You is a second-person pronoun that refers to the person or people you’re speaking or writing to (e.g., “A package arrived for you today”). It can be plural or singular and serve as a subject pronoun or object pronoun in a sentence.
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Himself is a reflexive third-person pronoun that refers to a male person. You can use “himself” as an object in a sentence when the same person is the subject (e.g., “My nephew taught himself how to tie his shoes”).
As a reflexive pronoun, “himself” can be a direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition.
“Himself” can also be an intensive pronoun that emphasizes the subject (e.g., “Dev produced the album himself”).
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you use pronouns such as “himself” correctly.
It’s common to use myself instead of I or me when you’re referring to “another person and you” or “another person or you;” it has an informal, friendly effect.
Why don’t you come with Joe and me/myself?
Just ask for Joe or me/myself next time you need any help.
We use the reflexive pronoun myself (rather than me) when the subject and object of the action described by the verb is the same person (e.g., “I hurt myself cleaning the windows yesterday”).
We say by myself not “by me” to mean “on my own/alone” (e.g., “Can you help me? I can’t do it by myself” or “You left me all by myself”).
Use myself (not me) to emphasize that you are doing the action (e.g., “Don’t worry, I’ll call her myself”).
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Yes, me is a pronoun. It is the first-person singular object pronoun (e.g., “She gave it to me yesterday,” “Didn’t you see me there?”).
Sometimes it’s difficult to decide if I or me is correct in sentences like, “Joe and me saw you on Main Street yesterday.” “I” is actually the grammatically correct choice here because “Joe” and “I” are both subjects in this sentence (so you need the subject pronoun).
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A personal pronoun usually refers to a specific person, place, or thing, but an impersonal pronoun only refers to a generic person.
There are over twenty personal pronouns, including “she,” “he,” “them,” “we,” and “themselves.” They can be first-person, second-person, or third-person.
There are only two impersonal pronouns—”one” and “oneself.” They usually occur in sentences that describe general human behavior (e.g., “One can never have enough socks”).
When you’re writing with personal and impersonal pronouns, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid mistakes.
Possessive pronouns are one of the four cases of personal pronouns, which also include subject pronouns, object pronouns, and reflexive pronouns.
The possessive pronouns (“mine,” “ours,” “yours,” “his,” “hers,” “theirs,” and “whose”) represent nouns that belong to people (e.g., Maria said that the ginger ale in the refrigerator is hers”).
Possessive pronouns can play any of the roles that nouns can play in sentences.
They’re sometimes confused with possessive adjectives (“my,” “our,” “your,” “his,” “her,” “its,” “their,” and “whose”), which modify nouns that go right after them in a sentence (e.g., “Maria asked us not to drink her ginger ale”).
When you’re writing with personal pronouns, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid mistakes.
An example of an antecedent in a sentence is “When the moon is full, it sometimes has a halo.” The antecedent is “moon,” and the singular pronoun “it” refers back to the moon.
This sentence has pronoun-antecedent agreement because a singular pronoun refers to a singular antecedent. Plural pronouns agree with plural antecedents (e.g., “The cats meowed until we gave them more food”).
When you’re writing sentences that include antecedents and pronouns, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors.
A vague pronoun reference is a pronoun that doesn’t have a clear antecedent (a noun or noun phrase that the pronoun represents). The following sentence has a vague pronoun reference: “Jeremy picked it up and carried it to the closet.”
To avoid this error, use the antecedent in the preceding sentence or earlier in the same sentence (e.g., “Jeremy picked up the package and carried it to the closet”).
In addition to naming the antecedent, pronoun-antecedent agreement is also important for clear writing. Each pronoun should agree with its antecedent in number (singular or plural).
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Everything is a singular indefinite pronoun. It can also be an antecedent for the singular pronouns “it” and “itself” or the singular possessive adjective “it.”
When “everything” is an antecedent, use singular pronouns and singular possessive adjectives (instead of plurals) to achieve pronoun-antecedent agreement (e.g., “I folded everything in the laundry basket and put it in the drawers”).
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you use “everything” and other pronouns correctly in your writing.
None can be a singular or plural indefinite pronoun.
“None” is singular when it refers to part of an uncountable noun (e.g., “None of this handwriting is legible”).
“None” is plural when it refers to multiple countable nouns (e.g., “None of these assignments are too difficult”) or multiple parts of an uncountable noun (e.g., “None of the sticks of butter have melted”).
When you’re using “none” and other pronouns in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid mistakes.
Some is an indefinite pronoun or a determiner.
As an indefinite pronoun, “some” can be a subject or object that represents an undetermined or general noun in a sentence (e.g., “Some of my friends have already seen the Beetlejuice sequel”).
“Some” is usually an indefinite pronoun when it’s followed by a verb, adjective, prepositional phrase, or adjective clause.
When “some” is a determiner, it’s followed by a noun that it modifies (e.g., “Some people watch scary movies on Halloween”).
Whether you’re using “some” as a pronoun or a determiner, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid mistakes.
Most can be singular or plural, and it can be an indefinite pronoun or a determiner.
As an indefinite pronoun, “most” is singular when it refers to part of an uncountable noun (e.g., “Most of this bread is moldy”).
The indefinite pronoun “most” is plural when it refers to multiple countable nouns or multiple parts of an uncountable noun (e.g., “Most of the students are excited about the class”).
The same rules apply when “most” is a determiner that modifies a noun (e.g., “Most citrus tastes sour” vs. “Most of the pears were delicious”).
When you’re using “most” and other pronouns or determiners in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors.
Itself is an intensive pronoun or a reflexive pronoun. It’s also a singular, third-person pronoun. “Itself” refers to a noun that’s not a person.
As an intensive pronoun, “itself” emphasizes another noun with the same meaning in the same sentence (e.g., “The smartphone itself affects neurotransmitters”).
As a reflexive pronoun, “itself” can be a direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition (e.g., “The iron automatically turns itself off after 5 minutes”).
Whether it’s a reflexive pronoun or an intensive pronoun, “itself” can only be used when its antecedent (the noun that it represents) or a pronoun with the same antecedent is part of the same sentence.
When you’re using “itself” and other pronouns in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors.
You can only use myself in a sentence that also includes the singular, first-person pronoun “I.”
“Myself” is an intensive pronoun or a reflexive pronoun. It’s also a singular, first-person pronoun.
As a first-person intensive pronoun, “myself” emphasizes “I” when it’s part of the same sentence (e.g., “I myself believe that everyone deserves to be happy”).
As a reflexive pronoun, “myself” can be a direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition when the subject of the same sentence is “I” (e.g., “I was thirsty, so I poured myself some lemonade”).
When you’re using “myself” and other pronouns in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors.
You can use yourself in a sentence that also has the singular, second-person pronoun “you” as the subject.
“Yourself” can be an intensive pronoun or a reflexive pronoun.
As an intensive pronoun, “yourself” emphasizes “you” or the person you’re speaking or writing to (e.g., “I’m impressed that you made this sushi yourself”).
As a reflexive pronoun, “yourself” can be a direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition when the subject of the same sentence is “you” (e.g., “You should take more time for yourself”).
In sentences that use the imperative mood, “you” is not directly stated, but it’s implied, so you can use “yourself” in imperative sentences, too (“Take a few cookies for yourself and a few more for your friends”).
When you’re using “yourself” and other pronouns in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors.
Reflexive pronouns and intensive pronouns are the same words, but they have different roles in sentences.
These pronouns include “myself,” “themselves,” and “yourself.”
A reflexive pronoun can be a direct object, an indirect object, or an object of a preposition when it refers to the subject of the same sentence (e.g., “Bev ordered pepperoni pizza for herself and vegetarian pizza for her friends”).
An intensive pronoun is not an object in a sentence. Instead, it emphasizes another noun (e.g., “Bev picked up the pizza herself”).
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Herself is a reflexive third-person pronoun that refers to a female person. You can use “herself” as an object in a sentence when the same person is the subject (e.g., “Daphne bought herself a new coat”).
As a reflexive pronoun, “herself” can be a direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition.
“Herself” can also be an intensive pronoun that emphasizes the subject (e.g., “Miley wrote the song herself”).
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you use pronouns such as “herself” correctly.
Pronouns (words that stand in for nouns) can have different forms depending on whether they are acting as a subject (e.g., “I,” “we,” “they”) or an object (e.g., “me,” “us,” “them”).
When a pronoun is used as the direct object of a sentence, the object form is always used (e.g., “Martin sent them”).
The most common object pronouns in English are “me,” “you,” “us,” “him,” “her,” “it,” and “them.”
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Themselves is a reflexive third-person pronoun. It can be plural or singular. You can use “themselves” as an object in a sentence when the same person or group of people is the subject (e.g., “When the teacher said everyone passed the test, the students gave themselves a round of applause”).
As a reflexive pronoun, “themselves” can be a direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition.
“Themselves” can also be an intensive pronoun that emphasizes the subject (e.g., “My parents said themselves that they needed a vacation”).
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you use pronouns such as “themselves” correctly.
We is not a third-person pronoun. It’s a plural first-person pronoun that refers to the people speaking or writing. “We” is also a subject pronoun that usually performs the action of the verb (e.g., “We saw a fox while hiking in the woods”).
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Us is a plural first-person pronoun that refers to the person who is speaking or writing and one or more other people.
It’s also an object pronoun, which means it can be a direct object, an indirect object, or the object of a preposition.
| Part of speech | Example |
|---|---|
| Direct object (receives the verb) | Do smartphones move us closer together or further apart? |
| Indirect object
(receives the direct object) |
The instructor gave us an extension on the first draft. |
| Object of a preposition | The birthday bouquet is from all of us. |
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You is not a first-person pronoun but rather a second-person pronoun.
First-person pronouns include “I,” “we,” “me,” “us,” “mine,” “ours,” “myself,” and “ourselves.”
Second-person pronouns include “you,” “your,” “yours,” “yourself,” and “yourselves.” As a second-person pronoun, “you” can be a singular or plural subject pronoun or object pronoun.
As a subject pronoun, “you” is a subject that performs the verb or a predicate nominative that describes or renames the subject.
As an object pronoun, “you” is a direct object, an indirect object, or the object of a preposition.
| Part of speech | Example |
|---|---|
| Subject | You are the best neighbors. |
| Predicate nominative | My favorite dancing partner is you. |
| Direct object | I am once again asking you to support my campaign. |
| Indirect object | Hi, Brandon and Andrea! I’m making you a lasagna this week to return your kind favor. |
| Object of a preposition | The mail that came yesterday was addressed to you, so I didn’t open it. |
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The first-person plural pronouns are we, us, ours, and ourselves. They refer to the person writing or speaking and one or more other people.
First-person pronouns can be subject pronouns, object pronouns, possessive pronouns, or reflexive pronouns.
| Pronoun type | Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject pronoun | We | As college students, we appreciate constructive feedback. |
| Object pronoun | Us | Internships prepare us for future careers. |
| Possessive pronoun | Ours | These frisbees are ours, but you can use them if you’d like. |
| Reflexive pronoun | Ourselves | The neighbors and I built ourselves a bridge so that we could cross the creek safely. |
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We is a plural first-person pronoun that refers to the person who is speaking or writing and one or more other people.
It’s also a subject pronoun, which means that it can be a subject or a predicate nominative.
When “we” is the subject of a sentence or clause, it performs the action. When “we” is a predicate nominative, it follows a linking verb, and it renames or describes the subject. “We” as a predicate nominative is extremely rare.
In writing, “we” should have a clear antecedent (a noun that the pronoun represents). The antecedent for “we” is usually “[another person or group] and I” or a plural noun that includes the person speaking or writing.
As nurse practitioners, we should participate in ongoing training to stay up-to-date with best practices. (subject pronoun)
When Greg and I got married, the two of us became we. (predicate nominative)
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The main difference between first- and second-person pronouns is the person or people they refer to.
First-person pronouns represent the person who is speaking or writing (e.g., “We love helping people become stronger writers, and we hope you enjoy our blog”). They include “I,” “we,” “me,” “us,” “mine,” “ours,” “myself,” and “ourselves.”
Second-person pronouns represent the person you are speaking or writing to (“The more you practice writing, the better your writing will become”). They include “you,” “yours,” “yourself,” and “yourselves.”
First- and second-person pronouns can function as subject pronouns, object pronouns, possessive pronouns, and reflexive pronouns.
There are fewer second-person pronouns than first-person pronouns for two reasons.
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They is not a second-person pronoun. It’s a third-person pronoun that can be plural or singular. Plural “they” refers to two or more people or objects (e.g., “The cats are sleeping because they are tired”). Singular “they” refers to one nonbinary or hypothetical person whose gender is irrelevant or unknown (e.g., “I don’t know who painted this mural, but they are so talented”).
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The word interrogative has two meanings.
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Where is an interrogative adverb that’s used to form questions about location. The answer to a “where” question is a location or place (e.g., “Where is St. George’s Castle located?”).
The other interrogative adverbs include “when,” “where,” and “how.”
Two additional types of interrogatives form questions:
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Who is not a verb. “Who” is a pronoun that represents another noun, which is called the antecedent.
“Who” can be an interrogative pronoun or a relative pronoun.
As an interrogative pronoun, “who” is part of a question (e.g., “Who won Best Actress in 2024?”). The antecedent is the answer to the question (e.g., “Emma Stone won Best Actress in 2024”).
As a relative pronoun, “who” begins an adjective clause (which is also known as a relative clause). An adjective clause gives more information about a noun in a sentence, which is the antecedent (e.g., “Emma Stone, who won an Oscar in 2024, is one of the world’s highest paid actors”).
“Who” is also classified as a subject pronoun (versus the object pronoun “whom”). When deciding between “who” and “whom,” use “who” as a subject that performs the action or a predicate nominative that is described or renamed (e.g., “Who holds the world record for longest hair?”).
Use “whom” as a direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition (e.g., “Whom did you meet at the gala last week?”).
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An indirect object pronoun stands for another noun and receives the direct object in a sentence. It’s both an indirect object and an object pronoun.
The object pronouns are “me,” “us,” “her,” “him,” “them,” “you,” “whom,” and “it.” Object pronouns can be direct objects or indirect objects but never subjects in sentences. The subject of a sentence gives the direct object to the indirect object.
When Monica had the flu, Phoebe brought her soup and orange juice.
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He and I is sometimes correct, but him and I is never correct.
Technically, you can use “he and I” when you need a subject pronoun that functions as part of a compound subject or a compound predicate nominative (e.g., “I invited Jason over to watch the game because he and I both love the Kansas City Chiefs”).
However, the plural subject pronoun “we” is more concise than “he and I” or “she and I” (e.g., “Jason left early because we both have school tomorrow”).
“Him and I” is incorrect because “him” is an object pronoun and “I” is a subject pronoun.
“Him and me” is technically correct when you need an object pronoun that functions as part of a compound indirect object, direct object, or object of a preposition (e.g., “When my brother and I were teenagers, Mom gave him and me a strict curfew“).
The plural object pronoun “us” means the same thing as “him and I,” and it’s more concise (e.g., “When my brother and I were little, Dad read to us every night“).
A QuillBot Grammar Check can help you spot errors like “him and I” and use object pronouns and subject pronouns correctly.
Use “and me” when you need a first-person object pronoun that functions as part of a compound indirect object, direct object, or object of a preposition.
Use “and I” when you need a first-person subject pronoun that functions as part of a compound subject or a compound predicate nominative.
| Part of speech | Example |
|---|---|
| Indirect object | My favorite barista always gives my friends and me a special discount. |
| Direct object | The manager asked Phyllis, Angela, and me to plan the office Halloween party. |
| Object of a preposition | The wedding invitation was addressed to my boyfriend and me. |
| Compound subject | Sean and I ate all the hot sauce and chicken wings. |
| Predicate nominative | The only vegetarians at the Super Bowl party were Serena and I. |
If you need help choosing I or me, a QuillBot’s Grammar Check can help you avoid mistakes with subject pronouns and object pronouns.