Lesson 2 of 36 · beginner
Subject & Object Pronouns
Know when to say I or me, he or him, we or us.
Subject pronouns
A subject pronoun does the action. It comes before the verb: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
- I work in Pune.
- She speaks three languages.
- We are waiting outside.
- They play cricket every Sunday.
Object pronouns
An object pronoun receives the action. It comes after the verb, or after a preposition: me, you, him, her, it, us, them.
- My sister called me.
- I met him at the station.
- Please help us.
- The teacher gave them homework.
- This gift is for her.
Which one goes where
Before the verb, use the subject form. After the verb or a preposition, use the object form. If you are unsure, say the sentence with only one person in it — the right form becomes obvious.
- He gave the keys to me. (not 'to I')
- My brother and I went home. (say 'I went home')
- She invited my wife and me. (say 'she invited me')
- Between you and me, the food was cold. (not 'between you and I')
Reflexive pronouns
When the subject and the object are the same person, use myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, or themselves. They also add emphasis.
- I cut myself while cooking.
- She taught herself to drive.
- Help yourself to some tea.
- We painted the house ourselves.
- He himself admitted the mistake.
More examples in context
Pronouns save you from repeating names, so they appear in almost every sentence you speak.
- Ravi is my neighbour. He is a kind man.
- I have the tickets. Do you want them now?
- My parents called us yesterday.
- Can you send it to me by evening?
- They told her the shop was closed.
- The children dressed themselves this morning.
Common mistakes to avoid
These are the pronoun errors that come up most often, and how to fix them.
- ✗ Me and my friend went to the market. → ✓ My friend and I went to the market.
- ✗ He gave the book to I. → ✓ He gave the book to me.
- ✗ Between you and I, it was boring. → ✓ Between you and me, it was boring.
- ✗ Myself Rajesh. → ✓ I am Rajesh.
- ✗ She told to me the answer. → ✓ She told me the answer.
Quick practice
Choose the correct pronoun for each blank, then check your answer.
- My sister and ___ share a room. (answer: I)
- The manager thanked ___ for the report. (answer: me)
- ___ are coming to dinner tonight. (answer: They)
- I made this cake ___. (answer: myself)
- Please give the files to ___. (answer: him / her / us / them)