Practice
Him and his: use object and possessive forms correctly
Sign in to saveI called him after lunch. His phone was switched off. The two small words point to the same person, but they do different jobs.
Choose him after a verb or preposition, and choose his before a noun or as a possessive form when something belongs to him.
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
I gave him his coat. /aɪ ɡeɪv ɪm hɪz kəʊt/
The short answer
Use him for a male person as the object of a verb or preposition. Use his to show that something belongs to that person, usually before a noun.
We invited him to dinner, but his train was delayed.
Why it works: Him receives the invitation. His describes the train that belongs to or is associated with him.
5 more examples
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Mina thanked him for the advice.
Him is the person who receives Mina's thanks.
Not this:Mina thanked
his colleaguefor the advice. What changes: His describes colleague; it does not name the person who receives the action. -
Please give him the receipt.
Give needs a person who receives the receipt, so use the object form him.
Not this:Please check
his receipt. What changes: His tells us whose receipt it is. -
I sat beside him on the bus.
After the preposition beside, use the object form him.
Not this:I sat beside
his bagon the bus. What changes: His comes before the noun bag to show possession. -
His keys are on the kitchen table.
His is directly before keys and tells us who owns them.
Not this:The keys are
his. What changes: Here his stands alone because keys has already been named. -
The final decision is his, not mine.
His can appear after be when it replaces a possessive noun phrase such as his decision.
Not this:The manager spoke to
himbefore the decision. What changes: To is a preposition, so the following person takes the object form him.
Read the full guide
Start by finding the job of the word. If the sentence asks who received an action, choose him. If the next word names a thing connected to a male person, choose his. Compare I saw him with I saw his coat. The first sentence is about a person; the second identifies an item.
Use him for the person receiving an action
Him is an object pronoun. Use it when a verb acts on, speaks to, helps, calls, or sees a male person. The question Who receives the action? can help you choose it.
The nurse called him after the appointment.
The nurse did the calling, and him identifies the person who received it.
Which word completes I met ___ outside the library?
Use him: I met him outside the library.
Use him after a preposition
Words such as to, for, with, from, and near are prepositions. When a male person comes after one of them, use him. This is the same object job as after many verbs.
Could you save a place for him?
For is followed by the object form him, not the subject form he.
I worked with him last summer.
With introduces the person who worked alongside the speaker.
Put his before a noun
His is a possessive determiner when it comes before a noun. It tells the listener whose thing, plan, family member, or work you mean. It does not change for one item or several items.
His notebook is under the chair.
His describes notebook. The notebook belongs to, or is associated with, the male person already known in the conversation.
His friends arrived early.
Friends is plural, but his stays the same.
Let his stand alone when the noun is clear
His can also be a possessive pronoun. In that use, it replaces a noun phrase, so you do not repeat the noun. It often follows be or comes after a noun has already been mentioned.
My umbrella is black. His is green.
His means his umbrella. Repeating umbrella is possible, but unnecessary here.
How can you say that the red bicycle belongs to him without repeating bicycle?
Say: The red bicycle is his.
Check the word after the gap
A quick check can prevent a common mistake. If a noun comes immediately after the gap, his may be needed: his jacket or his email. If the gap follows a verb or preposition and names the person, him is usually the right choice.
I sent him an email about his jacket.
Him follows sent and names the receiver. His appears before jacket and shows whose jacket it is.
We spoke with him about his idea.
With takes him; his introduces the noun idea.
Before you go
Remember this
Use him for the person who receives an action and after prepositions such as to, for, with, and beside. Use his before a noun to show possession, or alone after the noun is understood. Ask whether you mean the person or something belonging to that person.
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 "Him and his: use object and possessive forms correctly"
What is the difference between him and his?
Him is an object pronoun for a male person. Use it after a verb or preposition. His shows possession: use it before a noun, such as his bag, or alone when the noun is already understood.
Mina thanked him for the advice.
Can I say he after a verb?
In standard English, use him when a male person receives the action of a verb. For example, say I saw him. Use he when the person does the action, as in He saw me.
Mina thanked his colleague for the advice.
When does his come before a noun?
Use his immediately before a noun to identify something connected with a male person: his phone, his plan, or his friends. His does not change when the noun is plural.
Please give him the receipt.
Can his be used without a noun?
Yes. His can stand alone as a possessive pronoun when the item has already been named or is obvious from the context. In That notebook is his, his means his notebook.
Please check his receipt.
How can I choose between him and his quickly?
Look at the words around the gap. Choose him after a verb or a preposition when you mean the person. Choose his before a noun when you mean something belonging to that person, or use his alone after the possessed item is clear.
I sat beside him on the bus.