Subject and object pronouns: I and me

When you use it

A pronoun is a short word that takes the place of a noun, so you do not have to say the noun again: Anna is my sister. She is a nurse. Most English personal pronouns have two forms. The subject form (I, he, she, we, they) is the person or thing that does the action. In a statement it comes before the verb. The object form (me, him, her, us, them) comes after the verb, or after a preposition: a small word like with, for or to.

English nouns have the same form before and after the verb: in Anna knows Tom and Tom knows Anna only the order shows who does what. Pronouns keep their two forms, so each form must stand in its own place: She knows him. He knows her.

Words like my, your and mine show who something belongs to. They are a different group, with their own lesson on possessives.

How it is formed

You and it have the same form in both places. Her is also the word that shows an owner (her bag), but in this lesson it means the person: I see her every day.

After a verb. Verbs like like, see, know, help, call and visit are followed by the object form: Tom loves her. Can you help us? In an instruction the object comes straight after the verb: Help them, please (more in the lesson on imperatives).

After a preposition. After with, for, to, about, at and from, use the object form too: Come with me. This is for them. Give it to us.

Alone and after be. In everyday English the object form also stands alone and after be: Who is it? — It's me. I love this song. — Me too. Who is hungry? — Me. It is I is very formal and rare.

It and they for things. Use it for one thing or one animal, and they / them for more than one, people or things: This is my new bike. It is blue. My shoes are old, but I love them. English does not use he or she for a table, a phone or a book. Many people do say he or she for their own pet.

Do not leave out the object. Verbs like like, love, want and need usually take an object (if you want and if you like are fixed exceptions). If the thing was named before, use it or them: Do you need this pen? — Yes, I need it. For a short answer, Yes, I do is also fine. More about like and love is in the lesson like, love, hate + -ing.

Two people. When you and another person do the action, say Tom and I: Tom and I cook dinner on Fridays. After a verb or a preposition, say Tom and me: Anna often eats with Tom and me. A simple test: take away Tom and. I cook and with me are right, so Tom and I cook and with Tom and me are right too. It is polite to name the other person first and yourself last. In casual speech you will also hear Me and Tom cook…, but in writing use Tom and I.

You may also hear they for one person when the speaker does not know, or does not want to say, if the person is a man or a woman: Someone is at the door. What do they want?

Examples

• Anna is my sister. I call her every evening.
• Tom is late again. We can wait for him.
• This cake is very good. Do you want it?
• My parents live far away, but they visit us every summer.
• Where are my gloves? I can't find them.
• Can you help me, please?
• Tom and Anna are our neighbours. We often play tennis with them.
• Anna, is that you at the door? — Yes, it's me.
• Tom and I work in the same office. Anna has lunch with Tom and me on Mondays.
• This letter is for you.

Common mistakes

• ✗Me like music. Him is my brother.

  ✓ I like music. He is my brother.

  The person who does the action, before the verb, takes the subject form: I, he, she, we, they. Ukrainian has more forms (я, мене, мені, мною), and я is the one for the subject. English has only two, and I plays the role of я. Russian has more forms (я, меня, мне, мной), and я is the one for the subject. English has only two, and I plays the role of я. German works the same way: Ich bin müde, not Mich bin müde. English I is your ich, and me covers both mich and mir.

• ✗I love she. Anna knows he.

  ✓ I love her. Anna knows him.

  After the verb, use the object form. She and he change to her and him. Ukrainian also changes the word here, вона → її: Я люблю її. Keep the same habit in English. Russian also changes the word here, она → её: Я люблю её. Keep the same habit in English. German sie has the same form in both places (Sie liest, Ich kenne sie), but English changes it: She reads, I know her.

• ✗Give it to I. Come with we.

  ✓ Give it to me. Come with us.

  After a preposition such as to, with or for, English uses the object form. Ukrainian uses different forms after different prepositions (до мене, зі мною). English has one form for all of them: to me, with me. Russian uses different forms after different prepositions (у меня, со мной). English has one form for all of them: with me, for me. German chooses mich or mir by the preposition (für mich, mit mir). English has only me: for me, with me.

• ✗Do you like this song? — Yes, I like.

  ✓ Yes, I like it. / Yes, I do.

  Like needs an object. When the thing was named before, use it for one thing and them for more than one. Так, люблю is a complete answer in Ukrainian, with no word for the song. English needs it. Да, люблю is a complete answer in Russian, with no word for the song. English needs it. Spoken German can leave out das: Ja, mag ich. English cannot leave out the object: Yes, I like it.

• ✗I have a new phone. He is very fast.

  ✓ I have a new phone. It is very fast.

  For a thing, English uses it (or they / them for more than one). He, him, she and her are for people. Ukrainian телефон is masculine, so it is він. English does not look at the gender of the word: every thing is it. Russian телефон is masculine, so it is он. English does not look at the gender of the word: every thing is it. German says Der Computer ist neu. Er ist schnell. because Computer is masculine. English uses it for every thing: It is fast.

Practice

The exercises go from easy to harder. Each answer is checked at once. If it is wrong, you get a hint and a second try.