Personal Pronouns

A1 · BeginnerPronouns

Pronouns like I, you, and they stand in for a noun so you don't have to repeat the same name again and again. Learn the seven subject pronouns, how "it" works for weather and time, and why "they" is the normal, everyday word for one person too.

What you'll learn

  • The seven subject pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
  • A quick preview of object pronouns (me, him, her...) — just enough to recognize them
  • "It" for objects, weather, time, and situations ("It's raining.", "It's 3 o'clock.")
  • Singular "they" for one person — standard, everyday modern English

The core idea

A pronoun is a short word that stands in for a noun, so you don't have to repeat a name over and over. Instead of "Maria texted Maria's manager because Maria was running late," you say "Maria texted her manager because she was running late."

I, you, he, she, it, we, and they do this job for the subject of a sentence — the person or thing doing the action.

The seven subject pronouns

I = the speaker. You = the person you're talking to (one person or a group). He = one male person. She = one female person. It = one thing, animal, or idea. We = the speaker plus at least one other person. They = more than one person or thing — and also one person of unknown or unspecified gender (more on that below).

A subject pronoun sits right before the verb, the same spot the noun it replaces would sit: "Jake is late." → "He is late." "My keys are gone." → "They are gone."

"Jake is late."
"He is late."
"My keys are gone."
"They are gone."

A quick preview: object pronouns

You'll also see short forms like me, him, her, us, and them in everyday English — these are object pronouns, used after a verb or after words like "to" and "with": "Call me." "She's with him." "Give it to us."

For now, just learn to recognize them when you see them. A later lesson covers exactly when to use a subject pronoun versus an object pronoun.

"She's with him."
"Give it to us."

"It" for objects, weather, time, and situations

Use "it" for a thing, but also for weather, time, and general situations, even when there's no obvious "thing" being named: "It's raining." "It's 3 o'clock." "It's my turn." "It's getting late."

English uses "it" here no matter what word your own language would use, or even if your language wouldn't use a pronoun at all. Don't try to match "it" to a gender from your own language — in English, weather, time, and situations simply take "it."

"It's raining."
"It's 3 o'clock."
"It's my turn."
"It's getting late."

Singular "they"

"They" is the normal, everyday word for one person when you don't know their gender, haven't been told it, or it doesn't matter: "Someone left their phone here — I hope they come back for it." "The new hire starts Monday; they'll sit next to Priya."

This isn't a special or unusual rule. English speakers use singular "they" constantly in conversation and writing, for strangers, customers, and anyone whose gender isn't the point of the sentence.

"Someone left their phone here — I hope they come back for it."
"The new hire starts Monday; they'll sit next to Priya."

Real English

"I'm running five minutes late — can you let them know?"
"She's picking up coffee; we'll meet her at the office."
"It's freezing outside, so they moved the picnic indoors."
"He texted me the address, and now I have it saved."

Watch out

✗Is snowing again.
✓It's snowing again.

English almost always states the subject. Speakers of languages that drop the subject when it's obvious from the verb often forget "it" here — English needs it anyway.

✗Him works with me at the clinic.
✓He works with me at the clinic.

Before a verb, use a subject pronoun (he, she, they) — save him/her/them for after the verb, which a later lesson covers in full.

✗My sister called and he said she's running late.
✓My sister called and she said she's running late.

Once you've established who you're talking about, keep the pronoun consistent with that person.

✗Every guest should bring his ticket.
✓Every guest should bring their ticket.

Modern English doesn't default to "he" when the person could be anyone. "Their" is the natural, standard choice here.

Real life — Meeting a new coworker

"This is Jordan — they just joined the design team." "Nice to meet you! Are you settling in okay?" "Yes, thanks. It's my first week, so it's still a bit overwhelming."

Practice

Exercise 1 · Choose the correct sentence

Which sentence correctly replaces "Marcus" with a pronoun?

Exercise 2 · Choose the correct sentence

Which sentence correctly replaces "my keys" with a pronoun?

Exercise 3 · Choose the correct sentence

Which sentence is correct?

Exercise 4 · Choose the correct sentence

Maria and Sofia are sisters. Which sentence describes them correctly?

Exercise 5 · Choose the correct sentence

A customer left an umbrella at the front desk, but we don't know the customer's name yet. Which sentence is correct?

Exercise 6 · Sort into groups

I
he
she
it
we
they

0 / 6 sorted

Exercise 7 · Build the sentence

?????

Exercise 8 · Build the sentence

?????

Exercise 9 · Complete the sentence

Complete the sentence about a coworker named Alex, who uses they/them: "Alex is running late, but ___ will be here by nine."

Exercise 10 · Complete the sentence

Complete the sentence with the correct pronoun: "___ raining again today." (weather — use a contraction)

Exercise 11 · Complete the sentence

Complete the sentence: "My parents live nearby, so ___ visit every weekend."

Exercise 12 · Fix the mistake

Fix the mistake and type the correct sentence: "Is your turn to choose the movie."

Exercise 13 · Fix the mistake

Fix the mistake and type the correct sentence: "My brother is out sick, so him will call back tomorrow."

Exercise 14 · Real-life scenario

You're introducing two new coworkers, Priya and Tom, to the team. Which sentence is correct?

Exercise 15 · Real-life scenario

You're filling out a delivery log. The customer's name wasn't given, only "the customer." Complete the note: "The customer called and said ___ would be home after 5."

Exercise 16 · Real-life scenario

You just found the last parking spot right in front of the store. What do you say to your friend?

Quick challenge

Five mixed questions to check what stuck.

Question 1 / 5

Score: 0/0

Your friend Sam (who uses they/them) is running a 5K this weekend. Which sentence is correct?

You learned

  • I, you, he, she, it, we, and they are the seven subject pronouns — they replace a noun as the subject of a sentence.
  • Object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) come after the verb; a separate lesson covers exactly when to use each.
  • Use "it" for things, and also for weather, time, and situations: It's raining. It's 3 o'clock. It's my turn.
  • "They" is the standard, everyday pronoun for one person of unknown, unspecified, or irrelevant gender — not just for groups.
  • English almost always states the subject pronoun — don't drop it, even when it feels obvious from context.

Related grammar lessons

BeginnerPronouns

Subject vs Object Pronouns

Learn when to use subject pronouns like I, he, and they, and when to switch to object pronouns like me, him, and them — based on where the pronoun sits in the sentence.

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Possessive Pronouns

Learn the six standalone possessive pronouns — mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs — how they replace a whole "my/your + noun" phrase, why none of them ever takes an apostrophe, and why "its" doesn't work the same way.

BeginnerPronouns

Possessive Adjectives vs Possessive Pronouns

Learn the one rule that separates my, your, his, her, its, our, their from mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs — whether a noun comes right after the possessive word, or nothing does.

ElementaryPronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

Learn the eight English reflexive pronouns — myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves — how to use them for reflexive meaning and emphasis, and the overcorrection mistake to avoid.

View all lessons in this category