Pronouns

Pronouns are words that replace nouns. Instead of saying a person’s name over and over, we use pronouns.

This lesson also includes possessive adjectives like my and your because learners often study them together with pronouns.

Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns do the action. They come before the verb.

Person	Singular	Plural
First	I	we
Second	you	you
Third	he / she / it	they

• I am a student.
• She is my sister.
• They are my friends.

Note: The pronoun I is always capitalized, even in the middle of a sentence.

Object Pronouns

Object pronouns receive the action. They come after the verb or preposition.

Person	Singular	Plural
First	me	us
Second	you	you
Third	him / her / it	them

• Maria called me.
• I like him.
• She talked to them.

Important: Never use me in a subject position. Say My friend and I are here., not My friend and me are here.

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives show that something belongs to someone. They always come before a noun.

Person	Singular	Plural
First	my	our
Second	your	your
Third	his / her / its	their

• This is my book.
• That is her pen.
• Those are their bags.

Important: Possessive adjectives are not used alone.

• ✓ This is my book.
• ✗ This is my.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns also show ownership, but they stand alone. They never come before a noun.

Person	Singular	Plural
First	mine	ours
Second	yours	yours
Third	his / hers	theirs

• This book is mine. (= This is my book.)
• That pen is hers. (= That is her pen.)
• Those bags are theirs. (= Those are their bags.)

Note: Possessive adjectives are more common than possessive pronouns.

Its vs. It’s

These two forms look similar, but they mean different things.

Form	Meaning	Example
its	belonging to it	The dog is in its bed.
it's	it is / it has	It's cold today.

If you can say it is, write it's. If you mean possession, write its.

Quick Reference

Subject	Object	Possessive Adjective	Possessive Pronoun
I	me	my	mine
you	you	your	yours
he	him	his	his
she	her	her	hers
it	it	its	—
we	us	our	ours
they	them	their	theirs

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Common Mistakes

Mistake	Better	Why
Me am a student.	I am a student.	Use a subject pronoun before the verb.
I like she.	I like her.	Use an object pronoun after the verb.
This is mine book.	This is my book.	Use a possessive adjective before a noun.
The cat is in it's bed.	The cat is in its bed.	Its means belonging to it.

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Practice

Exercise 1 — Subject Pronouns

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___ is my brother. (Tom)

AHeBHimCHis

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Summary

• Pronouns replace nouns so you do not repeat the same name again and again.
• Use subject pronouns before verbs: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
• Use object pronouns after verbs or prepositions: me, you, him, her, it, us, them.
• Use possessive adjectives before nouns: my book, your bag, their house.
• Use possessive pronouns alone: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs.
• Remember the difference between its (belonging to it) and it's (it is / it has).

Keep practicing by replacing names and nouns with the correct pronouns.