Object Pronouns: Understanding and Using Him, Her, It, Them

What are Object Pronouns?

Definition:

Object pronouns are pronouns used to replace nouns that are the objects of verbs or prepositions in a sentence. They help avoid repetition and make sentences clearer and more concise.

Object Pronouns Examples

1. Me: "Can you help me with this task?"

2. You: "I’ll meet you at the café."

3. Him: "She called him last night."

4. Her: "The team thanked her for her support."

5. It: "Did you see it on the shelf?"

6. Us: "They invited us to their wedding."

7. Me: "The company promoted me to a new position."

8. You: "He always listens to you."

9. Him: "Can you ask him to come over?"

10. Her: "They offered her a great deal."

11. It: "Please return it to the library."

12. Us: "She made us dinner last night."

13. Them: "I will join them after work."

14. Me: "My friends surprised me with a party."

15. You: "I’m going to tell you a secret."

16. Him: "The chef prepared a special dish for him."

17. Her: "He borrowed the book from her."

18. It: "Don’t forget to bring it tomorrow."

19. Us: "They showed us their vacation photos."

20. Me: "Can you give me a ride home?"

21. You: "Did you find your keys?"

22. Him: "She wrote him a heartfelt letter."

23. Her: "I met her at the conference."

24. It: "He didn’t like it at all."

25. Us: "The guide told us about the history of the site."

26. Them: "We asked them for directions."

27. Me: "My teacher explained the problem to me."

28. You: "I will be thinking about you during the trip."

Rules for Using Object Pronouns

1. Object Position in Sentence:

• Object pronouns are used as the object of a verb or a preposition. They come after the verb or preposition in a sentence.

• Example: She saw him. / Can you talk to her?

2. Direct Object:

• Use object pronouns when the pronoun is receiving the action directly from the verb.

• Example: I love it. (Here, “it” is the direct object of “love.”)

3. Indirect Object:

• Use object pronouns when the pronoun is the recipient of something given or done.

• Example: He gave us a gift. (Here, “us” is the indirect object receiving the gift.)

4. Object of Prepositions:

• Use object pronouns after prepositions (e.g., to, for, with, about).

• Example: She went to the store with him. / I’m waiting for them.

5. Avoid Redundancy:

• Don’t use both the noun and the object pronoun together. Replace the noun with the pronoun to avoid repetition.

• Example: Instead of “I will call John. I will call John tomorrow,” use “I will call him tomorrow.”

6. Pronoun Consistency:

• Ensure that object pronouns are used consistently and correctly in relation to their antecedents (the nouns they replace).

• Example: If “I” am talking about “John,” then use him to refer to John as the object.

7. Choosing the Correct Pronoun:

• Select the appropriate object pronoun based on the gender (he/him, she/her) and number (singular/plural: him, her, us, them).

• Example: I saw her at the park. / We invited them to the party.

8. Emphasis and Clarity:

• Use object pronouns to maintain clarity and avoid ambiguity in sentences.

• Example: I will help you with the project. (Clarity about who is being helped.)

Difference Between Object Pronouns and Subject Pronouns

Object Pronouns Exercises:

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct object pronoun.

1. Can you give ___ the book? (me)

2. I will call ___ later. (you)

3. She invited ___ to her party. (him)

4. The teacher explained the problem to ___. (us)

5. We need to find ___ before the meeting starts. (them)

Answers:

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

1. Me

2. you

3. him

4. us

5. Them

Exercise 2: Rewrite Sentences

Rewrite the following sentences by replacing the repeated nouns with object pronouns.

1. Mary saw Mary’s friend at the café.

2. John gave John’s sister a gift.

3. The children were excited because the children were going to the amusement park.

4. I will help David and I will help David with the project.

5. The manager asked the employees to submit the reports to the manager.

Answers

Exercise 2: Rewrite Sentences

1. Mary saw her friend at the café.

2. John gave his sister a gift.

3. The children were excited because they were going to the amusement park.

4. I will help him with the project.

5. The manager asked them to submit the reports to him.

Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Pronoun

Select the correct object pronoun for each sentence.

1. Jane will meet (me / I) at the library.

2. The coach praised (them / they) for their hard work.

3. Can you show (her / she) how to use the new software?

4. We saw (him / he) at the concert last night.

5. She called (us / we) after the meeting.

Answers:

Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Pronoun

1. me

2. them

3. her

4. him

5. Us

Exercise 4: Match the Sentences

Match each sentence with the correct object pronoun.

1. "I will give the keys to ___."
   a) him
   b) her
   c) us

2. "They saw ___ at the park yesterday."
   a) them
   b) it
   c) me

3. "Can you help ___ with the homework?"
   a) us
   b) she
   c) he

4. "She sent a letter to ___."
   a) we
   b) they
   c) him

5. "The teacher asked ___ to answer the question."
   a) him
   b) her
   c) them

Answers:

Exercise 4: Match the Sentences

1. him

2. them

3. us

4. him

5. Him

Exercise 5: Correct the Mistakes

Identify and correct the mistakes in the following sentences.

1. She gave I a beautiful gift.

2. Can you tell me where is he?

3. We invited he and his family to dinner.

4. The book was on the table; I put it there.

5. They helped we with the project.

Answers:

Exercise 5: Correct the Mistakes

1. She gave me a beautiful gift.

2. Can you tell me where he is?

3. We invited him and his family to dinner.

4. The book was on the table; I put it there.

5. They helped us with the project.

Exercise 6: Choose the Correct Pronoun

Select the correct object pronoun to complete each sentence.

1. She gave the book to (me / I).

2. The teacher helped (us / we) with the homework.

3. Can you see (her / she) over there?

4. Tom invited (them / they) to his party.

5. We will ask (him / he) for advice.

Answers:

Exercise 6: Choose the Correct Pronoun

1. She gave the book to me.

2. The teacher helped us with the homework.

3. Can you see her over there?

4. Tom invited them to his party.

5. We will ask him for advice.

Exercise 7: Fill in the Blanks

Complete each sentence with the appropriate object pronoun.

1. The children are playing with ___ outside.

2. Maria will meet ___ at the restaurant.

3. I will send ___ an email later.

4. Can you bring ___ to the meeting?

5. The dog followed ___ all the way home.

Answers

Exercise 7: Fill in the Blanks

1. The children are playing with them outside.

2. Maria will meet you at the restaurant.

3. I will send you an email later.

4. Can you bring it to the meeting?

5. The dog followed us all the way home.

Exercise 8: Identify the Object Pronouns

Underline the object pronouns in the following sentences.

1. She saw him at the grocery store.

2. They asked us to join them for dinner.

3. I gave her a gift for her birthday.

4. We listened to them during the presentation.

5. The company sent me a confirmation email.

Answers:

Exercise 8: Identify the Object Pronouns

1. She saw him at the grocery store.

2. They asked us to join them for dinner.

3. I gave her a gift for her birthday.

4. We listened to them during the presentation.

5. The company sent me a confirmation email.

Takeaway from Object Pronouns Page and Exercise

Object pronouns like me, him, her, us, and them are used to replace nouns that are the target of an action in a sentence.

Key Points:

1. Position in Sentence: Use object pronouns after verbs and prepositions to show who or what is affected by the action.

2. Direct vs. Indirect Object: Direct objects get the action directly (e.g., “She saw him”), while indirect objects are the ones receiving something (e.g., “He gave us a gift”).

3. Avoid Repeating Nouns: Replace repeated nouns with object pronouns to make sentences clearer and less repetitive.

4. Consistent Usage: Make sure object pronouns match their nouns in terms of gender and number.

5. Clear Communication: Using object pronouns correctly helps make your sentences easy to understand.