Grammar
Object pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, and them
Maya knows Leo. She knows him. The word him replaces Leo after the verb knows.
Use me, you, him, her, us, and them after verbs and prepositions to refer to people already named.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Please send it to them. /pliːz send ɪt tə ðem/
The short answer
Use an object pronoun when a person receives the action or comes after a preposition. Say The coach called me and Please sit with us. Use subject forms such as I, he, she, we, and they before the verb when they do the action.
The librarian helped us find the room.
Why it works: Us is the object of helped. It refers to the group that received help.
5 more examples
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The coach called me after practice.
Me is the object of called. The coach does the action.
Not this:
Icalled the coach after practice. What changes: I is the subject here because the speaker does the calling. -
Can you help us with the boxes?
Us is the group that receives help.
Not this:
Wecan help with the boxes. What changes: We comes before the verb because the group does the helping. -
The manager thanked him for the report.
Him replaces a person referred to as he after thanked.
Not this:
Hethanked the manager for the report. What changes: He is the subject because that person does the thanking. -
I saw her near the station.
Her is the object of saw. It replaces a person referred to as she.
Not this:
Shesaw me near the station. What changes: She is the subject because she does the seeing. -
The guide showed them the map.
Them is the group that receives the map.
Not this:
Theyshowed the guide the map. What changes: They is the subject because the group does the showing.
Read the full guide
Find the verb first. Ask who receives its action. That person needs an object pronoun: The guide thanked her. Then look for a preposition such as to, for, with, or after. A pronoun after one of these words also uses an object form: The message is for them.
Use an object pronoun after a verb
An object receives the action of a verb. When the object is a person you have already named, use an object pronoun instead of repeating the name.
Aisha called Marco. She called him.
Aisha is before called, so she is the subject. Him is after called, so it is the object pronoun.
Which word can replace Marco after called?
Use him: Aisha called him.
Choose the matching object form
Most personal pronouns have one form for the subject and another for the object. The form you is the same in both positions.
| Subject form | Object form | Original example |
|---|---|---|
| I | me | Nora invited me to lunch. |
| you | you | We can meet you outside. |
| he | him | The clerk gave him a receipt. |
| she | her | I sent her the address. |
| we | us | The driver waited for us. |
| they | them | Please remind them about the meeting. |
Use object pronouns after prepositions
A preposition can show a relationship of place, direction, time, or connection. Common prepositions include to, for, with, from, and after. Use an object pronoun after these words.
The parcel is for her.
Please sit with us.
Her follows for, and us follows with. Both words are object pronouns because they come after prepositions.
Complete the phrase: a message from ___. (he)
Use him: a message from him.
Use him, her, and them for the person you mean
Use him for a person referred to as he and her for a person referred to as she. Use them for a group, or for one person who uses they. Choose the pronoun that matches the person or people you are talking about.
I spoke to Dario, but I did not see Priya. I spoke to him, but I did not see her.
Jordan left early, so please email them the notes.
Him and her each refer to one person. Them can refer to a group or to one person who uses they.
Which object pronoun can replace a group of guests?
Use them: The host greeted them at the door.
Keep subject and object forms separate
A common mistake is to use a subject pronoun after a verb or preposition. Put I, he, she, we, and they before a verb when they do the action. Put me, him, her, us, and them after the verb or preposition.
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Not this:
The teacher spoke to we.Say: The teacher spoke to us.
Us follows the preposition to.
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Not this:
Her emailed the schedule.Say: She emailed the schedule.
She is before the verb and does the emailing.
Choose the correct sentence: They helped we, or They helped us.
They helped us. Us receives the action of helped.
Before you go
Remember this
Use me, you, him, her, us, and them after verbs and prepositions. Check who does the action and who receives it. Use a subject form before the verb and an object form after it.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Object pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, and them"
What are object pronouns in English?
Object pronouns include me, you, him, her, us, and them. They replace people who receive an action or come after a preposition. In The librarian helped us find the room, us is the object pronoun.
The coach called me after practice.
When do I use me instead of I?
Use me after a verb or a preposition when the speaker receives the action or is named in that relationship. Use I before a verb when the speaker does the action. The coach called me, but I called the coach.
I called the coach after practice.
Why does you stay the same as an object pronoun?
English uses you for both the subject and object form. The position shows its job. In You can wait here, you is the subject. In We can meet you outside, you is the object.
Can you help us with the boxes?
Should I use him, her, or them?
Use him for a person referred to as he, her for a person referred to as she, and them for more than one person or for one person who uses they. Choose the form that matches the person or people you mean.
We can help with the boxes.
Can an object pronoun come after a preposition?
Yes. Use an object pronoun after words such as to, for, with, from, and after. Say a note from him, a seat beside us, or a message for them. Do not use subject forms in these positions.
The manager thanked him for the report.