Personal pronouns are an important topic for English learners—these small words carry a lot of meaning! They include words like I, him, and ours, and they help communicate who or what you're referring to, how many people or objects you are talking about, and sometimes the gender of the people involved.
Here's what you need to know about the different personal pronouns in English!
In this post:
What are personal pronouns in English?
All the personal pronouns in English
Tips for using personal pronouns in English
What are personal pronouns in English?
Like all pronouns, personal pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. For example, instead of repeating the book every time we refer to it, we can use other words to replace the book but mean the same thing, as in I just bought a new book, but I can't find it. After you've already made clear what you're talking about, you can use a pronoun to refer back to it.
In many ways, personal pronouns in English work differently than they do in other languages. To use the right pronoun, you'll need to know:
- the grammatical person (1st, 2nd, or 3rd person)
- whether the pronoun is for a single person or object or multiple people or objects
- the gender (for people and some animals)
- the role of the word in the sentence (like whether it's a subject or object)
All the personal pronouns in English
Here are the 4 most important kinds of personal pronouns in English: subject pronouns, object pronouns, reflexive pronouns, and possessive pronouns.
| Person | Subject pronoun | Object pronoun | Reflexive pronoun | Possessive pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | I | me | myself | mine |
| 2nd singular | you | you | yourself | yours |
| 3rd singular | he she it |
him her it |
himself herself itself |
his hers its |
| 1st plural | we | us | ourselves | ours |
| 2nd plural | you (you all, y'all, ye, yinz, you guys) |
you (you all, y'all, ye, yinz, you guys) |
yourselves (y'all's selves) |
yours (y'all's, yinz's, you guys's) |
| 3rd plural | they | them | themselves | theirs |
As you can see, there's a lot of variation when it comes to talking directly to a group of people (the "second person plural"). Different dialects use different forms, depending on region and formality, and the ones in the chart are those you're most likely to encounter. For example, Duolingo is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and you might hear Pittsburghers say yinz for the second person plural. It can be useful for learners to recognize multiple forms, but it's fine for you to use just one in your own English!
When to use personal pronouns in English
Here are the basics you need to know to use and understand the different types of English personal pronouns:
Subject pronouns
Subject pronouns replace the subject of the verb—the person or thing doing the action. In English sentences, subject pronouns always come before the verb, although the order is different for questions.
In English, you have to use subject pronouns—they can't be left out of a sentence like in Spanish. This can be a little different in casual conversation, but it's safer to always use a subject pronoun.
- The green owl eats as much as an elephant! He is always hungry.
- Oscar and I are going to Seattle next week. We are so excited!
- Vikram just bought 12 watermelons. They fill up our whole refrigerator.
Object pronouns
Object pronouns replace a noun that is the object of a verb or a noun that comes after a preposition. In English, object pronouns always go after the verb. English doesn't distinguish between direct and indirect object pronouns, like some languages do, so you might notice differences between English and other languages you know!
- I like my eggs well done. Please cook them longer than usual.
- My dad Eddy is picking me up today, so I'll see him after school.
- Are you coming tonight? The party won't be the same without you!
Reflexive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns refer back to the person or thing doing the action in cases where the same person or thing is both subject and object. These pronouns go after the verb or preposition and will match the subject in person, singular or plural, and gender. Reflexive pronouns can also be used for emphasis.
- The baby likes to see himself in the mirror.
- I was so proud of myself after throwing the surprise party!
- We can't help but look at ourselves during the whole Zoom meeting…
Possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns show possession or ownership. They replace the whole noun, and which possessive pronoun you use has everything to do with the person who possesses the thing—and nothing to do with the thing being possessed.
- I just bought 2 delicious cupcakes. You can have one, but don't touch mine!
- The referees locked their bikes near Dawn's bike. Hers is red, and theirs are both black.
- My boyfriend's family dinners are so calm, but ours are always quite animated.
Possessive adjectives
Another word closely related to possessive pronouns are possessive adjectives (also called possessive determiners). While possessive pronouns take the place of a noun, possessive adjectives are used with a noun to show ownership or possession. They come before the noun they describe (as in my trip) or before any adjectives about the noun (as in my exciting trip).
Just like with possessive pronouns, it's the person who owns or possesses the noun that matters when choosing which form to use.
| Person | Subject pronoun | Possessive pronoun | Possessive adjective |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | I | mine | my |
| 2nd singular | you | yours | your |
| 3rd singular | he she it |
his hers its |
his her its |
| 1st plural | we | ours | our |
| 2nd plural | you (you all, y'all, ye, yinz, you guys) |
yours (y'all's, yinz's, you guys's) |
your (y'all's, yinz's, you guys's) |
| 3rd plural | they | theirs | their |
- My friend and I write Duolingo fanfic together. Our fanfic is hilarious.
- I can't believe you and Lin got another turtle. Y'all's whole paycheck must go to y'all's turtles!
- My boss's notes are illegible. I can never read her handwriting!
Tips for using personal pronouns in English
There are many kinds of personal pronouns, but you can use these useful strategies to help you learn them:
- Remember gender! For many English learners, gendered pronouns can be hard to use and remember. English pronouns only have gender differences for the 3rd person singular (he-him-his-his and she-her-hers-her).
- Look for patterns. Most English personal pronouns start with the same letter: The forms that go with he all start with "h," the forms that go with they all start with "th," etc. There are a few exceptions, though! Study the pronouns with clear patterns separately from the others to get practice with which forms go together.
- Forget formality. Unlike many languages, English personal pronouns don't change depending on the formality of the situation or who is using them. There are words and expressions to make English sound more polite or formal—but you won't change the pronouns!
- They vs. it. In English, it and its different forms are always used for objects and often for animals that you don't have a connection to (like out in the wild 🐻). If you're talking about a person but don't know their gender or it's not relevant, you'll use they (and never it). They is also the pronoun used by many non-binary people.
Personal pronouns help you communicate efficiently!
English is filled with personal pronouns, and because they are so common, you'll get lots of practice with them. Pay attention to them the next time you do your Duolingo lessons or listen to a Duolingo Podcast, and see if you can identify whether you're using a subject, object, reflexive, or possessive form. The more you practice, the more quickly you'll be able to use them!
