Personal pronouns and possessive adjectives
Learn subject and object pronouns, possessive adjectives, possessive and reflexive pronouns in one table, plus its or it's and their, there or they're.
In this lesson
Personal pronouns are words like I, you, he, she, it, we and they that replace a noun so we do not repeat it. Possessive adjectives, such as my, your and their, come before a noun to show who something belongs to: This is my bag. The form changes with its job in the sentence.
Key point
Use subject pronouns (I, she, they) before the verb and object pronouns (me, her, them) after a verb or preposition. Use a possessive adjective (my, her, their) before a noun, and a possessive pronoun (mine, hers, theirs) on its own.
What are the pronoun forms in English?
Each person has five forms. Learn this table across each row, and you will have all the pronouns and possessive words you need at A1 and A2.
| Subject pronoun | Object pronoun | Possessive adjective | Possessive pronoun | Reflexive pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | me | my | mine | myself |
| you (one person) | you | your | yours | yourself |
| he | him | his | his | himself |
| she | her | her | hers | herself |
| it | it | its | (rarely used) | itself |
| we | us | our | ours | ourselves |
| you (two or more people) | you | your | yours | yourselves |
| they | them | their | theirs | themselves |
How do you use subject pronouns?
A subject pronoun is the person or thing that does the action. It usually comes before the verb. Every English sentence needs a subject, so do not leave the pronoun out. With the verb be we say I am, she is and they are, as you can see in our lesson on am, is and are.
Examples
- Nimal is my friend. He lives in Kandy.
- Sanduni and I are classmates. We study together.
- Where is my phone? It is on the table.
We also use it as a subject for weather, time and distance: It is hot today. It is six o’clock. It is a long way from Colombo to Jaffna.
Common mistake
Is raining again. → It is raining again. English always needs a subject, even when it does not refer to a real thing.
How do you use object pronouns?
An object pronoun receives the action. It comes after a verb, or after a preposition such as to, with, for or about.
Examples
- I called Sanduni and invited her to dinner.
- Can you help me, please?
- These flowers are for you.
- We visited our grandparents and stayed with them for a week.
Tip
Not sure whether to say Nimal and I or Nimal and me? Take away the other person and test the sentence. I went to Kandy, so Nimal and I went to Kandy. She invited me, so She invited Nimal and me.
What are possessive adjectives?
Possessive adjectives show who owns something. They always come before a noun, and they do not change when the noun is plural: my book, my books. We do not use a, an or the with them, so we say my car, not the my car. Read more about this in our lesson on articles: a, an and the.
Examples
- This is my brother, Nimal.
- Sanduni loves her new job in Colombo.
- The dog is wagging its tail.
- Our house is near Galle Fort.
- The students left their bags in the classroom.
Common mistake
Sanduni is visiting his grandmother. → Sanduni is visiting her grandmother. Choose his or her by the owner, not by the thing or person that is owned.
What are possessive pronouns?
A possessive pronoun takes the place of a possessive adjective and its noun, so it stands alone. This bag is mine means This is my bag. Never put a noun after a possessive pronoun.
Examples
- This seat is mine.
- Is this pen yours?
- Nimal’s car is old, but ours is new.
- That umbrella isn’t hers. It’s his.
Note
Possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives never have an apostrophe. Write yours, hers, ours, theirs and its, not your’s, her’s or their’s.
What are reflexive pronouns?
Reflexive pronouns end in -self (singular) or -selves (plural). Use them when the subject and the object are the same person, or to say that someone did something without help.
Examples
- I hurt myself playing cricket.
- Sanduni taught herself to play the guitar.
- Help yourselves to the food, everyone!
- We painted the house ourselves.
Its or it’s? Their, there or they’re?
These words sound the same, but they have different meanings and spellings. They cause many writing mistakes, even for native speakers.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| its | belonging to it | The cat is eating its food. |
| it’s | short for it is or it has | It’s hot today. It’s been a long week. |
| their | belonging to them | They sold their old car. |
| there | in that place, or there is and there are | Put the box over there. There are two parks in our town. |
| they’re | short for they are | They’re from Galle. |
Common mistake
The company changed it’s name. → The company changed its name. Its shows possession and has no apostrophe.
Tip
Try saying it is or they are in the gap. If the sentence still makes sense, write it’s or they’re. If not, write its or their. Learn more short forms in our lesson on contracted forms.
Practise pronouns and possessive adjectives
Choose the right form for each sentence. You will see the answer and a short explanation after each question.
Pronouns also change the verb: we say I work but she works, which you can practise in our lesson on the simple present tense. For a fuller reference, read the Cambridge Dictionary guide to personal pronouns, its guide to reflexive pronouns and the British Council grammar reference on personal pronouns.
Summary
- Subject pronouns (I, he, they) come before the verb; object pronouns (me, him, them) come after a verb or preposition.
- Possessive adjectives (my, his, their) always go before a noun.
- Possessive pronouns (mine, his, theirs) stand alone, with no noun after them.
- Reflexive pronouns (myself, themselves) are for when the subject and object are the same.
- Do not mix up its and it’s, or their, there and they’re: its and their show possession.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between my and mine?
My comes before a noun: This is my phone. Mine stands alone, with no noun after it: This phone is mine.
Is it “Nimal and I” or “Nimal and me”?
Use Nimal and I as the subject: Nimal and I went to Kandy. Use Nimal and me as the object: She invited Nimal and me.
When do I use its and when do I use it’s?
Its shows possession: The tree lost its leaves. It’s is short for it is or it has: It’s late.
Can I use they for one person?
Yes. We often use they, them and their for one person when we do not know if the person is a man or a woman: Someone left their umbrella here. Some people also prefer to be called they.
Practise this lesson
12 questions
