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Sentence: The teacher took her apple and left.
The pronoun her shows the teacher owns the apple.
Sentence: The hikers spotted their guide on the trail.
The pronoun their shows the hikers follow the guide who was assigned to the hikers.
Table 4.3 Pronouns
Subject Pronouns I, you, he, she, it, we, they
Object Pronouns me, you, him, her, it, us, them
Possessive Pronouns my (mine), your(s), his, hers, its, our(s), their(s)
Exercise 1
On a separate sheet of paper, complete the following sentences by circling the correct
pronoun.
- Unfortunately, the house was too expensive for (we, us, they).
- I completed (mine, my, your) research paper, and she completed (his, hers, theirs).
- My dog Buster is old, but (he, it, them) is very playful.
- That ring belongs to my father, so it is (hers, his, theirs).
- I cannot find my textbook, so I think (they, it, he) is lost.
Common Pronoun Errors
English language learners often make the same errors when using pronouns. The
following examples illustrate common errors.
Incorrect: Me and Daniela went to the restaurant for lunch.
This sentence is incorrect because an object pronoun (me) is used instead of a subject
pronoun.
Correct: Daniela and I went to the restaurant for lunch.
This sentence is now correct because a subject pronoun (I) is used.
Incorrect: Mark put her grocery bag on the counter.
This sentence is incorrect because the pronoun her refers to a female, and Mark is a
male.