LoginSubject Pronouns
This comprehensive lesson covers Subject Pronouns in English with detailed examples and a quiz to test your knowledge.
What Are Subject Pronouns?
A subject pronoun (also called a subjective pronoun) is a pronoun that takes the place of the subject of a sentence. The subject of a sentence is the word or group of words that tells us who or what the sentence is about. By using subject pronouns, speakers and writers can help to make their language more concise and avoid repetition.
English Subject Pronouns
There are seven main subject pronouns:
Take a look at some examples:
Sarah is tall and she is cute.
Here, instead of repeating the name 'Sarah,' a subject pronoun is used.
Michael called me. He said he needs money.
The primary purpose of subject pronouns in English is to avoid repetition and redundancy.
Subject Pronoun 'You'
Second Person Singular and Plural
In English, the same pronoun is used for both the second person singular and plural. While this may seem odd at first, it is because the focus is on addressing the person or group being spoken to, rather than emphasizing their number. However, in certain contexts, it may be necessary to emphasize the number of people being addressed. In these cases, the phrase 'you all' can be used to clarify the number of people being addressed.
You all need to work harder if you want to succeed.
In this example, the speaker is putting emphasis on addressing all the people who hear this sentence.
Generic or Impersonal 'You'
In addition to being used as a personal pronoun, 'you' can also be used as an impersonal pronoun in certain contexts. In this case, it does not address or refer to a specific person, but rather represents a general law or situation. Look at this example:
You cannot smoke here.
In this example, 'you' refers to all people in general.
Third-Person Singular Pronouns
Third-person singular has three forms in the subject case: 'he,' 'she,' and 'it.' This is one of the only cases in the English language where gender plays a role in grammar. In English, the grammatical gender of a noun is usually neutral; however, there are some important exceptions:
Third-person Pronoun 'She'
'She' is generally used to refer to a girl or a woman. It is also used to refer to a car or a ship. For animals, we can use 'she' if the gender is known, especially when we want to emphasize the gender of the animal. Take a look at these examples:
I love my new Cadillac. She is such a great ride.
In this example, 'she' refers to a car.
The Titanic was built in April 1912 and she sank on her very first voyage.
'She' here refers to a ship.
My sister's cat is so calm, she is always sleepy.
'She' here refers to a female cat.
Third-person Pronoun 'He'
'He' is used to refer to a boy or a man, but it can also be used to refer to God. When referring to animals, 'he' follows the same rules as 'she.' Take a look at the following examples:
Andrew is a workaholic. He needs to take it easy and rest for a while.
'He' here refers to a man.
Many religions refer to God as an almighty being; they believe He can solve all problems.
'He' here refers to God.
Warning
When referring to God using the pronoun 'He,' it is customary to capitalize the first letter. This rule applies regardless of where the pronouns appears in a sentence
Third-person Pronoun 'It'
The pronoun 'it' is commonly used to refer to inanimate objects, animals, and other non-human entities in English. While 'it' is not normally used to refer to people, an exception is made for babies before their gender is known. Pay attention to the following examples:
I like this book; I think it's really interesting.
'It' refers to an object.
Jason saw a sick cat; it was not in good shape.
'It' here refers to an animal.
Chris and I are having a baby and I feel like it's a boy.
'It' here refers to a baby.
Warning
Using 'it' to refer to adults can be impolite, be careful when using this pronoun for people.
'It' as a Dummy Pronoun
'It' can also act as a dummy pronoun that has no antecedent or referent. It does not refer to anything specific and is used simply to fulfill the grammatical function of a subject or object in a sentence. Dummy 'it' is usually used in sentences to talk about time, weather, date, etc. Take a look at the following examples:
Sam took his umbrella because it was raining.
Here, 'it' is used to talk about weather.
It was in the 1920s that America suffered from the Great Depression.
Here, 'it' is used to talk about a date.
It's 2 o'clock.
Here, 'it' is used to talk about a time.
Third-person Plural Pronoun 'They'
Impersonal 'They'
When referring to people in general or to institutions, organizations, or governments, the pronoun 'they' is often used in English. This is because in such cases, the speaker or writer is referring to a group of people or an entity as a whole, rather than individual members. Using 'they' to refer to groups of people or organizations helps to depersonalize the subject matter and emphasize the collective nature of the group.
Here are some examples:
The United Nations should not stay silent. They need to take action.
'They' here refers to an organization (The United Nations).
Amazon has a few problems with shipment; they need to fix it if they don't want to lose their customers.
'They' here is referring to a company (Amazon).
Using 'They' to Avoid Gender
In situations where an individual's gender is unknown or irrelevant, the use of gender-neutral language can be helpful. One common way to do this in English is to use the pronoun 'they' in place of 'he' or 'she.'
'We'll do anything to find the suspect. They cannot run away forever,' said Sergeant Clarke.
Alex loves to travel. They take photos of all the places they visit.
Tip!
Apart from their use as subject of the sentence, subject pronouns can also be used as predicate nominative with "to be" as a linking verb. However, this usage is very formal and in most everyday contexts the object pronoun is preferred. Look at the examples:
The person who called the police was I.
This is the formal and strictly grammatical form.
The person who called the police was me.
This is the preferred form in informal contexts.
Review
Subject pronouns are used as the subject of a sentence. They usually refer back to a noun as the subject of a clause. There are different subject pronouns with different uses but they are mainly seven in number. Check out the table:
First person | Second person | Third person | |
|---|---|---|---|
Singular | I | You | He/She/It |
Plural | We | You | They |
Quiz:
Which pronoun is correctly used as a subject when addressing an individual or a group?
they
I
you
she/he
Which sentence accurately employs a subject pronoun to refer to a group?
Their planning a trip to the museum next weekend.
They are planning a trip to the museum next weekend.
Them are planning a trip to the museum next weekend.
Those are planning a trip to the museum next weekend.
Sort the words to form a correct sentence.
Fill the table by choosing the correct pronoun for each description. (One option is used twice.)
| Usage | Pronoun |
|---|---|
Used to refer to a baby when the gender is unknown | |
Used to refer to God | |
Used to avoid assuming somone's gender | |
Used to talk about time or weather as a dummy pronoun | |
Used to refer to a ship or car | |
Used impersonally to talk about a general situation |
Fill the blanks with the suitable pronoun.
Michael is a great chef.
cooks amazing meals.
The sun is shining brightly.
is a beautiful day.
The company announced new policies.
want to improve customer service.
can't walk away from your responsibilities.
The cruise ship is docking soon.
traveled across the Atlantic.
Comments
(0)
Recommended
