Personal pronouns
450 fill-in-the-gap exercises, 45 tests of ten
The subject forms. They do the action.
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English always needs a subject
Many languages drop the subject when it is obvious. English does not:
It is raining. It is six o’clock. There is a problem.
It and there here point at nothing at all — they are placeholders, and leaving them out makes the sentence ungrammatical.
it for things, animals, weather, time and distance
It covers a wide range:
- Where’s my phone? It’s on the table.
- It is cold today.
- It is half past nine.
- It is two kilometers to the station.
For a pet whose name you know, he and she are normal.
they for one person
When the gender is unknown or irrelevant, they is the standard choice and has been for a very long time:
Someone phoned. They didn’t leave a name. If a student is late, they should sign in.
Word order in a pair
Put yourself last, and use the subject form:
My colleague and I wrote it. — not me and my colleague.
To check, take the other person out: I wrote it works; me wrote it does not.
Not both at once
A noun and its pronoun cannot both be the subject of the same verb:
My brother lives here. — not My brother he lives here.
All forms
| Pronoun | Stands for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | the speaker | I know. |
| you | the listener, one or more | You know. |
| he | one male | He knows. |
| she | one female | She knows. |
| it | one thing, animal, weather, time | It knows. It is raining. |
| we | the speaker and others | We know. |
| they | more than one, or one person of unstated gender | They know. |
Examples
Taken from the 450 sentences in this drill. The answer is highlighted.
- The students are excited about the field trip. They can't wait to go.
- My parents bought new furniture. It looks great in the living room.
- My sister took the car keys. She is going to the supermarket to buy some groceries.
- Peter left his keys on the table. He did not notice until the door closed.
- My friends have booked a table for me, and I can't wait to try the new restaurant in town.
- The team won the championship. We are very proud of their achievement.
- Your number is still on my screen. You called me on the phone earlier today.
- Mark and Susan went to the movies last night. They enjoyed the film.
- The street has gone dark and wet. It is raining outside.
- Susan is my neighbor. She always helps me with my garden.
- My grandfather comes every Friday. He cuts the grass and waters the roses.
- The book is still on the table at home, because I forgot to bring it here.
Mistakes to avoid
Wrong: Me and my brother work here. correct: My brother and I work here.
Subject position takes I, and English names itself last.
Wrong: Is raining. correct: It is raining.
English needs a subject even when there is nothing to point at.
Wrong: My parents, they live in Oslo. correct: My parents live in Oslo.
The noun and the pronoun cannot both be the subject.