Grammar basics
Pronouns
A pronoun takes the place of a noun. It helps you not say the same name again and again.
What does a pronoun do?
Without pronouns, English sounds strange:
John is a developer. John lives in Bangkok. John loves coffee.
With a pronoun, it sounds natural:
John is a developer. He lives in Bangkok. He loves coffee.
Subject and object
A pronoun changes its form. Use the subject form before the verb and the object form after the verb.
| Subject (before the verb) | Object (after the verb) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | me | I like her. She likes me. |
| you | you | You help him. He helps you. |
| he | him | He calls us. We call him. |
| she | her | She knows them. They know her. |
| it | it | It is fast. I use it. |
| we | us | We love them. They love us. |
| they | them | They teach me. I teach them. |
Thai speakers, be careful
In Thai, เขา can mean he or she. In English, you must choose: he for a man, she for a woman. Use they when you don't know, or when the person prefers it.
Types of pronouns
There are different types of pronouns. Each type has its own page with more words.
| Type | What it shows | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Personal pronouns | People and things | I, you, he, she, they |
| Possessive pronouns | Who owns something | mine, yours, his, hers |
| Reflexive pronouns | The same person | myself, yourself, himself |
| Relative pronouns | Join two ideas | who, which, that |
| Demonstrative pronouns | Point to things | this, that, these, those |
I
The word you use to talk about yourself. Always write it with a capital letter.
I am learning English every day.
You
The person or people you are talking to.
Can you help me with this bug?
He
A man or boy that you already talked about.
My brother is a doctor. He works at a hospital.
She
A woman or girl that you already talked about.
My manager is kind. She always listens to the team.
It
A thing or an animal that you already talked about.
I bought a new laptop. It is very fast.
They
Two or more people or things. Also one person when you don't know if they are a man or a woman.
My friends live in Chiang Mai. They visit me every year.