Subject pronouns

Subject pronouns nearly always come before a verb in statements. They are used when the person or thing referred to can be identified by both speaker and hearer: John didn 't find us in so he left a message

In English, the subject of a sentence must be expressed. If it is not directly expressed, its presence is strongly implied [> 4.5.8]. This can be contrasted with some other European languages, where the use of subject pronouns can be optional.

4-5.1 The first person singular: 'I'

The speaker or writer uses / when referring to himself or herself. This is the only personal pronoun which is always spelt with a capital letter.

4 Pronouns

Note that / is written as a capital letter whether it's at the beginning of a sentence or not

/ think therefore I am John told me I needn t wait In polite usage it is usual to avoid mentioning yourself first

Jane and I have already eaten (in preference to / and Jane)

4.5.2 The second person singular and plural: 'you'

We use this when we address another person, or two or more people

Are you ready Jill⁹ Or Are you (both/all) ready? Fox you in the sense of 'anyone in general' [> 4.9]

4.5.3 The third person singular masculine: 'he' [compare > 4.8] He stands for a male person who has already been mentioned Don t expect David to accept your invitation He s far too busy He is used in certain proverbial expressions to mean 'anyone' He who hesitates is lost

4.5.4 The third person singular feminine: 'she' [compare > 4.8] She stands for a female person who has already been mentioned

Ask Jennifer if she II be home in time for dinner

4.5.5 The third person singular neuter: 'it' [compare > 4.8]
It can refer to a thing, a quality, an event, a place, etc

That vase is valuable It s more than 200 years old

Loyalty must be earned It can t be bought

I love swimming It keeps me fit

Last night I ran out of petrol It really taught me a lesson

You should visit Bath It s not far from Bristol

We can use it to identify people

There s a knock at the door Who is it? –It’s the postman Who s that? -Its our new next-door neighbour Mrs Smith

Compare this request for information (not identification) Who s Mrs Smith⁹ - She s our new next-door neighbour

We also use it when we don't know the sex of a baby or child

Its a lovely baby Is it a boy or a girl? We refer to an animal as it when the sex is not known or not worth identifying

/ m fed up with that dog of yours It never stops barking