Pronouns
Replace nouns with I, me, my, mine and friends, and pick the right form.
What Is It?
Pronouns replace nouns so we don’t repeat them. English has different forms for subject (I, she), object (me, her), possessive adjective (my, her) and possessive pronoun (mine, hers).
Why Do English Speakers Use It?
They keep speech short and natural: “Monica said Monica would call Monica’s mum” becomes “Monica said she would call her mum.”
When to Use It
- Subject (before the verb): She works here.
- Object (after verb or preposition): Call me. Come with us.
- Possessive adjective (+ noun): This is my bag.
- Possessive pronoun (alone): This bag is mine.
When NOT to Use It
Don’t use a possessive pronoun before a noun (“mine bag”) or an object pronoun as a subject (“Me and Joe went”).
Sentence Structure
| Subject | Object | Possessive adj. / pronoun |
|---|---|---|
| I / you / he | me / you / him | my – mine / your – yours / his – his |
| she / it | her / it | her – hers / its – — |
| we / they | us / them | our – ours / their – theirs |
Grammar Rules
- Use the subject form before the verb, even with two people: Joe and I went.
- Use the object form after prepositions: between you and me.
- Possessive pronouns never have an apostrophe: yours, hers, its, theirs.
- They / them / their can refer to one person when gender is unknown or unimportant.
Real-Life Examples
- I called her yesterday.
- Is this pen yours or mine?
- The company changed its logo.
- Someone left their phone here.
Common Learner Mistakes
- Me and Monica went shopping.Monica and I went shopping.
- This is mine book.This is my book.
- The book is your’s.The book is yours.
Quick Memory Tip
Remove the other person to test: “(Monica and) I went” → “I went” ✓, not “me went”.
Real Conversation
Monica: Is this jacket yours?
Joe: No, mine is blue. I think it’s Arif’s. He wore it today.
Monica: I’ll give it to him tomorrow.
Interactive Practice
Pick an answer to check your understanding.
Question 1 of 5
Can you help ___ with this box?
Question 2 of 5
Monica and ___ went to the market.
Question 3 of 5
This bag isn’t mine. It’s ___.
Question 4 of 5
The children really enjoyed ___ at the party.
Question 5 of 5
Between you and ___, I think he’s wrong.
Final Mini Quiz
One last check before you mark the lesson complete.
Which word is a possessive pronoun?
Finished the lesson?
Log in to save lesson progress and earn XP.