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Personal Pronouns

 Personal pronouns are words used to replace a person's name or noun in a sentence. 

I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him, her, us, and them are all personal pronouns. They are used to avoid the need to repeat a name or noun over and over again.

  • Sarah's been studying for weeks, so I'm sure she'll do well on the exam. (she=Sarah)
  • Peter and Emma are going to the movie tonight. They have been friends since childhood. (Peter and Emma=they)

The choice of which personal pronoun to use depends on:

  • Number: Personal pronouns can be singular (referring to one person or thing) or plural (referring to multiple people or things).
  • Person: Personal pronouns also indicate the person being referred to, whether it's the speaker (first person), the person being spoken to (second person), or someone else (third person). 
  • Gender: Personal pronouns can also have a gender, either, male, female, or neuter.
  • Case: Personal pronouns in English have two cases: subject pronouns and object pronouns

Personal Pronouns

Subject and object pronouns

Subject personal pronouns are used as the subject of a sentence. They show who or what is performing the action of the verb. The subject personal pronouns are: I, you, he, she, it, we, and they. For example, in the sentence, He ate the pizza, He is the subject personal pronoun.

Object personal pronouns are used as the object of a verb or preposition in a sentence. They show who or what receives the action of the verb. The object personal pronouns are: me, you, him, her, it, us, and them. For example, in the sentence, She gave me the book, me is the object personal pronoun.

I, me

I and me are used to refer to the person speaking or writing. I is a subject personal pronoun while me is an object personal pronoun.
  • I am going to the store.
  • I love to read books.
  • Can you hear me now?
  • She gave me a hug.

You

You is used to refer to the person or people being spoken or written to. It can be used in both the singular and plural forms. The use of you as singular or plural depends on the speaker's intent and the context of the conversation.
  • John, do you know how to play the guitar? (refers to one person, John)
  • You are a team and you need to support each other. (refers to a group of people)
You can be a subject personal pronoun and an object personal pronoun, depending on the context of the sentence. For example, in the sentence, You helped me with my homework, you is the subject personal pronoun because it is performing the action of helping. In the sentence, I gave you the book, you is the object personal pronoun because it is receiving the book.

He, him; she, her

He, him, she and her are important personal pronouns used to refer to a person of a specific gender in a sentence. He and him are used to refer to a male person, while she and her are used to refer to a female person. He and she are subject personal pronouns and him and her are object personal pronouns.
  • He took his guitar with him to play some music.
  • She will be free soon—you can wait for her here.

It

It is a third-person singular pronoun that is used to refer to an object, an animal, or an idea that does not have a gender.

  • I just finished reading this book, and it was amazing.
  • Look at that cute dog, it's wagging its tail.
It can also be used as a subject or an object pronoun in a sentence.
  • The cake looks delicious, and it smells amazing.
  • I love this song, so I always listen to it on my way to work.

It is often used in the position of the subject of a verb to talk about time, the date, distance, the weather, etc.

  • It's half past 7 in the morning and time to wake up.
  • It's the 100th anniversary of the founding of our town.
  • It's only a few kilometers from here to the beach.
  • It was raining when we arrived at the beach.

We, us

We and us are used to refer to a group of people, including the speaker. We is used as the subject of a sentence, while us is used as the object.

  • We went on a trip together, and it brought us closer as friends.

They, them

They and them are used to refer to specific groups of people, animals, and things. They is a subject personal pronoun while them is an object personal pronoun.

I hope they enjoyed the surprise party we planned for them.

They and them can be used to refer to a government, an organization, or a group of people in authority.

  • They announced a ban on large gatherings due to the pandemic.
  • They issued a statement condemning the recent acts of violence.


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