Grammar · Sentence structure
Personal pronouns
Formula: subject · object · possessives · reflexive pronouns
B1
Quick answer
The 5 main uses
1. Subject (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)
The subject pronoun does the action. It comes before the verb.
“I am a student. She speaks English.”
2. Object (me, you, him, her, it, us, them)
The object pronoun receives the action. It comes after the verb or after a preposition (with me).
“She sees me. I help him.”
3. Possessive adjective (my, your, his, her, its, our, their)
Before a noun. It says who something belongs to.
“This is my book.”
4. Possessive pronoun (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs)
With no noun after it. It replaces a possessive adjective + noun (my book → mine).
“This book is mine.”
5. Reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, himself…)
Use it when the subject and the object are the same person, or to say “without help”.
“I taught myself English.”
Common mistakes to avoid
His = possessive adjective AND pronoun
His has one form for both: This is his book (adjective) / This book is his (pronoun). The same is true for its (but people rarely use it as a pronoun).
Its ≠ it's
Its = possessive adjective (for a thing or an animal). It's = short form of “it is” or “it has”. The dog wags its tail ≠ It's a dog.
Possessive adjective vs possessive pronoun
Adjective: a noun comes after it (my book). Pronoun: it stands alone, with no noun after it (this is mine). So this is mine book is wrong.
Related pages: Personal pronouns
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Going further
Personal pronouns: often tested in the English contest
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Practise on PLAYPersonal pronouns: you understand the rule. Now practise it.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the personal pronouns in English?+
Subject: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Object: me, you, him, her, it, us, them. Possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her, its, our, their. Possessive pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs.
What is the difference between my and mine?+
My is a possessive adjective: a noun comes after it (This is my book). Mine is a possessive pronoun: no noun after it (This book is mine). The same goes for your/yours, our/ours and their/theirs.
What is the difference between its and it's?+
Its is a possessive adjective for a thing or an animal: The dog wags its tail. It's is the short form of it is or it has: It's raining. This is a very common mistake.
When do you use myself, yourself, himself?+
These are reflexive pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves. Use them when the subject and the object are the same: I hurt myself. You can also use them to say “without help”: I did it myself.
Why do we say he and him, she and her?+
English has a subject form and an object form. He = subject (he speaks), him = object (I see him). She = subject, her = object. But you and it do not change.
Updated on 27 October 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 27 October 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/grammar/personal-pronouns
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.