language, English speakers more often use "you" instead of "one".
2. Object Pronouns
Object pronouns are used after a verb or after a preposition. They aim to replace the noun receiving the action.
| Object Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|
| Me | Can you help me? |
| You | I will call you tomorrow. |
| Him | They invited him to the party. |
| Her | We saw her at the station. |
| It | I can't find it. |
| Us | She told us the story. |
| Them | He doesn't want to see them. |
Important Notes
- "You" is identical in singular and plural, it can mean "te", "toi" or "vous" depending on the context.
- "It" replaces an object, an animal, or an idea, but never a person.
- I love my book → I love it.
- "Them" is used for a group of people, objects, or animals.
- I saw the students → I saw them.