Object Pronouns | Examples, Definition & List

An object pronoun (“me,” “us,” “her,” “him,” “them,” “you,” “whom,” or “it”) represents another noun and functions as a direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition.

Whereas subject pronouns (“I,” “we,” “she,” “he,” “who”) perform the action in a sentence or clause, object pronouns receive the verb or the direct object.

Object pronouns can be first person, second person, or third person. They can also be plural or singular.

• Us is always plural.
• Me, her, him, and it are always singular.
• Them, you, and whom can be singular or plural.

Third-person, singular object pronouns sometimes show gender: “her” (feminine), “him” (masculine), and “them” (nonbinary). In addition, “them” is a singular object pronoun for a hypothetical person whose gender is irrelevant to the context or is unknown.

What is an object pronoun?

An object pronoun is a pronoun in the objective case rather than the nominative case. The objective case (“me,” “us,” “her,” “him,” “them,” and “whom”) is appropriate when the pronoun receives the action, receives a direct object, or follows a preposition.

Use an object pronoun in the following situations:

• Direct object
• Compound direct object
• Indirect object
• Compound indirect object
• Object of a preposition
• Interrogative pronoun in a question
• Object of a comparison

Subject vs object pronouns

Each object pronoun corresponds to a subject pronoun that has the same person (e.g., first, second, third) or number (singular or plural).  Subject pronouns perform actions, and object pronouns receive actions or direct objects or follow prepositions.

The pronouns “you” and “it” are both subject pronouns and object pronouns, which means they can perform or receive actions.

Errors sometimes happen when writers mix up subject and object pronouns. To tell them apart, remember that a subject pronoun usually goes before the verb (unless it’s a predicate nominative). An object pronoun usually goes after a verb or preposition.

Object pronouns and antecedents

As with any pronoun, every object pronoun needs a clear antecedent (the noun that it represents). A pronoun without an antecedent is a vague pronoun reference. When you’re writing, use the antecedent before you substitute it with an object pronoun so that your meaning is clear.

Object pronouns must also agree in number with their antecedents. If the antecedent is plural, the object pronoun must be plural, too.

Who vs whom

Differentiating between who and whom is similar to differentiating between “he” and “him,” “she” and “her,” or “they” and “them.”

Because “who” is a subject pronoun, it performs the action. Use “who” when it would also be grammatically correct to use “she” or “he.”

“Whom” is an object pronoun that receives action, so use “whom” when you could also say “her” or “him.”

Frequently asked questions about object pronouns

Is it and me or and I?

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.

And me or and I examples

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 Superbowl party were Serena and I.

If you need help choosing “and me” or “and I,” a QuillBot’s Grammar Check can help you avoid mistakes with subject pronouns and object pronouns.

Is it he and I or him and I?

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.

What is a direct object pronoun?

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.”

Use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to make sure you’re using object pronouns correctly.

What is an indirect object pronoun?

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.

Maya baked me a dozen chocolate cupcakes for my birthday.

When Monica had the flu, Phoebe brought her soup and orange juice.

QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid mistakes with indirect object pronouns.