Subject Pronouns

If you’ve been learning English for a while, you’ve probably seen the word “I” used a thousand times. But subject pronouns are more than just “I” — they’re the building blocks of almost every sentence you’ll write. Subject pronouns are the words that perform the action, and once you understand them, you’ll notice they’re everywhere. In my experience teaching ESL, mastering subject pronouns early saves learners countless grammar mistakes down the road.

You’ll covers what subject pronouns are, how they work in different contexts (formal emails, casual chat, compound subjects), and the mistakes my students make most often. By the end, you’ll use subject pronouns with confidence.

What Are Subject Pronouns?

A subject pronoun is a word that replaces a noun as the subject of a sentence. The subject is the “doer” — the person or thing that performs the action or exists in a certain state.

The seven subject pronouns:

• I (1st person singular)
• you (2nd person singular and plural)
• he (3rd person singular, male)
• she (3rd person singular, female)
• it (3rd person singular, thing/animal)
• we (1st person plural)
• they (3rd person plural)

Example 1: Instead of saying “John went to the store,” you can say “He went to the store.” The pronoun “he” replaces “John” and takes its place as the subject.

Example 2: Instead of saying “Maria and I are friends,” you already have the subject pronoun “I” included.

Example 3: “It is raining outside.” Here, “it” is the subject pronoun referring to the weather, even though “it” doesn’t represent a specific person or thing in the usual sense.

The key point: subject pronouns always come before the verb. They tell you who is doing the action.

Subject Pronouns by Person and Number

Person	Number	Subject Pronoun	Example
1st	Singular	I	I am going to the store.
2nd	Singular / Plural	you	You are my best friend.
3rd	Singular (male)	he	He is playing basketball.
3rd	Singular (female)	she	She is reading a book.
3rd	Singular (thing)	it	It is raining outside.
1st	Plural	we	We are going to the party.
3rd	Plural	they	They are watching a movie.

Notice that “you” stays the same whether you’re speaking to one person or many. This is unique to English — many other languages have different words for singular “you” and plural “you.”

How Subject Pronouns Work in Sentences

Subject pronouns sit right before the verb, and they’re what the verb agrees with. The verb changes form based on the subject pronoun:

Singular verbs (used with I, you, he, she, it):

Example 1: “I am hungry.” (not “I are”)

Example 2: “He plays tennis.” (not “He play”)

Example 3: “It seems difficult.” (not “It seem”)

Plural verbs (used with we, you, they):

Example 1: “We are ready.” (not “We is”)

Example 2: “They play tennis.” (not “They plays”)

Example 3: “You are tall.” (not “You is”)

This relationship between the subject pronoun and the verb is called subject-verb agreement 🔊 🎤, and it’s one of the most common sources of grammar mistakes for ESL learners.

Subject Pronouns in Formal and Casual Contexts

In formal writing (emails, reports, academic papers):

Use “I” or “we” when referring to yourself or your team. For example: “I am writing to inform you about the new product launch,” or “We would like to request a meeting with you.”

Avoid too much first-person in very formal contexts, but don’t shy away from it completely — being invisible in your own writing sounds awkward. A balance is best.

Example: “I conducted a survey, and the results show…” (clear and direct)

When discussing other people in formal writing, use the appropriate third-person pronouns:

Example: “Dr. Smith published her research on climate change. She found that ocean temperatures are rising.”

In casual conversation:

Use subject pronouns naturally in everyday speech. Pronouns help you avoid sounding robotic.

Example: “Hey, I went to the beach yesterday. You should come next time! We had so much fun, and they were there too.”

In casual English, you can even drop subject pronouns sometimes: “Going to the store, want to come?” instead of “I’m going to the store. Do you want to come?” But this is informal and should be used only in very casual contexts.

Subject Pronouns in Compound Subjects

A compound subject has two or more subjects connected by “and.” When you use a pronoun as part of a compound subject, use the subjective case (the nominative form):

Example 1: “Sarah and I went to the movies.” (not “Sarah and me”)

Example 2: “He and she are getting married.”

Example 3: “My friends and I are planning a trip.” (not “My friends and me”)

The best test: remove the other subject and see if the pronoun still makes sense.

“Sarah and I went to the movies” → Remove “Sarah and”: “I went to the movies.” ✓ Correct.

“Sarah and me went to the movies” → Remove “Sarah and”: “Me went to the movies.” ✗ Wrong.

Always use this test when you’re unsure about compound subjects.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Mistake 1: Subject-Verb Agreement

✗ Incorrect: Me and him is going to the store.

✓ Correct: He and I are going to the store.

Why: “He and I” is a plural compound subject, so it needs the plural verb “are,” not the singular “is.” Also, the objective pronouns “me and him” should not be the subject.

✗ Incorrect: They was at the park.

✓ Correct: They were at the park.

Why: “They” is plural, so it takes the plural verb “were,” not the singular “was.”

Mistake 2: Pronoun Choice in Compound Subjects

✗ Incorrect: Her and me are best friends.

✓ Correct: She and I are best friends.

Why: Both pronouns are part of the subject, so both must be subjective (nominative case): “she and I,” not “her and me.”

Mistake 3: Wrong Pronoun Reference

✗ Incorrect: Each student must bring their own textbook. (“Their” is plural; “student” is singular.)

✓ Correct: Each student must bring his or her own textbook. (Or: Each student must bring their own textbook — modern usage accepts singular they.)

Why: Pronoun must agree with the noun it refers to in number. Modern English accepts singular “they,” but traditional grammar prefers “his or her.”

Subject Pronouns and Gender Neutrality

Traditionally, English used masculine pronouns (“he,” “his”) to refer to people of unknown gender. Today, it’s more inclusive to use:

• “They” as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun — “Each student brought their laptop.” (increasingly standard)
• “He or she” — “Each student brought his or her textbook.” (more formal)
• Use the person’s actual pronoun — if you know someone uses a specific pronoun (she, he, they), use it.

Example: “Alex is a great teacher. They are patient and creative.” (Using singular “they” for Alex’s pronouns.)

Subject Pronouns: Quick Reference

Pronoun	Used for	Singular / Plural	Example Sentence
I	Yourself (speaker)	Singular	I am learning English.
You	The person you’re talking to	Singular or Plural	You are my friend.
He	A man or boy	Singular	He is a doctor.
She	A woman or girl	Singular	She loves to read.
It	A thing, animal, or idea	Singular	It is raining.
We	You and others (including yourself)	Plural	We are going to the beach.
They	Multiple people or things	Plural	They are watching a movie.

Related Articles

• Object Pronouns: Me, You, Him, Her, It, Us, Them — learn the receiving side of pronouns
• Subjective and Objective Pronouns: The Complete Guide — see both sides together
• Possessive Pronouns: Mine, Yours, His, Hers, Ours, Theirs
• ↑ Back to pillar: English Pronouns (Pillar)

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