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Subject Pronouns

Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns are used to replace the subject noun in a sentence. They help us avoid repetition and make our sentences more concise and natural-sounding.

The Seven Subject Pronouns in English

English has seven subject pronouns:

  1. I - First person singular
  2. You - Second person singular
  3. He - Third person singular (male)
  4. She - Third person singular (female)
  5. It - Third person singular (for things, animals, or babies when gender isn't specified)
  6. We - First person plural
  7. They - Third person plural

How to Use Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns typically come at the beginning of a sentence or clause and act as the doer of the action (the subject).

First Person: I and We

  1. I - Used when referring to yourself (the speaker or writer)

    • I am a student.
    • I live in New York.
    • I speak three languages.

  2. We - Used when referring to yourself and one or more other people

    • We are classmates.
    • We went to the movies last night.
    • We will meet again tomorrow.

Second Person: You

  1. You - Used when addressing one person or multiple people directly
    • You look tired today. (singular)
    • You all did a great job. (plural)
    • Are you coming to the party? (can be singular or plural)

Third Person: He, She, It, and They

  1. He - Used to refer to a male person who is not the speaker or the listener

    • He works at a bank.
    • He is my brother.
    • Where does he live?

  2. She - Used to refer to a female person who is not the speaker or the listener

    • She teaches English.
    • She is very intelligent.
    • Does she know the answer?

  3. It - Used to refer to:

    • Things: It is a beautiful house.
    • Animals (when gender isn't specified): The dog is hungry. It needs food.
    • Weather: It is raining today.
    • Time: It is 3 o'clock.
    • Babies (when gender isn't specified): The baby is crying. It needs milk.

  4. They - Used to refer to:

    • Multiple people: They are my friends.
    • Multiple things: The books are on the table. They are mine.
    • A single person when their gender is unknown, unspecified, or non-binary: Someone left their umbrella. They might come back for it.

Subject Pronouns vs. Noun Subjects

Subject pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition:

  • With noun subject: John is a doctor. John works at a hospital.

  • With pronoun subject: John is a doctor. He works at a hospital.

  • With noun subject: The book is interesting. The book has many pictures.

  • With pronoun subject: The book is interesting. It has many pictures.

Subject Pronouns with Verbs

Subject pronouns determine the form of the verb that follows them, especially in the present simple tense:

  • I am / I work
  • You are / You work
  • He/She/It is / He/She/It works (note the -s ending for third person singular)
  • We are / We work
  • They are / They work

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Mixing up subject and object pronouns

    • Incorrect: Me and John went to the store.
    • Correct: John and I went to the store.

  2. Incorrect ordering in compound subjects

    • Less polite: Me and you should study together.
    • More polite: You and I should study together.

  3. Using a gendered pronoun when gender is unknown

    • Traditional but increasingly avoided: Each student must bring his notebook.
    • Better: All students must bring their notebooks.
    • Or: Each student must bring their notebook.

  4. Using "it" for babies or people

    • Incorrect (usually): The baby is sleeping. It looks peaceful.
    • Better: The baby is sleeping. He/She looks peaceful. (if gender is known)
    • Or: The baby is sleeping. They look peaceful. (gender-neutral option)

Subject Pronouns in Questions and Answers

In questions, subject pronouns often come after the auxiliary verb:

  • Am I late?
  • Are you ready?
  • Is he your brother?
  • Does she live nearby?
  • Is it time to go?
  • Are we meeting tomorrow?
  • Do they speak English?

In short answers, we include the subject pronoun:

  • "Are you a teacher?" "Yes, I am." / "No, I'm not."
  • "Is she your sister?" "Yes, she is." / "No, she isn't."

Cultural Notes

  1. In English, pronouns are not usually omitted, unlike in some other languages:

    • Incorrect: Am going to the store.
    • Correct: I am going to the store.

  2. The pronoun "I" is always capitalized in English, regardless of its position in a sentence:

    • Correct: Yesterday I went to the park.
    • Correct: When can I see you again?

  3. In formal academic writing, "one" can sometimes be used as an impersonal subject pronoun:

    • One must always check one's work before submitting it.

Examples in Context

  • I am learning English because I want to study abroad.
  • Are you coming to the party? You should bring a friend.
  • He is my brother. He works as an engineer.
  • She doesn't live here anymore. She moved to Canada.
  • This is my new phone. It was very expensive.
  • We enjoy traveling together. Last summer, we visited Italy.
  • My parents are teachers. They work at the same school.

Practice Exercises

Replace the underlined nouns with appropriate subject pronouns:

  1. Maria is from Spain. _____ speaks Spanish and English.
  2. The cat is sleeping on the sofa. _____ looks very comfortable.
  3. My friends and I went to the cinema. _____ watched an action movie.
  4. The book is on the table. _____ belongs to me.
  5. Tom and Lisa are married. _____ have two children.

Remember, using the correct subject pronouns will make your English sound more natural and fluent!