Today, we have an important subject to cover for all learners: subject pronouns! In English, these can replace full nouns, and it's important to be able to recognize and use them. Many subject pronoun forms look similar to the other personal pronouns, like object pronouns and possessive pronouns, but not always! And most importantly: Subject pronouns generally can't be left out of a sentence in English, like in some languages.

Here's everything you need to know about English subject pronouns.

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What are subject pronouns in English?

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Subject pronouns are personal pronouns that replace the subject of the verb.

For example, instead of repeating my little sister over and over in a conversation, you can also use she. So you could say My little sister is messy. She never cleans her room. Subject pronouns like “she” are used for the person or thing doing the action of the sentence. If the person or thing is receiving the action of the sentence, make sure to use object pronouns instead.

In English, subject pronouns always come before the verb (except in questions, where they have a slightly different word order) and can't be left out of the sentence like they can in Spanish.

Here are a few examples of subject pronouns—notice how they are the subject of the sentence and that they come before the verb:

  • The customers arrived before the store opened. They had to wait a few minutes.
  • Normally the journalist works from home, but today she is at the office.
  • Hey, Zari and Lily! You all left your bags on the bus!

What are the different subject pronouns in English?

English subject pronouns change depending on whether the noun they’re referring to is singular or plural, and whether it’s in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person:

PERSON SUBJECT PRONOUN
1st singular I
2nd singular you
3rd singular he
she
it
1st plural we
2nd plural you
3rd plural they

Note that while “you” is the most common subject pronoun for 2nd person plural, regional variations exist in informal language, including you all, y’all, ye, yinz, and you guys.


The 3rd person plural pronoun they is also sometimes used for a singular third person subject. For example, if you don’t know the gender of a person, or if the gender is irrelevant, you could say I’m sure someone will be there and they’ll be able to help us. In this scenario, they signals that you’re not sure who will be there, and whether it will be someone you’d use he or she for.


They is also the singular pronoun some nonbinary people use. So if someone doesn’t identify with the pronoun she or he, you could say I’m sure Ash will be there and they’ll be able to help us.

Tips for using subject pronouns in English

There are four important points to remember about subject pronouns in English:

1) Subject pronouns go before verbs.
In regular sentences, the subject pronoun will always go before the verb (although in questions, the rule is more complicated). English doesn't have much flexibility when it comes to word order, so look before the verb to find the subject!

2) Subject pronouns are not optional.
This one is important, so we’re saying it again! Subject pronouns are required—English verbs don't change to show who is doing an action, so those subject pronouns are really helpful and can't be omitted like in other languages.

3) It is used as a “dummy” pronoun.
In English, it is used to refer to things and animals that aren't pets, but it is also a placeholder, or “dummy,” pronoun. For general statements, where in some languages we'd have no pronoun at all, you'll use it in English: for example, It is nice to meet you and It’s not easy to learn grammar rules. You’ll also use it in statements about the weather, like It is sunny and It’s going to rain tomorrow.


4) For some subjects, gender matters.
If your subject is a person in the third person singular, you’ll need to pay attention to their gender. You use she for a woman, he for a man, it for animals that aren’t pets, and they if a person’s gender is unknown or irrelevant, or if they use gender-neutral pronouns.

Subject pronouns are responsible for all the action

Understanding subject pronouns and how to select the right form will help you communicate in English—and they will help you learn the other personal pronoun forms, too!

Examples of subject pronouns in English

  • Today at work, I have to give a presentation about owls on TikTok.
  • Can you help me practice my talk?
  • My boss will be there, and he makes me nervous.
  • But his boss loves TikTok, so she will be excited.
  • We watched a video of an owl in a forest, and it hunted all night long.
  • In the talk, I show a clip of a cute baby owl—she makes the funniest little sounds!
  • If someone asks about the twerking, they won’t get an answer.
  • No, we never know what TikTok owls will do next.
  • If you all open the app right now, an owl could be in your feed!
  • It’s true—they are unpredictable.