One person, many forms
English pronouns change form depending on their job: subject, object, possessive, or reflexive. Choosing the right form is one of the quickest ways to sound accurate.
| Subject | Object | Possessive adjective | Possessive pronoun | Reflexive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | me | my | mine | myself |
| you | you | your | yours | yourself |
| he | him | his | his | himself |
| she | her | her | hers | herself |
| it | it | its | — | itself |
| we | us | our | ours | ourselves |
| they | them | their | theirs | themselves |
Shesubject
gaveverb
meobject
herpossessive adjective
book.noun
The book is
hers.possessive pronoun
Rule
Use them like this
- Subject pronouns come before the verb: They live here.
- Object pronouns come after a verb or preposition: Call me. Give it to them.
- Possessive adjectives come before a noun: my bag, their house.
- Possessive pronouns stand alone (no noun after them): This bag is mine.
- Reflexive pronouns show the subject and object are the same: I cut myself.
- Its (possession) has no apostrophe: The dog wagged its tail. It’s = it is / it has.
- Use ’s for possession with nouns: Tom’s book, the children’s toys, the boys’ room.
Lots of examples
- She likes him, but he likes her sister.Subject / object / possessive.
- Could you help me?Object.
- This is my pen, and that one is yours.Possessive adjective / pronoun.
- Their house is bigger than ours.Their / ours.
- The cat is washing itself.Reflexive.
- He taught himself to play the guitar.Reflexive.
- She gave us her old laptop.Object + possessive.
- Is this umbrella yours or mine?Possessive pronouns.
- It’s raining, and the dog is wet. Its fur is soaked.It’s vs its.
- This is Maria’s bag and those are the students’ books.Possessive ’s.
- Between you and me, I think it’s a mistake.Object after between.
- We enjoyed ourselves at the party.Reflexive.
Don’t say / Say
Don’t sayMe and him went.
SayHe and I went.Why: Subject pronouns before the verb.
Don’t sayThis is her’s.
SayThis is hers.Why: No apostrophe in hers, yours, ours, theirs.
Don’t sayThe dog wagged it’s tail.
SayThe dog wagged its tail.Why: Its = possession.
Don’t sayGive it to I.
SayGive it to me.Why: Object after a preposition.
Don’t sayI enjoyed me at the party.
SayI enjoyed myself at the party.Why: Reflexive for same person.