Confusing Subject & Object Pronouns: HE or HIM? I or ME? SHE AND I or HER AND I...?

Summary

This video lesson, presented by Rebecca from engVid, highlights one of the most common mistakes made by both English learners and native speakers: the misuse of subject and object pronouns. Rebecca explains the difference between subjects (the doers of actions) and objects (the receivers of actions), providing numerous examples to clarify the concept. She emphasizes the importance of using the correct pronouns, especially in exams and job interviews, and offers practical tips to help viewers avoid common errors. The lesson concludes with practice exercises to reinforce the concepts learned.

Takeaways

• 📚 Understanding the difference between subject and object pronouns is crucial for both English learners and native speakers.
• 👤 The subject pronoun refers to the doer of the action, while the object pronoun receives the action in a sentence.
• 🔄 Pronouns replace nouns in sentences; for example, 'John likes me' can become 'He likes me.'
• 📝 Subject pronouns typically appear at the beginning of a sentence, while object pronouns usually appear towards the middle or end.
• 🤓 The mistake of confusing subject and object pronouns is common, but it's important to avoid it, especially in formal settings like exams or job interviews.
• 👥 When there are multiple subjects, the pronouns still need to come from the subject pronoun list, e.g., 'He and I are good friends,' not 'He and me.'
• 💡 After prepositions like 'to,' 'for,' or 'with,' you should always use object pronouns, e.g., 'Give it to John and me,' not 'John and I.'
• ✅ After the verb 'to be,' object pronouns are used, such as 'It’s me' or 'It’s them,' instead of 'It is I.'
• 🧠 Practicing the correct use of pronouns by writing sentences and analyzing them can help reinforce these rules.
• 📲 The video encourages viewers to visit the website and take a quiz to reinforce the lesson, and also to subscribe for more lessons and shortcuts in learning English.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the lesson?

The main topic of the lesson is subject and object pronouns in English and how to use them correctly.

Why is this lesson considered very important by the speaker?

This lesson is considered important because the mistake of confusing subject and object pronouns is one of the most common errors, not only among English learners but also among native speakers.

What is a subject in a sentence?

A subject in a sentence is the 'doer' of the action, meaning the person or thing that performs the action.

What is an object in a sentence?

An object in a sentence is the receiver of the action, meaning the person or thing that the action is being done to.

What is a pronoun and how is it used?

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. For example, instead of saying 'John likes me,' you could say 'He likes me,' where 'He' is the pronoun replacing 'John.'

Can you give an example of a correct sentence using a subject pronoun?

Yes, an example is 'I love movies,' where 'I' is the subject pronoun doing the action of loving.

Can you give an example of a correct sentence using an object pronoun?

Yes, an example is 'Please call me,' where 'me' is the object pronoun receiving the action of the call.

What common mistake do people make when using subject and object pronouns together in a sentence?

A common mistake is using an object pronoun where a subject pronoun is needed, such as saying 'Him and I went out for dinner' instead of 'He and I went out for dinner.'

What rule should be followed when using pronouns after prepositions?

After prepositions, you should always use object pronouns. For example, 'Give it to John and me' is correct, not 'Give it to John and I.'

Why does the speaker suggest writing out sentences as a practice method?

The speaker suggests writing out sentences to reinforce the correct use of subject and object pronouns, helping learners internalize the rules and patterns.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Common English Pronoun Mistakes

Rebecca from engVid introduces a crucial lesson on the frequent misuse of subject and object pronouns by both English learners and native speakers. She emphasizes the importance of this lesson for English learners, especially in exams and job interviews, where English proficiency is critically assessed. The paragraph explains the basic concepts of subjects and objects in sentences and the role of pronouns as noun substitutes. Rebecca promises to clarify the correct usage of subject and object pronouns through examples and a rhyme to aid understanding.

05:00

🔍 Understanding Subject and Object Pronouns in Sentences

This paragraph delves deeper into the distinction between subject and object pronouns. Rebecca explains that subjects perform actions while objects receive them. She provides examples to illustrate the correct use of pronouns, such as 'I love movies' where 'I' is the subject, and 'Please call me' where 'me' is the object. The paragraph also discusses common mistakes, such as using object pronouns in place of subject pronouns and vice versa. Rebecca introduces a rhyme to help viewers remember the correct usage and emphasizes the typical sentence positions of subjects and objects.

10:07

🤝 The Nuances of Compound Subjects and Politeness in English

Rebecca addresses the complexities that arise with compound subjects, where more than one subject is involved in the action. She explains the polite convention in English of placing oneself last in a list of subjects, such as in 'He and I are good friends.' The paragraph highlights the importance of using subject pronouns in these instances and not mistakenly using object pronouns. Rebecca also tackles the correct use of pronouns after prepositions and the common errors made in this area, stressing the need to use object pronouns following prepositions.

15:08

📝 Correcting Common Pronoun Errors with Examples

In this paragraph, Rebecca provides a series of examples to correct common pronoun errors. She contrasts incorrect sentences with the correct ones, such as using 'He and I' instead of 'Him and me' when referring to subjects. The paragraph focuses on the proper use of pronouns after prepositions and with the verb 'to be', reinforcing the rule that object pronouns are appropriate in these cases. Rebecca encourages viewers to practice and internalize these rules to avoid making similar mistakes in their English usage.

📈 Practice and Resources for Mastering English Pronouns

The final paragraph offers resources for further practice and mastery of English pronouns. Rebecca invites viewers to visit engVid's website to take a quiz on the subject and explore over 1,000 lessons available. She advises viewers to focus on key areas of learning and to subscribe to her channel for shortcuts and efficient English learning. Rebecca concludes with well-wishes for viewers' English language journey and signs off with an encouraging note.

Keywords

💡Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns are pronouns that act as the subject of a sentence, performing the action of the verb. They include 'I', 'you', 'he', 'she', 'it', 'we', and 'they'. In the video, Rebecca emphasizes the importance of correctly using subject pronouns, such as in the sentence 'I love movies', where 'I' is the subject pronoun.

💡Object Pronouns

Object pronouns are pronouns that receive the action of the verb in a sentence. They include 'me', 'you', 'him', 'her', 'it', 'us', and 'them'. Rebecca points out common mistakes where object pronouns are used instead of subject pronouns, such as in 'Please call me', where 'me' is the object pronoun.

💡Pronoun

A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun in a sentence to avoid repetition and simplify sentences. Examples include 'he', 'she', 'it', 'they', 'we', 'you', and 'I'. In the lesson, Rebecca explains the role of pronouns and distinguishes between subject and object pronouns.

💡Subject

The subject of a sentence is the doer of the action, the one who performs the verb. It is often a noun or pronoun. Rebecca clarifies that the subject pronoun comes at the beginning of the sentence, such as in 'She studies hard', where 'she' is the subject performing the action of studying.

💡Object

The object of a sentence is the receiver of the action, the one affected by the verb. It is often a noun or pronoun. In the video, Rebecca explains that the object pronoun usually comes after the verb, as in 'I thank them', where 'them' is the object receiving the action of thanking.

💡Preposition

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Common prepositions include 'to', 'for', 'with', 'at', and 'by'. Rebecca highlights that object pronouns should follow prepositions, as in 'Give it to John and me', where 'to' is the preposition.

💡Compound Subject

A compound subject consists of two or more subjects joined by a conjunction and sharing the same verb. Rebecca explains that in English, the pronoun 'I' should come last in a compound subject, such as in 'He and I are good friends'. This rule helps maintain politeness and clarity in sentences.

💡Rhythm

Rhythm in language refers to the natural flow and cadence of speech. Rebecca encourages learners to internalize the rhythm of correct pronoun usage, suggesting that repeated practice can help sentences sound right to the ear. This aids in developing a more intuitive grasp of English grammar.

💡Action

In grammatical terms, action refers to the verb in a sentence that indicates what the subject is doing. Rebecca uses examples like 'I love movies' to show that 'love' is the action performed by the subject 'I'. Understanding who is performing the action and who is receiving it is crucial for correct pronoun usage.

💡Grammar

Grammar is the set of rules that govern the structure of sentences in a language. Rebecca's lesson focuses on the grammar rules related to subject and object pronouns, aiming to correct common mistakes and enhance learners' accuracy in using English. She stresses that mastering these basic rules is essential for effective communication.

Highlights

The lesson focuses on correcting a common mistake involving subject and object pronouns, which is often made by both English learners and native speakers.

Subject pronouns, like 'I,' 'you,' 'he,' and 'she,' are the doers of actions, while object pronouns, like 'me,' 'him,' and 'her,' receive the action.

A pronoun takes the place of a noun, such as using 'he' instead of 'John.'

A key mistake is using object pronouns in place of subject pronouns and vice versa.

Subject pronouns typically appear at the beginning of a sentence, while object pronouns usually appear toward the middle or end.

In sentences with multiple subjects, like 'he and I,' the pronouns should be chosen from the subject list, not the object list.

When using prepositions, the pronoun following should be an object pronoun, such as 'Give it to John and me,' not 'John and I.'

Object pronouns are also used after the verb 'to be,' e.g., 'It's me,' instead of 'It is I.'

Examples like 'Please return the book to him' demonstrate the correct usage of object pronouns after prepositions.

After a preposition, always use object pronouns, e.g., 'for me,' 'with him,' 'before her.'

The lesson emphasizes avoiding the common mistake of mixing subject and object pronouns, especially in compound subjects like 'she and I.'

It’s important to remember the polite convention of placing 'I' last in compound subjects.

The speaker advises practicing by writing sentences and using quizzes to reinforce correct pronoun usage.

The lesson is particularly valuable for English learners who are preparing for exams or job interviews where language precision is critical.

The video concludes with a reminder to subscribe for more lessons and to use the provided resources on the website to master key aspects of English grammar.

Transcripts

Hi. I'm Rebecca from engVid. I'm so glad you

clicked on this lesson because today's lesson

is one of the most important lessons ever. Why? Because this mistake that I'm going to

tell you about is one of the most frequently

made mistakes, unfortunately, not only by

English learners, but also by English speakers.

So, hey, if there are any English speakers

watching this, please keep watching because you would like to correct this too. But for

the English learners, it's even more important

because you're doing exams, you're going for

job interviews, and people are judging your English a little bit more critically. Okay?

So, what are we going to talk about today?

We're talking about subject and object pronouns.

Now, I know that doesn't sound very sexy, but it's so important that you get it right

because it's a very basic mistake. All right?

And I hope that after this lesson, you will

get it right. I'm going to do my best to explain

it to you so you completely get it. Okay?

Here we go. All right. So, first of all, what's

a subject and what's an object, and what's

a pronoun? Because I said subject, object,

pronouns. There are three words there. Okay?

They're kind of like grammar words. So, the

subject of a sentence in English is the doer

of the action. Okay? It's the person that

does the action. And the object receives the

action. Okay? I'm going to explain it to you

exactly, give you an example and everything,

no problem. All right? And what's a pronoun?

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of

a noun. So, for example, I could say "John",

okay? "John likes me." Or I could say "He

likes me." So, "He" replaced "John". All right?

Now, let's look at this chart because here

what I've written for you are basically all the

subject pronouns and all the object pronouns.

Okay? Now, what's the problem? The problem is that sometimes people are using object

pronouns when they should be using subject

pronouns, and vice versa. So, sometimes they're

using subject pronouns when they should be using object pronouns. All right? So, let's

see how this works. So, in this sentence, "I

love movies." Right? The "I" is a subject.

It's doing the action. The action is love. All

right? So this is a subject pronoun. Right?

But in this sentence, "Please call me", the

subject is understood as "you", but the action

is being received to "me". "Please call me."

So, "me" is an object pronoun. Okay? I'm going

to give you so many examples that you're going

to get it, even if you didn't get it yet.

Okay?

Let's try it with this little rhyme. And you

can say it along with me if you want, if it

helps you to kind of get that rhythm in your

head. All right? Because language is not about

rules and all of that only. It starts with

that, but finally it becomes about the rhythm,

and whether it's going to sound right to your

ear. So, let's say these sentences, and we're

going to run through them with all of these examples. Okay? Here we go.

For example, "I like Jack", "Jack likes me." Okay?

"I like Jack", subject, "I", "Jack likes me", object.

"You like Jack", "Jack likes you". Here, you

can see with the word "you" that it's the

same. Okay? So there we don't usually make mistakes because it's the same. Here, "He

likes Jack", "Jack likes him". Okay? "She

likes Jack", say it with me, "Jack likes her".

"We like Jack", "Jack likes us", "They like Jack", "Jack likes them". Okay? So what do

you notice? That all of these subject pronouns

usually come at the beginning of a sentence,

and the object pronouns usually come towards

the middle or end of a sentence. Okay? You'll

see that, and that's how it is. And there

are a few other patterns which I'll show you.

So let's look at some examples. Okay? So we

said the first one already. "I love movies",

subject. "We live here", right? Also, subject.

Yeah? You see it up there? "She studies hard",

right? Subject. Yeah? All of these are subjects.

"They watch videos", like you are doing right

now. "They" is the subject, and I hope if you're

watching this video that you also subscribe

to my channel because I keep giving you all of these kind of shortcut lessons that will

really save you a lot of time and years in learning English. Okay? So subscribe. "He

and I are good friends." Now, look what happens

here. Here it was pretty straightforward,

right? Yeah, of course. I know, Rebecca. I

know what the subject is. But here, sometimes

people get confused when we have more than one subject. So here it was "he" and "I",

but these are still the subjects, so we still

have to take the word from here, take the

pronoun from up here, and not from down here.

So we have to say "he" and "I". Now, why do

we say "he" and "I", and not "I" and "he"?

Because usually in English we're very polite,

we let other people go first through the door,

and we also let other people go first in the

sentence. All right? So even if it was five

people, like "she", "he", and "I", okay? "They"

and "I", but "I" comes last. All right? So

that's how it is. But the most important thing

is not just where the "I" is, but that you're

saying "I" and you're not saying "me". So

you cannot say "he" and "me". No. Not if you're talking about the subject. You have

to say "he" and "I". And if you're not sure,

what you can do is take out that other person

or people and just say "I am good friends". That makes sense. But if I said "me am good

friends", no, that doesn't sound right. Correct?

So that's one way we can tell. Sometimes people

make the same mistake here. Instead of saying

"he", they'll say "him". "Him" and "I". No. Again,

"him" belongs on the other side, the object,

right? Not the subject. All right? So that's

something else. Now let's go to the other side

and look at some examples of the objects and

how we usually use them. So, "Please call me",

right? Receiving the action of the call. "I thank

them." Now, in this sentence, we have a subject

and an object, right? What's the subject?

"I", right? Subject. Because I'm doing the action. "I thanked", and "I thanked" who?

"Them". Okay? So this here is the object. All right? Again, this tends to usually be

at the beginning of a sentence; that tends to be at the end of a sentence.

Now, another very important clue is when you

have a preposition. So whatever follows the

preposition should be what? The objects. And

the mistake that I'm hearing a lot on TV,

and writing, on the internet, and so on, is that people are after... The prepositions

are using these subject pronouns, and that's

wrong; that's incorrect. Like, especially

if you're doing an exam or you're writing a job application, that's a bad mistake to

make. Okay? So don't make that one.

So let's look at the example. "Give it to

John and me." Okay? So after "to", so that's

"to" is the preposition, "Give it to John and

me." Okay? Because it's an object we want,

not "John and I". And again, if you're not

sure, take out "John" and say... Do we usually

say "Give it to I"? No. We say "Give it to me".

Okay? "To me", "for me", "after me", "before

me". All right? Any preposition, after that,

you're going to use the object pronoun. You

got it.

Another example, "She works for us." Again, after the preposition, you want to use the

object pronoun, "us". Not "for", "we". And

also, after the verb "to be", we usually use

these object pronouns. Now, in the old days,

like in... Or in Shakespeare, somebody might

say "It is I", but usually we don't say that

anymore. We just say "It's me." Okay? "It's

him." So we're using the object pronouns after

the verb "to be". "It's me." Okay? Object

pronoun. "It's them." Object pronoun. All right?

I hope you're beginning to see a lot of the

correct patterns that the subjects go first,

the objects go usually towards the end, the

subject does the action, the object receives

the action. And if you have a compound subject,

don't mix them up. Okay? Don't take something

from here and then something from here. No, no, no. Don't do that. All right? Just take

subjects. And on that side, just take objects.

All right? This is really, really important.

You might want to write out some sentences, write out lots of sentences. If you want,

you can put them down in the comments or whatever,

but let's practice a little bit more to make

sure that you've got it.

Okay, are you ready to own this subject? Here

we go. All right? So, I made it a little bit

easier for you. I kept the chart. Okay? In fact, you might want to copy this chart in

your notes. I think it's very helpful to see

it visually, see it as being different. Right?

The subjects up there, the objects down here.

All right? But now let's try to apply them.

Here we go. Number one, do we say, "He and I went out for dinner", or do we say, "Him

and me went out for dinner"? Which one is

right? If you need to, you can pause the video,

think about it, come back. Okay? And if not,

just stay along with me. Here we go. What's

the answer? The correct answer is the first one, "He and I went out for dinner." Okay?

So this is wrong. Why? Because this is the

subject. Right? The subject of the sentence,

the doer of the action. So we want the subject

pronouns, which are up here, "he" and "I".

And of course, I explained to you before that "I" goes last. All right?

Next, "Why are you looking at she?" or "Why

are you looking at her?" Okay? Unfortunately,

we hear this question a lot in the world. All right? So, what should it be? Which one

is right? It should be... This is correct, this is wrong. Okay? First, it's at... It's

towards the end. Right? Second, it's also

after a preposition, "at her". Right? So after

a preposition, you need to use the object

pronouns, not the subject pronouns. All right?

"At her", "to her", "for her", "with her". All right? Good.

Next, number three, "She and my sister are

friends." or "Her and my sister are friends."

Which one is right? By now, you should know

it like that in a heartbeat. Right? Tell me.

Which one is it? Okay? Which one should I

cancel? This one. Okay? And this is correct.

All right? This is good. We'll just skip that.

All right, so, "She and my sister". Why "she"?

Because this is the subject. All right? Subject,

not object. All right? "She and my sister".

Good.

Number four, "Please return the book to he." or "Please return the book to him."

Think. Subject or object? Is it at the beginning?

No. Is it at the end? Yes. Is it after a preposition?

Yes. So, what does it need to be? It's an object. Okay. What's the object? "Him", not

"he". So, we will cancel "he" and we will

circle "him" as being the right answer. "Please

return the book to him", "for him", "with

him". Okay? All of those. "Before him", "after

him". All right? All of those.

Next, "I bought this for we" or "I bought this

for us", which is correct? Again, analyze.

What's the subject of this sentence? The subject

or the doer of the action is "I". Okay? This

is the subject. "I bought", right? This is

the verb. "I bought this for", so now we need

an object, so it should be "us" and not "we".

Okay? "For us", because "we" is the subject

pronoun and "us" is the object pronoun. I know, it seems like we're saying it again

and again, but that's how our brain remembers. All right.

Next, "Me and her work together" or "You tell

me the right answer." Okay? Because this is

wrong. All right? "Me" is an object pronoun,

but here we have the subject. "Her" is an

object pronoun, and yet we hear these kind of

sentences. Completely wrong. Okay? Two object

pronouns instead of two subject pronouns. So what are the correct subject pronouns we

should use here? So instead of "me", we should

use what? "I". Instead of "her", we should

use "she". Right? Yes. But do we say "I and she work together"? No. So we also have to

do a little switch there. Right? And you need

to say "she" and "I". Okay? "She and I work

together", this is totally, totally wrong.

Even if you hear it in a movie or in a show,

or if you read it on the internet, it's wrong, and

it'll always be wrong. It's actually considered

very poor English, so you really don't want to make this kind of mistake. Okay?

So, if you want to practice this and master this very important subject-okay?-go to our

website, www.engvid.com. Immediately do the quiz.

And before you go there... Sorry, one second.

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