Personal Pronouns in English are words used to replace specific people or things in a sentence. They help avoid repetition and make sentences sound more natural. Personal pronouns change form to show person, number, case, and sometimes gender. Understanding these changes is essential for using pronouns accurately in everyday English.
What Are Personal Pronouns?
Personal pronouns refer to specific people or things and replace nouns to avoid repetition. Their form changes depending on how they function in a sentence.
Example:
- Anna told him to take the food to them as soon as possible because it was urgently needed.
In this sentence:
- Him and them are object personal pronouns.
- It is a neuter personal pronoun referring to a thing (food).
Personal pronouns belong to the larger category of pronouns. To understand how they fit into the full system of English grammar, see our guide on types of pronouns in English.
Personal pronouns vary based on:
- Gender
- Number
- Case
If you are confused about pronouns like who and whom, you may want to review interrogative pronouns and how they differ from personal pronouns.
Personal Pronouns by Gender
Masculine
He went to the market.
He is used for a male person. Related masculine forms include he (subject) and him (object).
Feminine
She is doing the laundry.
She is used for a female person. Related feminine forms include she (subject) and her (object).
Neuter / Gender-Neutral
It is important to them.
It is a neuter personal pronoun, used for things, ideas, or animals when gender is unknown.
Them is gender-neutral and can refer to people of any gender.
Personal Pronouns by Number
Singular Personal Pronouns
That book belongs to me.
Me refers to one person and is a singular object personal pronoun.
Plural Personal Pronouns
That is their book, not yours.
Their refers to more than one person.
Yours is a possessive pronoun and can be singular or plural depending on context.
Personal Pronouns by Case
Subjective Case (Subject Pronouns)
“She is at work.”
She is the subject of the sentence. Subject pronouns perform the action of the verb.
You can ask: “Who or what is doing the action?”
Objective Case (Object Pronouns)
“He will meet us later.”
Us is an object personal pronoun because it receives the action of the verb meet. He is the subject performing the action.
Possessive Forms
“That is our clubhouse.”
Our is a possessive adjective because it comes before the noun clubhouse.
“That clubhouse is ours.”
Ours is a possessive pronoun because it replaces the noun and shows ownership.
Comparing Subject and Object Personal Pronouns
The table below compares subject and object forms of personal pronouns. Only true personal pronouns are included.
| Subject Pronoun | Object Pronoun |
|---|---|
| I | me |
| You | you |
| He | him |
| She | her |
| It | it |
| We | us |
| They | them |
Note: Words such as who, whom, and what are pronouns, but they belong to the interrogative or relative pronoun categories, not personal pronouns.
Practice Exercises: Personal Pronouns
Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Personal Pronoun
Choose the correct personal pronoun to complete each sentence.
- Sarah invited Tom, but ______ didn’t reply.
- This gift is for Anna. Please give it to ______.
- My brother and I are ready. ______ will leave now.
- The dog is hungry. ______ needs food.
- That phone isn’t mine. It belongs to ______.
- Emma likes John, but John doesn’t like ______.
- My parents are busy. ______ are working late tonight.
- Is this seat taken, or can I sit next to ______?
Answers – Exercise 1
- he
- her
- We
- It
- him
- her
- They
- you
Exercise 2: Identify the Type of Personal Pronoun
For each sentence, identify whether the highlighted pronoun is a subject pronoun, object pronoun, or possessive form.
- She works at a local hospital.
- The teacher thanked us for our help.
- This is my notebook, not yours.
- The manager called them this morning.
- They don’t understand the instructions.
- That house is ours.
- Please send him the updated file.
- Her idea was accepted by the team.
Answers – Exercise 2
- Subject pronoun
- Object pronoun
- Possessive adjective
- Object pronoun
- Subject pronoun
- Possessive pronoun
- Object pronoun
- Possessive adjective