All about personal pronouns.
All children use pronouns without even thinking.
The important thing is that they recognise the words in the table below as being pronouns and not particularly that they know all the jargon and the technical, grammar nerd differences between them.
Personal pronouns are used to represent people or objects, animals, etc. The personal pronouns are: I, you, he, she, it, we and they.
Native English speakers will get the right personal pronoun without thinking but we all select a personal pronoun having automatically considered the following:
- Number – is the personal pronoun representing something singular or plural.
- Person – Is the personal pronoun representing something in the first, second or third person
- Gender – is the personal pronoun representing something male, female, or without any gender.
- Case – is the personal pronoun representing something which is a subject or an object?
The Personal Pronouns and Their Possessive Versions
| Person | Subjective Case | Objective Case | Possessive Case Absolute Possessive Pronouns |
Possessive Case Possessive Adjective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Person Singular | I | me | mine | my |
| Second Person Singular | you | you | yours | your |
| Third Person Singular | he she it | him her it | his hers its | his her its |
| First Person Plural | we | us | ours | our |
| Second Person Plural | you | you | yours | your |
| Third Person Plural | they | them | theirs | their |
Subjective Personal Pronouns
The pronouns in the list above which are the pronouns we use for the subjects of verbs. They are I, you, he, she, it, we and they.
He is silly.
They are going to the cinema
Objective Personal Pronouns
The objective personal pronouns are me, you, him, her, it, us, and them.
These are the versions used when the personal pronouns are objects of verbs:
- I have never heard of him.
- Mum gave them some sandwiches.
- Suzanne had a dog and took it to school.
Possessive Case Absolute Possessive Pronouns
These are : my, your, his, hers, its, our and their.
- You can’t borrow that pen because it’s mine.
- I cant find mobile can I borrow yours?
- My sister’s house is bigger than ours.
Possessive Case Possessive Adjectives
Obviously these are adjectives not pronouns but I include them hare cos it’s related and it feels right that I should:
- Have you seen my cat?
- Every dog has its day.
- Dad gave the children their tea because mum was out.