What Are Subjective Personal Pronouns? (with Examples)
What Are Subjective Personal Pronouns
The subjective personal pronouns are I, you, she, he, it, we, you, and they. A subjective personal pronoun indicates that the pronoun is acting as the subject of the verb.
Subjective personal pronouns are personal pronouns in the subjective case. (As covered below, they are also used as subject complements.)
Examples of Subjective Personal Pronouns
Here are some examples of subjective personal pronouns in sentences:
- We bought a pound of apples.
(We is the subject of the verb bought.)
- He decided to row to the island.
(He is the subject of the verb decided.)
- Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together. (Carl Zwanzig)
(It is the subject of the verbs has. It is then the subject of the verbs holds. Note: Subjective personal pronouns do not have to be the subject of a sentence, but they do have to be the subject of a verb. Look at the two examples below.)
- Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and, instead of bleeding, he sings. (Ed Gardner)
(He is the subject of the verb sings.)
- Things are only impossible until they ‘re not. (Hannah Louise Shearer)
(They is the subject of the verb are. Remember, they’re is a contraction of they are.)
The Proper Terms for Subjective Personal Pronouns
The table below shows the terms we use to describe personal pronouns.
| Proper Term | Subjective Personal Pronoun |
| First Person Singular | I |
| Second Person Singular | you |
| Third Person Singular | he/she/it |
| First Person Plural | we |
| Second Person Plural | you |
| Third Person Plural | they |
This next section will help to explain why we use those terms in the left-hand column for pronouns.
Whether we know it or not, we all select a personal pronoun having first determined its:
- Number
- Is the personal pronoun representing something singular or plural?
- Person
- Is the personal pronoun representing something:
- In the first person? (This is the speaker himself or a group that includes the speaker, i.e., I, me, we, and us.)
- In the second person? (This is the speaker’s audience, i.e., you.)
- In the third person? (This is everybody else, i.e., he, she,it, they.)
- Gender
- Is the personal pronoun representing something male, female, or neuter?
- Case
- Is the personal pronoun representing something which is a subject or anobject?
Subjective Personal Pronouns As Subject Complements
On occasion, a subjective personal pronoun will follow a linking verb to identify the subject. For example (subjective personal pronouns in bold):
- It was I.
(In this example, It is the subject, was is the linking verb, and I is the subject complement.)
- The burglar is he.
(In this example, The burglar is the subject, is is the linking verb, and he is the subject complement.)
Read more about subjective personal pronouns as subject complements.
Objective Personal Pronouns
Subjective personal pronouns contrast with objective personal pronouns, which are not used as subjects of verbs but as objects.
| Proper Term | Objective Personal Pronoun |
| First Person Singular | me |
| Second Person Singular | you |
| Third Person Singular | him/her/it |
| First Person Plural | us |
| Second Person Plural | you |
| Third Person Plural | them |
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AGH / Feb 2020