Semantics and structural types of pronoun

Chapter II. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
2.1 Use of Personal Pronouns

When you replace a noun with a pronoun, the noun that is replaced is called the antecedent. The pronoun selected must agree with its antecedent. Paying close attention to the antecedent will help you choose the correct personal pronoun.

singular - President Obama delivered a speech on health care reform. He spoke for more than an hour. ("President Obama" is the singular antecedent to the personal pronoun "he.")
plural - Paul and Jane were new to the area, but they already felt at home. (There are two subjects, "Paul and Jane," so the plural pronoun "they" is needed here. As Paul and Jane are the subjects of the sentence, "they" is the correct choice rather than "them.")
Subject and Object: Personal Pronouns Cases
There are two cases of personal pronouns: subject pronouns and object pronouns.
Subject Pronouns
Subject pronouns include I, you, she, he, it, we, and they. Subject pronouns replace the name of the subject in the sentence. For example:
I went to the mall.
You are the love of my life.
He studied hard but still failed the test.
She went to a party with friends.
Is the puppy male or female? It is a girl.
We want to register to vote.
They are not in charge here.
Object Pronouns
Object pronouns include me, you, her, him, it, us, and them. Object pronouns take the place of the object in the sentence (that is, the noun that receives the action in a sentence). Object pronouns are used as both direct objects and indirect objects. For example:
Give the cookie to me.
Dad will help you soon.
Sing a song to help her sleep.
My mom will drive him home.
I had to pay full price for it because I lost the coupon.
She is going to loan her car to us.
The carrots went bad so we had to throw them away.
Choosing I vs. Me
Choosing between the subject pronoun "I" and the object pronoun "me" can be tricky. Review these examples to make sure you know when to use I or me in a sentence.
Jennifer and I are meeting in San Francisco in July. (Why not "Jennifer and me" in this case? Because "I" is part of the subject of the sentence. You must choose the personal pronoun in the subjective case.)
They gave the promotion to me. (Why not "I" in this case? Because "me" is the object of the preposition "to," so you must choose a personal pronoun in the objective case.)
Expand Your Pronoun Usage Expertise
Now that you have reviewed this list of personal pronouns examples and have some ideas about how to use them correctly, use these pronoun review worksheets to see how strong your skills really are. Then, explore other types of pronouns. Next, reinforce what you have learned with these fun pronoun games.
Elizabeth Trach
Personal Pronouns
What is a Personal Pronoun?
A personal pronoun is a pronoun that is associated primarily with a particular person, in the grammatical sense.
When discussing “person” in terms of the grammatical, the following rules apply:
First person, as in “I”
Second person, as in “you”
Third person, as in “It, he, she”
Personal pronouns may take on various forms depending on number (singular or plural for the most part). They may also take different forms depending on case, gender, or formality. It is important to note that personal pronouns may refer to objects, animals, or people.
Personal pronouns provide us with the following information:
The person – Who is speaking?
The number – Is the pronoun plural or singular?
The gender – Is the pronoun feminine, masculine, or neuter?
Examples of Personal Pronouns
The word “he” is an example of a personal pronoun. He is third person (because he is the person being spoken about), singular, and masculine. The word “we” is another example of a personal pronoun. We is first person (because we are speaking as a group), plural, and neuter.
In the following examples, personal pronouns are italicized.
You need to stop lying to me.
We would love for you to join us.
Come look at my cat! He has climbed to the top of that tree.
Personal Pronouns as Subject Pronouns
When a personal pronoun takes the place of a noun as the subject of a sentence, it is both a personal pronoun and a subject pronoun. What is a subject pronoun? In essence, it’s any pronoun that is used to replace a common or proper noun as a sentence’s subject.
If you are using a personal pronoun to talk about a person, animal, place, or thing that also happens to be the subject of a sentence, then it is classified as both a personal pronoun and a subject pronoun.
Personal Pronouns as Object Pronouns
When a personal pronoun is the direct or indirect object of a verb, or when it is used as the object of a preposition, it is called an object pronoun. What is an object pronoun? It’s any pronoun that is affected by the action the subject of the sentence takes.
The personal pronouns that are used as object pronouns are different than the personal pronouns that are used as subject pronouns, but they are just as important. There are seven object pronouns that also happen to be personal pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, and them.
How Are Subject Pronouns and Object Pronouns Related to Personal Pronouns?
Like all personal pronouns, subject pronouns and object pronouns are used to eliminate repetition within sentences. Additionally, they are always associated with a specific person, group, animal, or inanimate object.
Sometimes it can be difficult to tell the difference between subject and object pronouns. It can be helpful to remember that a subject is what a sentence is about, while an object is affected by the action of the subject.
Just like other personal pronouns, subject pronouns and object pronouns can take on different forms depending on number, i.e. whether they are singular or plural. Additionally, they can be used with any of the three grammatical persons, i.e. first-person, second-person, or third-person.
Finally, subject pronouns and object pronouns are related to one another and all other personal pronouns in that the words used may differ depending on the natural or grammatical gender of the words they refer to.
Examples of Sentences Containing Both Subject Pronouns & Object Pronouns
I want you to read this book.
You are the fastest runner on the team, and we’re depending on you.
They talked to me about acting in the play.
We enjoyed hearing her sing.
Comparing Subject and Object Pronouns
Use the following table to compare subject and object pronouns. Notice that some subject pronouns are identical to certain object pronouns.

Subject Pronoun	Object Pronoun
It	It
You	You
What	What
I	Me
He	Him
She	Her
We	Us
Who	Whom
They	Them

Personal Pronoun Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how personal pronouns work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
__________ often reads until late at night.
He
Alan
Mary
They
__________ is running up and down the stairs.
The cat
She
My brother
You
__________ is from Ireland.
Rory
My friend
He
This souvenir
Have __________ got a dog, Mary?
Anyone
They
Someone
It
We enjoy the roses so much. __________ really liven up the garden.
They
Its
Someone
Flowers
Melissa isn’t an architect; __________ is an engineer.
He
They
It
She
Are __________ friends or not?
He
She
We
It
My doctor was born in Germany. __________ teaches language lessons in his spare time.
They
It
She
He
All of my teachers are Americans. __________ come from all over the country.
She
We
They
Them
Our friends are athletes. All of __________ are either strong, fast, or both.
We
They
Them
You
Answers:
A – He often reads until late at night.
B – She is running up and down the stairs.
C – He is from Ireland.
B – Have they got a dog, Mary?
A – We enjoy the roses so much. They really liven up the garden.
D – Melissa isn’t an architect; she is an engineer.
C – Are we friends or not?
D – My doctor was born in Germany. He teaches language lessons in his spare time.
C – All of my teachers are Americans. They come from all over the country.
C – Our friends are athletes. All of them are either strong, fast, or both.
Use of Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are used to replace people, places or things to make sentences shorter and clearer. Examples of personal pronouns include: I, we, it, they, you, and she. Your choice of personal pronoun will determine if you are writing in the first person or the third person.
Examples