Object Pronouns in English

Overview

Object pronouns replace nouns that receive the action of a verb or come after a preposition. In English, the object pronouns are: me, you, him, her, it, us, them. While subject pronouns tell us who performs an action, object pronouns tell us who or what the action is directed toward.

At the A1 (Beginner) level, object pronouns are essential for avoiding repetition and sounding natural. Instead of saying "I like Maria. I see Maria every day," you say "I like Maria. I see her every day."

English object pronouns are simpler than in many other languages because there is no distinction between direct and indirect objects in pronoun form. Whether someone gives something to you or sees you, the pronoun is the same: "you."

How It Works

Subject Pronoun	Object Pronoun	Example
I	me	She called me.
you	you	I'll help you.
he	him	We saw him.
she	her	Tell her the news.
it	it	I like it.
we	us	Join us!
they	them	I gave them the keys.

Position in the sentence

Object pronouns appear:

1. After the verb: She loves him. I see them.
2. After a preposition: Come with us. This is for you. I'm thinking about her.
3. As indirect objects: Give me the book. Tell us a story.

Word order with two objects

When a sentence has both a direct and indirect object:

• Pronoun as indirect object (no preposition): Give me the book.
• With preposition "to": Give the book to me.

Examples in Context

English	Note
She loves him.	After the verb -- direct object
Can you help me?	After the verb -- request
I gave it to them.	Two objects -- "it" (direct) and "them" (indirect)
He's waiting for us.	After the preposition "for"
Tell her about the party.	Indirect object
I don't know him.	After the verb -- negative sentence
This letter is for you.	After the preposition "for"
Let me think.	After "let"
Can you hear them?	After the verb -- question
Please take us to the station.	After the verb -- request

Common Mistakes

Using subject pronouns as objects

• Wrong: She told I the answer.
• Right: She told me the answer.
• Why: After a verb or preposition, you must use the object form. "I" is only for subjects.

Using subject pronouns after prepositions

• Wrong: This gift is for she.
• Right: This gift is for her.
• Why: Prepositions always take object pronouns. Common errors: "for I" (should be "for me"), "with they" (should be "with them").

"Me and him" vs. "Him and me" as subjects

• Wrong: Me and him went to the store.
• Right: He and I went to the store.
• Why: When pronouns are the subject, use subject forms. A good test: remove the other person. "Me went to the store" sounds wrong; "I went to the store" is correct.

Confusion with "between you and I"

• Wrong: Between you and I...
• Right: Between you and me...
• Why: "Between" is a preposition, so it requires object pronouns. Despite being a common error among native speakers, "between you and me" is the grammatically correct form.

Usage Notes

In informal spoken English, object pronouns are sometimes used in place of subject pronouns, especially in short answers: "Who wants ice cream?" "Me!" This is very common and accepted in casual speech, although the formal form would be "I do!"

British and American English use object pronouns in exactly the same way.

The pronoun "them" is increasingly used as a singular pronoun for people of unknown or non-binary gender: "If someone calls, tell them I'm busy."

Practice Tips

• Replace nouns with pronouns: Take simple sentences and replace the object noun with a pronoun. "I like pizza" stays the same (no noun to replace), but "I like Maria" becomes "I like her."
• Practice with prepositions: Make sentences using common prepositions. "Come with me. Sit next to him. This is for us. I'm looking at them."
• Subject or object test: For each sentence, ask: is the pronoun doing the action (subject) or receiving it (object)? "She called " needs an object pronoun. " called her" needs a subject pronoun.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Subject Pronouns -- understanding the difference between subject and object roles is key