Pronouns
Pronouns are small words that we use in place of a noun. We use them a lot in English. You probably already use some of them (I, she, it).
There are three types of pronouns:
- Subject pronouns;
- Object pronouns;
- Possessive pronouns.
| Subject Pronoun | Object Pronoun | Possessive Pronoun |
|---|---|---|
| I | me | mine |
| we | us | ours |
| you | you | yours |
| they | them | theirs |
| he | him | his |
| she | her | hers |
| it | it | its |
Pronouns
Subject Pronouns
We use a subject pronoun when the noun we are replacing is the subject of the sentence.
John plays tennis.
He plays tennis.
Object Pronouns
We use an object pronoun when the noun we are replacing is the object of the sentence.
I saw Kate yesterday.
I saw her yesterday.
Possessive Pronouns
We use possessive pronouns to replace a possessive noun.
Using Pronouns
When writing or speaking you should use the noun to introduce someone or something. You can replace the noun with a pronoun after you have introduced the person or thing you are talking about.
I saw Kate yesterday. She looked happy.
In the first sentence we introduce Kate. In the second sentence we talk about Kate, and replace the noun ‘Kate’ with the subject pronoun ‘she’.John and I are having dinner with friends tomorrow. We are meeting them at seven o’clock.
In the first sentence we introduce John and I, and friends. In the second sentence we replace ‘John and I’ with the subject pronoun ‘we’, and we replace ‘friends’ with the object pronoun ’them’.Talking About Yourself
You always use pronouns to talk about yourself. You don’t need to introduce yourself first.
I like tennis.
John met me after work.
That bag is mine.