Virtuous English AcademySubject and Object Pronouns (A2)
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Subject pronouns (I, he, she) do the action, while object pronouns (me, him, her) receive it. This lesson clarifies the difference so you can use both correctly in longer sentences.
English pronouns come in two sets, and which one you use depends entirely on the job the word is doing in the sentence. Subject pronouns — I, you, he, she, it, we, they — do the action. Object pronouns — me, you, him, her, it, us, them — receive it. She called him and He called her use the same two people in opposite roles.
Many languages mark this distinction with case endings on the noun as well, or use the same word for both roles. English marks it only on pronouns, which makes those seven pairs the entire system. Learn them as pairs — I/me, he/him, she/her, we/us, they/them — and you have covered it, since you and it are identical in both roles.
The position in the sentence is your most reliable guide. Anything before the verb is a subject; anything after the verb or after a preposition is an object. This is why with me, for us and to them are correct, while with I and for we are not — a preposition always takes the object form.
How to form Subject and Object Pronouns
| Subject | Object | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | me | I saw her. She saw me. |
| you | you | You called him. He called you. |
| he | him | He knows us. We know him. |
| she | her | She helped them. They helped her. |
| it | it | It works. I like it. |
| we | us | We invited you. You invited us. |
| they | them | They met him. He met them. |
Subject and Object Pronouns: the key rules
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Subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they) do the action; object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) receive it.
She called me. I called her back.
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Object pronouns also follow prepositions: to, for, with, about.
This present is for him. Come with us.
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You and it are identical in both roles.
I saw you. You saw it.
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In short answers and comparisons, spoken English prefers the object form.
Who's there? — It's me. She's taller than him.
When to use Subject and Object Pronouns
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After the verb as the receiver of the action
The main job of an object pronoun — the person or thing the action is done to.
Can you help me? I'll call them tomorrow.
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After a preposition
Every preposition takes the object form, with no exceptions.
Come with us. This is for her. Between you and me.
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In short answers and reactions
Standalone replies use the object form in modern spoken English.
Who wants coffee? — Me! Who did they choose? — Him.
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With two objects after give-type verbs
Verbs like give, send, show and tell can take two objects, and both pronouns are object forms.
She gave me the keys. Send them to us.
Position decides the form
You do not need to analyse grammar to choose correctly — you only need to notice where the pronoun sits relative to the verb.
Before the verb → subject
The pronoun is doing the action. Use I, he, she, we, they.
They invited us. She wrote to him.
After the verb or a preposition → object
The pronoun is receiving the action or following a preposition. Use me, him, her, us, them.
We invited them. He wrote to her.
Subject and Object Pronouns in example sentences
- I met her at the conference.I before the verb, her after it.
- She doesn't know us very well.us as the object of know.
- Give it to him, please.Two object pronouns, one after a preposition.
- We're going without them.Preposition without requires the object form.
- They asked me to help.me directly after the verb.
- Between you and me, it was a mistake.A fixed phrase — never between you and I.
- He and I studied together.Both are subjects, so both take the subject form.
- The manager thanked him and me.Both are objects, so both take the object form.
Subject and Object Pronouns in a real conversation
Check each pronoun against its position — before the verb, or after a verb or preposition.
Zoe:Did Marek call you about the tickets?
Adam:He called me this morning. I told him we'd take four.
Zoe:Are Ana and Luis coming with us?
Adam:I invited them, but they haven't answered.
Zoe:Ask them again. She and I can pick everyone up.
Adam:Perfect. I'll send you the address tonight.
Common mistakes (and how to fix them)
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Her is my best friend.
She is my best friend.
The subject position needs the subject form she.
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The teacher spoke to Ana and I.
The teacher spoke to Ana and me.
After a preposition the object form is required — test it by dropping 'Ana and'.
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I saw they at the market.
I saw them at the market.
The object of saw must be the object pronoun them.
Practise Subject and Object Pronouns today
The compound subjects and objects are where errors cluster, so practise those deliberately.
- Write six sentences and then rewrite each one reversing who does what.
- Complete these: Come with ___ . — ___ and I are late. — She told ___ the news.
- Choose correctly: Between you and I/me. — Him/He and I went out.
- Write four sentences with a preposition plus an object pronoun.
Subject and Object Pronouns: frequently asked questions
Why is between you and me correct rather than between you and I?
Because between is a preposition, and prepositions always take the object form. People say between you and I because they were corrected as children for saying me and Tom went and over-generalised the correction, assuming I is always more polite. It is not more polite; it is simply the subject form. Test it by removing the other person: between me is obviously right, and between I is obviously wrong.
Should I say it is me or it is I?
Say it is me. Traditional grammar prescribed it is I on the grounds that be links two subjects, but that rule was imported from Latin and has never matched natural English usage. It is me is standard in every register today, and It is I sounds theatrical or archaic. The same applies to answers like Who is there? — Me.
How do I choose when there are two people?
Remove the other person and see which form sounds right. For Tom and ___ went out, try ___ went out — you get I, so it is Tom and I went out. For She invited Tom and ___, try She invited ___ — you get me, so it is She invited Tom and me. This test resolves virtually every case, and it works because the other person does not change the pronoun's role.
Why do you and it not change?
They lost their separate object forms during the history of English. You once had a subject form ye and an object form you, but ye disappeared and you took over both roles. It never developed a distinct object form at all. So of the seven pairs, only five actually require you to make a choice — which makes the system smaller than it first appears.