What Are Personal Pronouns? Definition, Examples, & Worksheets

What are Personal Pronouns?

The personal pronoun is a short word used as a substitute for the name of any person, helping to avoid repetition in sentences. They are often monosyllabic and make communication smoother and effective. You can use them to indicate how an individual want to be referred. Now, take a look at the personal pronoun definition given below.

Definition of A Personal Pronoun

As mentioned in the Cambridge Dictionary, “a personal pronoun is a word used to refer to a person in speech or writing.” Personal pronoun examples include “I”, “he”, “we”, “she”, “they” and “you”. Basically, it shows the dissimilarity of an individual.

Like all pronouns, they only substitute nouns and keep the parts of speech same, such as an adjective and a verb. From a grammatical perspective, they act similarly to nouns. Moreover, they act as the object or subject of a sentence, phrase, or clause.

Let’s understand this with a few examples mentioned below.

Examples of Personal Pronouns

Studying the below-mentioned examples can help you understand what is personal pronoun and its fundamentals. Moreover, it helps you to know their usage and avoid repetition of words to improve your sentence structure and ensure precision while referencing people.

Example 1: He went to the gym this morning.

In this sentence, the boy's name is replaced by "he"; hence, it is a personal pronoun. Further, the noun is substituted with a personal pronoun to avoid the repetition of his name.

Example 2: Are you going to the office?

In this sentence, "you" is a personal pronoun used to address a person and ask where they are going.

Example 3: She plays the guitar very well.

The term "she" refers to a personal pronoun because it is used to substitute the noun, which is acting as the verb.

Example 4: My sister and I went to the playground.

Here, you can observe that "I" is a personal pronoun and refers to the speaker. Moreover, it acts like the verb's subject.

Example 5: He is a talented player.

In this sentence, "he" is acting as a personal pronoun, as it expresses a specific person in the place of a noun like the name.

These are a few examples that will help you develop a basic understanding of how they can be used to frame correct sentences using personal pronouns without repeating the name of any individual. Now let’s look at the types of personal pronouns so that you understand it’s uses better.

List of Personal Pronouns

You can use the personal pronoun to indicate a single thing/ person or many things/ people. Thus, before using a personal pronoun, you should consider whether you are talking about one person or more than one person. You can read the details below to learn about using singular and plural personal pronouns.

Singular Personal Pronouns

As the name suggests, singular personal pronouns are used for a single person and not for a whole group of people or multiple things. Hence, you can use them to replace a noun, which refers to one animal, thing, or person.

Below is more detailed information on using singular personal pronouns.

First Person

1. I (Subjective)- It is used to refer to the writer of any sentence and to show a single person. For example:

• I am going to the market.
• I was working on my project.
• I need a long vacation.

2. Me (Objective)- This is used when the speaker becomes the receiver of an action or object of the sentence. For example:

• He told me a story.
• Please pass the bottle to me.
• You think of me a lot.

Second Person

1. You - This is used when you are talking to an individual, not about them.

• You look pretty.
• You are wearing a black skirt.
• You can take this novel.

Third Person

1. She/ He - You can use these personal pronouns when you know about the identity of the speaker, precisely their gender identity. For example

• She is a doctor.
• He is a teacher.
• She is a talented dancer.

2. Her/ Him - Him and her are object personal pronouns, and they work as a substitute for a noun, which is the receiver of an act. For example:

• I saw him at the school.
• She gave him a bouquet.
• Her father bought a new dress.

3. It – This personal pronoun indicates an inanimate object, concept or animal when the gender is not specified. For example:

• It was a good experience.
• I like the bike. It is fast.
• It was an interesting book.

Plural Personal Pronouns

The pronoun that is used to discuss more than one thing, place or person is known as a plural pronoun. Moreover, they are typically used to replace plural nouns to make your writing more succinct. A few plural personal pronoun examples include we, us, they, them and you.

Below is the detailed structure of the plural personal pronouns with examples.

First Person

1. We - It is used to refer to one or more people to show a group. For example:

• We were enjoying the movie.
• We went to the park to play games.
• We are not sure about the trip.

2. Us - A speaker uses "us" to refer to both herself and himself as well as to show a group of people. For instance:

• He bought some ice cream for us.
• They asked us if we could help them.
• She ate dinner with us.

Second Person

1. You - You is utilized to refer to an individual or people that are addressed directly. Such as:

• You are a good friend.
• What do you want?
• What are you thinking?

Third Person

1. They – It is traditionally used to show a group of people and has recently also been used as a singular pronoun for referring to people whose gender identity is unknown. For example:

• They went on the trip.
• They ate pasta for lunch.
• They live in a small town.

2. Them- You can use them to refer to things or people other than the listener or the speaker. For example:

• I bought them some chocolates.
• She showed them her new car.
• He gave them flowers.

After reading the types of personal pronoun, you should have understood the difference between singular and plural pronouns. But do you know which personal pronoun you should use to frame a grammatically correct sentence? If not, then read below to find out how you can use them based on the sentence requirements.

Also Read- New Words in English

How to Use Personal Pronoun?

In order to use this pronoun effectively, it is very important to know the rules of personal pronoun so that you can enhance your writing as well as your speaking skills.

In personal pronouns, there are four factors that decides which personal pronoun should be used in a specific grammatical context to mention an individual or object.

These four factors are person, gender, case, and number. Check out the details below about how to use the personal pronoun according to these four factors.

Person

In personal pronoun, mention the listener and speaker or someone who is the topic of a conversation. It shows a grammatical characteristic that you can use in three situations.

• First Person- It is used to mention the person who is talking or writing.
• Second Person- It shows a person being addressed in a sentence.
• Third Person- It mentions things or people other than the person being talked about or the speaker.

Gender

Gender based pronouns are words like "she/her/hers" (feminine), "he/him/his" (masculine), and "they/them/theirs" (gender-neutral), which are used to refer to a person or a thing based on their gender. Below is detailed information about gender pronouns. Check it out.

• Feminine Pronouns- Used to refer to girls and women.
• Neuter Pronouns- You can address objects, places, concepts and animals.
• Masculine Pronouns- Used to refer to boys and men.
• Gender- neutral pronouns- Used to address individuals who identify as neither female nor male.

Case

A pronoun's grammatical part in the sentence is known as a case. These pronouns play four types of roles that are:

• Object Pronouns- They act as the main object of a preposition or a verb, which means they are the thing or person affected by any action.
• Subject Pronouns- The words that substitute nouns and act as the sentence's main subject are subject pronouns.
• Reflexive Pronouns- You can use a reflexive pronoun to show that the subject is both a receiver and a doer.
• Possessive Pronouns- These show possession or ownership and explain that something belongs to something else.

Number

The number specifies whether you are referring to a single thing, person or group. There are two types: singular and plural.

• Singular Pronouns- As the name shows, singular pronouns denote a single thing or an individual.
• Plural Pronouns- This is utilized when you are talking about more than one person or thing.

By now, you have learned about all the key details that are essential for using personal pronouns. Therefore, below is a personal pronoun worksheet that will help you identify whether you have collected enough knowledge or not. Read on to learn about your understanding of the personal pronoun.

Personal Pronoun Exercises

Now that you have understood the personal pronoun and its usage, let’s check your knowledge by solving the personal pronoun worksheet with answers given below.

Worksheet 1

Fill in the blanks with the right personal pronoun.

 (I, he, you, she, him, them, we, they, me, it, her, us).

1. John is very intelligent. ___ always scores strong marks.
2. My friends and I are going to the park. Would you prefer to come with ___?
3. Jenny is my sister. I gave ___ my mobile to call father.
4. This is my dog. ___ is full of fun.
5. Tom and Jerry are famous animated characters. Do you watch ___?
6. I met Diya yesterday. I had a great time with ___.
7. Alex and I are tired. Please help ___ carry the bags.
8. Excuse me, can ___ please help me search for the pen?
9. My brothers are surgeons. ___ works at the city hospital.
10. James is hungry. Give ___ fruits to eat.

Answers

1. He
2. us
3. her
4. It
5. them
6. her
7. us
8. you
9. They
10. him

Worksheet 2

1. ___ am going to the market after office.

A) Me

B) I

C) He

D) Us

2. This is my sister. ___ is in school.

A) I

B) Me

C) He

D) Us

3. Mom gave Peter and ___ a ride to school.

A) I

B) He

C) Me

D) We

4. Danny and I are cousins. ___ play cricket together.

A) They

B) We

C) Us

D) Them

5. Can you help ___ with this assignment?

A) I

B) Me

C) He

D) We

6. Estie is very kind. Everyone likes ___.

A) she

B) her

C) him

D) us

7. My parents are teachers. ___ work at the college.

A) They

B) Them

C) We

D) He

8. The professor told ___ to sit down.

A) we

B) they

C) us

D) he

9. Is this your pen or is it ___?

A) him

B) her

C) you

D) yours

10. I saw Jerry and Nick at the store. Did you see ___ too?

A) them

B) they

C) he

D) we

Answers

1. B) I
2. C) He
3. C) Me
4. B) We
5. B) Me
6. B) her
7. A) They
8. C) us
9. D) yours
10. A) them

Conclusion

In summary, personal pronouns can make your writing and speaking more effective. Moreover, they enable you to avoid repetition of names and mention people concisely. However, many people struggle with using this pronoun for various reasons, such as limited knowledge about its rules and linguistic complexity. Hence, this blog explains the rules of personal pronouns and ways to use them.

However, if you are facing issues using this pronoun correctly, then connect with our experts at Gradding.com. Contact Today!

FAQ’s

What is a personal pronoun, and examples?

A personal pronoun is a short word that is used as a simple replacement for a proper noun, such as the name of a person. A few examples of personal pronouns are I, he, you, me, him, her, they and she.

Why are personal pronouns important?

Personal pronouns are crucial because they enable you to communicate effectively by referencing people without constantly repeating their names, and they reflect gender identity as well. Moreover, using the right pronouns shows respect for an individual’s identity.

What is the rule for using personal pronouns?

There are specific rules for using pronouns according to person, gender, case, and number. Personal pronouns replace nouns and agree with the noun they refer to in gender and number.

How do you identify personal pronouns?

You can identify personal pronouns through their functions, as they replace nouns and indicate a specific thing or person within a sentence. The key personal pronouns may include: I, me, we, he, him, her, she, it, them and they.

What is the difference between personal and possessive pronouns?

Possessive and personal pronouns are both different types of pronouns and replace nouns. However, the way of using them differs. Personal pronoun demonstrates a particular thing or person, whereas possessive pronouns show possession or ownership.