Object pronouns vs subject pronouns: He or him, Me or I? — Explanation

For A1–A2 learners, this book has clear examples, grammar explanations, and interactive exercises to help you learn the difference between subject and object pronouns in English.

Object pronouns vs subject pronouns: He or him, Me or I?

To avoid saying the same noun over and over again in a sentence, we use subject and object pronouns.

But they are used in different parts of the sentence. Let's find out what the difference is!

1. Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns are used when the pronoun is the one who does the action (the subject of the verb).

Person	Subject Pronoun
I	I
You	You
He	He
She	She
It	It
We	We
They	They

Examples:

• I play football every weekend.
• She is very kind.
• They like music.
• We study English online.

Tip: Subject pronouns come before the verb.

2. Object Pronouns

When the pronoun is the object of the verb or preposition, we use object pronouns.

Person	Object Pronoun
I	me
You	you
He	him
She	her
It	it
We	us
They	them

Examples:

• John likes me.
• I saw her at the park.
• Can you help us?
• She is looking at him.
• The teacher called them.

Tip: Object pronouns come after the verb or after a preposition (to, for, with, at, etc.).

She gave me a present.

I sat next to him.

3. Compare: Me or I? She or Her?

Example Sentence	Correct Pronoun	Explanation
___ am happy.	I	Subject – before the verb
He loves ___ .	me	Object – after the verb
___ likes pizza.	She	Subject – the doer
I saw ___ at school.	her	Object – the receiver

Quick Rules to Remember

• Put subject pronouns before verbs.
• After verbs or prepositions, use object pronouns.
• “I” → subject | “me” → object
• “She” → subject | “her” → object
• “They” → subject | “them” → object