Learn Object Pronouns in English
Me, you, him, her, it, us, them — use them as objects in sentences.
Grammar Focus
Object pronouns replace nouns that receive the action of a verb or follow a preposition. Instead of repeating a noun like "the teacher" or "my friends," you use a shorter pronoun like him or them. Using object pronouns correctly makes your English sound natural and fluent.
- Object pronouns are: me, you, him, her, it, us, them
- They come after the verb as the object of the action: "She called me."
- They come after prepositions like to, for, with, from, about: "He gave the book to her."
- Object pronouns are different from subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they), which come before the verb
- You can also use object pronouns after "be" in informal speech: "It was him who called."
Form & Structure
Object Pronouns List
Position in Sentence
After Prepositions
Common Mistakes
Using a subject pronoun instead of an object pronoun after a verb
Tip: After a verb, always use the object pronoun (him, her, them, me, us) — not the subject pronoun (he, she, they, I, we).
Using a subject pronoun after a preposition
Tip: Always use an object pronoun after prepositions like for, to, with, from, about, and between.
Confusing 'between you and I' — a very common error
Tip: After 'between,' use object pronouns: 'between you and me,' not 'between you and I.'
Why This Grammar Matters for Listening and Speaking
Talking about other people in conversation
Making requests and offers
Giving and receiving things
Describing what happened in a story
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This lesson content was created with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.
Quick Summary
| Use | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Object Pronouns List | Subject pronoun → **Object pronoun**: I→**me**, you→**you**, he→**him**, she→**her**, it→**it**, we→**us**, they→**them** | I love **her**. (not: I love she) |
| Position in Sentence | Subject + verb + **object pronoun** (directly after the verb or verb phrase) | I don't know **him** very well. |
| After Prepositions | Preposition (to / for / with / about / from) + **object pronoun** | Can you come with **me**? |
One of the most essential building blocks of English grammar is knowing how to use object pronouns correctly. Object pronouns — me, you, him, her, it, us, and them — appear in virtually every conversation you will ever have in English. They are the words that receive the action in a sentence, taking the place of nouns so that you do not have to keep repeating names or things over and over again. Understanding when and how to use them is a vital step for any beginner learner. Without object pronouns, your English would sound repetitive and unnatural. Instead of saying 'I called Maria and told Maria to meet Maria's friends,' you can say 'I called her and told her to meet her friends.' Object pronouns do important work, making your sentences shorter, cleaner, and more fluent. Native speakers use them automatically, which is why learners need to study and practise them until they feel equally natural. Many learners make the same mistakes when they first encounter object pronouns: they use subject pronouns in the wrong place, saying things like 'She loves he' or 'This is for she,' which sound immediately wrong to a native speaker's ear. These errors are easy to understand — in many languages, there is only one pronoun form used for both subject and object positions — but in English, the distinction is important and consistent. In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about English object pronouns. You will discover what they are, when to use them, how to form them correctly, the mistakes to avoid, and how they differ from subject pronouns. Whether you are just starting your English journey or looking to refine your grammar at an intermediate level, this article will give you a clear and practical foundation for using object pronouns with confidence in real-life conversations, writing, and listening comprehension.
What Are Object Pronouns in English?
Object pronouns are a specific set of pronouns that are used as the object of a verb or the object of a preposition in a sentence. In English grammar, the 'object' is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb, or that follows a preposition such as to, for, with, from, or about. The complete list of English object pronouns is: me, you, him, her, it, us, and them. Each of these corresponds to a subject pronoun: I becomes me, he becomes him, she becomes her, we becomes us, they becomes them. Interestingly, you and it remain the same in both subject and object positions, which makes them slightly easier to learn. The key idea is that object pronouns replace nouns in the object position of a sentence. For example, if you want to say 'I called John,' you can replace 'John' with 'him' and say 'I called him.' If you want to say 'She helped my sister and me,' the object pronouns replace the noun phrase. The noun being replaced is called the antecedent, and the pronoun must match the antecedent in number (singular or plural) and gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). Object pronouns are different from subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they), which come before the verb and tell us who is performing the action. Understanding this distinction is one of the most important grammar lessons for beginner English learners.
Read the full grammar guide
When to Use Object Pronouns
Knowing when to use object pronouns requires understanding the structure of an English sentence. There are two main situations where object pronouns are required. The first and most common situation is after a verb, when the pronoun is the direct or indirect object of that verb. A direct object receives the action directly: 'She kissed him,' 'I saw them,' 'He helped us.' An indirect object is the recipient or beneficiary of the action: 'She gave me a book,' 'He sent her a letter,' 'We bought them a gift.' In both cases, the object pronoun follows the verb. The second major situation is after a preposition. Prepositions in English are words like to, for, with, from, about, behind, between, and beside. When a pronoun follows any of these words, it must be in its object form. For example: 'This is for him,' 'Come with me,' 'She spoke about them,' 'He sat beside her,' 'Between you and me, I don't agree.' This rule is one that even fluent English speakers sometimes break — particularly with 'between you and I,' which is a common mistake in informal speech. A third, less common use is in short answers and informal statements where object pronouns stand alone: 'Who called?' 'Me.' or 'Who wants dessert?' 'Not him.' These short answers use object pronouns naturally in conversational English.
List and Forms of Object Pronouns
The seven English object pronouns form a clear and manageable set. Learning each one alongside its corresponding subject pronoun is the most effective way to understand and remember them. 'Me' is the object form of 'I.' It is used when the speaker is the one receiving the action: 'Can you hear me?' 'She told me the news.' 'He gave me his phone number.' 'You' is both the subject and object form. It does not change regardless of position in the sentence: 'I like you,' 'Can I help you?,' 'This is for you.' 'Him' is the object form of 'he.' It refers to a male person or a masculine noun: 'I called him,' 'She spoke to him,' 'I bought a present for him.' 'Her' is the object form of 'she.' It refers to a female person or a feminine noun: 'He loves her,' 'Can you ask her to call me?,' 'This letter is from her.' 'It' is both the subject and object form for things, animals (when gender is not specified), and ideas: 'I love it,' 'Did you see it?,' 'She talked about it for hours.' 'Us' is the object form of 'we.' It is used when the speaker and at least one other person are together receiving the action: 'She joined us for dinner,' 'The teacher helped us,' 'Can you come with us?' 'Them' is the object form of 'they.' It refers to multiple people or things: 'I know them from school,' 'She called them last night,' 'We are waiting for them.' Memorising these pairings — I/me, he/him, she/her, we/us, they/them — is the essential foundation of this grammar topic.
Common Mistakes with Object Pronouns
Even learners who understand the concept of object pronouns often make the same predictable errors. Being aware of these mistakes will help you identify and correct them in your own English. The most frequent mistake is using a subject pronoun in the object position. This happens when learners say things like 'She loves he' instead of 'She loves him,' or 'I saw she at the shop' instead of 'I saw her at the shop.' This error often comes from directly translating from languages where pronouns do not change based on their position in the sentence. The rule to remember is simple: after a verb, always check whether the pronoun should be in its object form. The second major mistake is using a subject pronoun after a preposition. Saying 'This is for she' or 'He came with I' is grammatically incorrect in English. After any preposition — to, for, with, from, about, beside, between — you must use the object pronoun. Correct examples are: 'This is for her' and 'He came with me.' The third common mistake is the phrase 'between you and I,' which is frequently heard even from native speakers. The correct form is 'between you and me,' because 'between' is a preposition and must be followed by object pronouns. This error has become so widespread in informal English that some people mistakenly believe it is correct. Finally, some learners confuse 'it' and 'them' when referring to uncountable nouns versus plural nouns. 'I love music — I listen to it every day' (not 'them'). Paying attention to whether the noun being replaced is singular or plural will help you choose the right pronoun every time.
Object Pronouns vs Subject Pronouns
Understanding the difference between object pronouns and subject pronouns is fundamental to constructing grammatically correct sentences in English. The two sets work in different positions in a sentence and cannot be exchanged without creating an error. Subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) are used at the beginning of a sentence or clause, before the verb, to show who is performing the action. Object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) are used after the verb or after a preposition to show who is receiving the action or being referred to. Compare these pairs: 'He called me' — 'he' is the subject doing the calling, and 'me' is the object receiving the call. 'She helped us' — 'she' is the subject, and 'us' is the object. 'They invited her' — 'they' is the subject, and 'her' is the object. In each case, swapping subject and object pronouns would produce an ungrammatical sentence: 'Him called I' and 'Her helped we' are clearly wrong. One useful test is to ask: is this pronoun doing the action (use subject) or receiving the action (use object)? With prepositions, the answer is always object. Mastering this distinction will allow you to produce accurate, natural-sounding English sentences in both formal writing and everyday conversation.
Practice In This Page
1. I love _____. (not: I love she)
Show answer
her
2. I don't know _____ very well.
Show answer
him
3. She loves he very much.
Show answer
She loves him very much.
4. This gift is for she.
Show answer
This gift is for her.
5. Just between you and I, I don't like him.
Show answer
Just between you and me, I don't like him.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the object pronouns in English?
- The object pronouns in English are me, you, him, her, it, us, and them. They are used to replace nouns in the object position of a sentence — that is, after a verb or after a preposition. For example, 'She called him' and 'This is for her' both use object pronouns correctly.
- What is the difference between subject and object pronouns?
- Subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they) come before the verb and show who is performing the action. Object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) come after the verb or after a preposition and show who is receiving the action. For example, 'She saw him' — 'she' is the subject and 'him' is the object.
- Can you use object pronouns after prepositions?
- Yes — after any preposition such as to, for, with, from, about, beside, or between, you must use an object pronoun, not a subject pronoun. For example, 'He bought a gift for her' and 'Can you come with me?' are both correct. Saying 'for she' or 'with I' is incorrect in standard English.
- Is it 'between you and I' or 'between you and me'?
- The grammatically correct form is 'between you and me.' Because 'between' is a preposition, it must be followed by object pronouns. 'Between you and I' is a very common error, even among native speakers, but it is not grammatically correct. Always say 'between you and me.'
- When do you use 'it' as an object pronoun?
- You use 'it' as an object pronoun to refer to things, animals (when gender is unspecified), ideas, and concepts. For example, 'I love this song — I listen to it every day.' You also use 'it' to refer back to an uncountable noun or an abstract concept mentioned earlier in the conversation.
- How do object pronouns change for 'we' and 'they'?
- The object pronoun for 'we' is 'us,' and the object pronoun for 'they' is 'them.' For example: 'The teacher helped us' (not 'we') and 'I know them from university' (not 'they'). These are two of the most commonly confused pronoun pairs for beginners, so it is worth practising them with real sentence examples.