Personal Pronouns

1. What Is a Pronoun?

A pronoun is a word we use instead of a noun (a person, place, animal or thing).
We use pronouns so that we do not repeat the same noun again and again.

Example without a pronoun:

“Mina is my friend. Mina is kind. Mina likes music.”

Example with a pronoun:

“Mina is my friend. She is kind. She likes music.”

The word “she” is a pronoun. It replaces the noun “Mina.”

Pronouns make sentences shorter and less repetitive.

2. What Are Personal Pronouns?

Personal pronouns replace people, animals, or things in a sentence (for example: I, you, he, she, it, we, they).

Personal pronouns can be the subject (usually before the verb) or the object (after the verb or after a preposition).

Subject pronoun = before the verb: I/you/he/she/it/we/they + verb.
Object pronoun = after the verb or after words like to/for/with: like me/him/her; to me; with us.

Example: “She likes him.” / “Give it to me.”

There are three main groups we will look at here: subject pronouns, object pronouns, and possessive pronouns.

Subject pronouns

Used as the subject of the sentence
(I, you, he, she, it, we, they)

Important rule:

The pronoun “I” is always written with a capital letter.

Object pronouns

Used as the object of the sentence
(me, you, him, her, it, us, them)

Object pronouns are used after a verb or after a preposition. They can show the person or thing that receives the action, or the person or thing connected to the preposition.

Now let’s look at each group with simple examples.

Possessive pronouns

Used to show ownership.
(mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs)
There is no noun after a possessive pronoun.
Example: “This book is mine.” (NOT “mine book”)

Note: Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, etc.) are in the next lesson.

3. Subject Pronouns (Who Does the Action?)

Subject pronouns tell us who does the action in a sentence. They usually come before the verb.

Subject pronouns and how to use them:

• I – used to talk about yourself.
  Example: “I like coffee.”
• you – used to talk to one person or more than one person.
  Example: “You are my friend.”
• he – used for one male person.
  Example: “He works here.”
• she – used for one female person.
  Example: “She is happy.”
• it – used for a thing, animal, or situation.
  Example: “It is cold today.”
• we – used for yourself and other people together.
  Example: “We are students.”
• they – used for more than one person, animal, or thing.
  Example: “They live nearby.”

Important rule:

The pronoun “I” is always written with a capital letter.

4. Object Pronouns (Who Receives the Action?)

Object pronouns are used after a verb or a preposition.
They tell us who or what receives the action. Object pronouns replace the object in a sentence.

Object pronouns and how to use them:

• me – used when the action happens to the speaker.
  Example: “Please give it to me.”
• you – used when the action happens to the person you are talking to.
  Example: “I will give this book to you.”
• him – used for one male person.
  Example: “She is sitting next to him.”
• her – used for one female person.
  Example: “I have a gift for her.”
• it – used for a thing or animal.
  Example: “I have a new bag. I like it.” / “Here is the food. The dog is eating it.”
• us – used for the speaker and others together.
  Example: “He is coming with us.”
• them – used for more than one person, animal, or thing.
  Example: “I am sending a message to them.”

Helpful tip to remember:

• Subject pronoun → does the action
• Object pronoun → receives the action

Object pronoun reminder: Object pronouns come after a verb or after to/for/with.

Example:

“She likes him.”
(She = subject, him = object)

5. Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns replace the noun.

They are used alone, without a noun.

Comparison:
“This is my book.” → my + noun
(my = possessive adjective, used before a noun)
“This book is mine.” → mine alone
(mine = possessive pronoun, used without a noun)

Possessive pronouns and how to use them:

• mine – something belongs to me
  Example: “This book is mine.”
• yours – something belongs to you
  Example: “The bag is yours.”
• his – something belongs to a male person
  Example: “The jacket is his.”
• hers – something belongs to a female person
  Example: “That phone is hers.”
• ours – something belongs to us
  Example: “The house is ours.”
• theirs – something belongs to them
  Example: “The seats are theirs.”

Quick summary:

I / you / he / she / it / we / they = subject pronouns;
me / you / him / her / it / us / them = object pronouns;
mine / yours / his / hers / ours / theirs = possessive pronouns.

Helpful tips to remember:

• Subject pronouns do the action
• Object pronouns receive the action
• Possessive pronouns show ownership (mine, yours, etc.)
• “I” is always capitalized