Personal pronouns
A personal pronoun is a word that replaces a specific noun to show who or what is performing or receiving an action, such as I, you, he, she, it, we and they. Personal pronouns change form depending on person (first, second, third), number (singular, plural) and grammatical role (subject or object) in a sentence.
Types of personal pronouns
Subject pronouns
Used as the subject of a verb, showing who performs the action.
e.g. I work, She studies, They arrived
Object pronouns
Used as the object of a verb or preposition, showing who receives the action.
e.g. Call me, Give it to her, Listen to them
First person pronouns
Refer to the speaker or speakers themselves.
e.g. I, we, us
Second person pronouns
Refer to the person or people being spoken to.
e.g. you
Third person pronouns
Refer to someone or something other than the speaker or listener.
e.g. he, she, it, they
Rules to remember
- Use subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) before the main verb, as the doer of the action.
- Use object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) after a verb or preposition, as the receiver of the action.
- Match the pronoun to the noun it replaces in number and gender: a singular female noun becomes she or her; a plural noun becomes they or them.
- The pronoun I is always capitalised, wherever it appears in a sentence.
- In formal writing, avoid mixing pronoun person (for example, switching from we to you) within the same piece of writing to keep consistency.
Examples in sentences
| Example | How it works |
|---|---|
| I moved to this city five years ago for work. | First person subject pronoun I refers to the speaker. |
| She teaches English at a local school. | Third person subject pronoun she replaces a specific woman's name. |
| The teacher gave us extra homework last night. | Object pronoun us receives the action of the verb gave. |
| Can you help me with this form, please? | You is a second person subject pronoun; me is a first person object pronoun. |
| They visited the museum, and it impressed them greatly. | They is subject; it replaces museum; them is the object pronoun. |
| He and I disagree about the new policy. | Two subject pronouns joined by and, both before the verb. |
Common mistakes
Incorrect: Me and him went to the meeting late.
Correct: He and I went to the meeting late.
Incorrect: The manager spoke to my colleague and I about the report.
Correct: The manager spoke to my colleague and me about the report.
Incorrect: Her is studying medicine at university.
Correct: She is studying medicine at university.
Why this matters for IELTS
Using subject and object pronouns correctly, especially in compound phrases like 'my colleague and I', shows grammatical accuracy that examiners reward in the Grammatical Range and Accuracy criterion for Speaking and Writing. Consistent, error-free pronoun use also improves cohesion, since pronouns link ideas across sentences without repeating nouns; this supports the Coherence and Cohesion band as well, so practising correct pronoun choice benefits two scoring criteria at once.
Frequently asked questions
What is a personal pronoun in simple terms?
It is a word like I, you, he, she, it, we or they that stands in for a specific person, group or thing so you do not have to repeat the noun every time.
What is the difference between subject and object personal pronouns?
Subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) perform the action and come before the verb, while object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) receive the action and come after the verb or a preposition.
Why is 'me and him' incorrect in 'Me and him went to the shop'?
Because both words act as the subject of the verb went, so they must use subject form: 'He and I went to the shop.'
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