All About Personal Pronouns: Definitions, Rules, and Common Mistakes

Personal pronouns are words used to replace specific nouns that refer to people or things. They stop unnecessary repetition and improve the flow of sentences. For example, instead of saying “Rita is reading a book, and Rita will write a review,” we use the personal pronoun “she” to replace “Rita,” making the sentence: “Rita is reading a book, and she will write a review.”

What is a Personal Pronoun?

A personal pronoun is a word that replaces a noun in a sentence, referring to a person, group, or thing. Personal pronouns change based on the gender (he/she), number (singular/plural), and case (subject/object). Some common personal pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, we, they. In the sentence “She is reading a book,” the pronoun “she” replaces the noun and refers to a female subject.

Personal pronoun वह शब्द होता है जो sentence में किसी व्यक्ति, समूह, या वस्तु को दिखाने के लिए noun की जगह लेता है। Personal pronouns gender (he/she), number (एकवचन/बहुवचन), और case (subject/object) के अनुसार बदलते हैं। कुछ सामान्य personal pronouns हैं: I, you, he, she, it, we, they। Example के लिए, “वह किताब पढ़ रही है,” में “वह” एक personal pronoun है जो स्त्रीलिंग subject को दर्शाता है।

 

Definition of Personal Pronoun

A personal pronoun is a pronoun that replaces a specific noun in a sentence and refers to a person, thing, or group. It is used to avoid repetition and provides clarity by indicating the speaker, the person spoken to, or the person or thing spoken about. Personal pronouns can be in the first, second, or third person and may be singular or plural. Examples include “I,” “you,” “he,” “she,” “we,” and “they.”

Personal pronoun वह pronoun होता है जो sentence में किसी specific noun की जगह लेता है और किसी व्यक्ति, वस्तु, या समूह को दर्शाता है। यह repetition से बचाने के लिए use होता है और यह specify करता है कि कौन बोल रहा है, किससे बात हो रही है, या किसके बारे में बात हो रही है। Personal pronouns पहले व्यक्ति, दूसरे व्यक्ति, या तीसरे व्यक्ति में हो सकते हैं और यह singular या plural होते हैं।Example, “I,” “you,” “he,” “she,” “we,” और “they” personal pronouns हैं।

 

Tricky Personal Pronouns Examples

Understanding personal pronouns can sometimes be tricky due to incorrect use. People often misuse personal pronouns, especially when it comes to matching gender, number, or case. Here are some examples of tricky personal pronouns:

Personal pronouns को समझना कई बार confusing हो सकता है, खासकर जब gender, number, या case का सही use न हो। यहां कुछ tricky personal pronouns के examples दिए गए हैं:

He/She

Incorrect: “She went to the store, and he bought milk” (referring to the same person).
Correct: “She went to the store and bought milk.”
Hindi: “वह store गई और दूध खरीदा।”
Note: “He” and “She” should not be mixed for the same person.

They

Incorrect: “Them are going to the park.”
Correct: “They are going to the park.”
Hindi: “वे park जा रहे हैं।”
Note: “They” is used as a subject pronoun, while “them” is an object pronoun.

I/Me

Incorrect: “Me and Rohan are going to the meeting.”
Correct: “Rohan and I are going to the meeting.”
Hindi: “Rohan और मैं meeting में जा रहे हैं।”
Note: “I” is used as the subject, and “me” is used as the object.

Personal Pronouns Sentences

Here are some common examples of personal pronouns used in sentences, along with their Hindi translations:

1. English: “I am learning to play the piano.”
   Hindi: “मैं piano बजाना सीख रहा हूँ।”  
2. English: “They are travelling to New York.”
   Hindi: “वे New York की यात्रा कर रहे हैं।” 
3. English: “He is reading a book.”
   Hindi: “वह किताब पढ़ रहा है।” 
4. English: “She is cooking dinner for her family.”
   Hindi: “वह अपने परिवार के लिए खाना बना रही है।” 
5. English: “We are planning a trip next week.”
   Hindi: “हम अगले हफ्ते trip की planning कर रहे हैं।” 

When Do We Use Personal Pronouns?

We use personal pronouns to replace specific nouns in a sentence, making the sentence clearer and avoiding repetition. They refer to the person speaking (first person), the person being spoken to (second person), or the person or thing being spoken about (third person). For example, in the sentences “He is playing football” or “She is writing a letter,” we use personal pronouns to replace the nouns “Rohan” or “Shashi.”

हम personal pronouns का use sentence में किसी specific noun की जगह करने के लिए करते हैं, ताकि sentence को साफ़ और short बनाया जा सके। ये pronouns उस व्यक्ति या चीज़ को दर्शाते हैं जो बोल रहा है (पहला व्यक्ति), जिससे बात हो रही है (दूसरा व्यक्ति), या जिसके बारे में बात हो रही है (तीसरा व्यक्ति)। Example के लिए, “वह football खेल रहा है” या “वह पत्र लिख रही है” में, personal pronouns का use “Rohan” या “Shashi” की जगह किया गया है।

 

Personal Pronoun Rules

1. Using as Subject: Personal pronouns are used as the subject of a sentence to indicate who is performing the action.
   Example:
   English: “He is reading a book.”
   Hindi: “वह किताब पढ़ रहा है।” 
2. Using as Object: Personal pronouns can also be used as the object of the sentence, receiving the action.
   Example:
   English: “She called him yesterday.”
   Hindi: “उसने उसे कल बुलाया।” 
3. Using with Prepositions: Personal pronouns are often used after prepositions to indicate who is involved in the action.
   Example:
   English: “This gift is for you.”
   Hindi: “यह gift तुम्हारे लिए है।” 
4. In the Imperative Form: Personal pronouns can be used in commands to address someone directly.
   Example:
   English: “You should complete the assignment.”
   Hindi: “तुम्हें assignment पूरा करना चाहिए।” 
5. Using “It” for Objects and Animals: The pronoun “it” is used to refer to inanimate objects, things, and sometimes animals when the gender is unknown or irrelevant.

         Example:
         English: “The cat is playing with its toy.”
         Hindi: “बिल्ली अपने खिलौने से खेल रही है।”
         English: “The book is interesting. It has a lot of good ideas.”
         Hindi: “किताब दिलचस्प है। इसमें बहुत अच्छे ideas हैं।”

 

      6. Using “You” for Both Singular and Plural: In English, the pronoun “you” is used for both singular and plural forms, which                     sometimes causes confusion. In Hindi, “तुम” or “आप” are used for singular, and “तुम लोग” or “आप लोग” for plural.

           Example:

           English: “You are my friend.” (singular)
           Hindi: “तुम मेरे दोस्त हो।” (एकवचन)

           English: “You are my friends.” (plural)
            Hindi: “तुम लोग मेरे दोस्त हो।” (बहुवचन)

 

        7. Using “They” as a Singular Pronoun: In modern English, “they” can also be used as a gender-neutral singular pronoun when                   the gender of the person is unknown or not specified.
            Example:
            English: “Someone left their phone on the table.”
            Hindi: “किसी ने अपना phone table पर छोड़ दिया।”

        8. In Questions: Personal pronouns are used in questions to ask about the person or thing involved in the action.
            Example:
            English: “Are they coming to the party?”
            Hindi: “क्या वे party में आ रहे हैं?”

Typical Errors with Personal Pronouns

Using personal pronouns correctly is essential for clear communication and to avoid common mistakes.
Personal pronouns का सही use clear बातचीत के लिए जरूरी है और आम गलतियों से बचने में मदद करता है।

 

Common Errors:

 

1. Missing Personal Pronoun

A frequent mistake is forgetting to include the personal pronoun when it is necessary for clarity.

Example:
Incorrect: “Went to the store.”
Correction: “I went to the store.”
Hindi:
गलत: “दुकान गया।”
सही: “मैं दुकान गया।”

 

2.  Misplacing Personal Pronouns in a Sentence

Sometimes, the placement of personal pronouns can create confusion in a sentence.

Example:

Incorrect: “I gave Rahul and she the book.”

Correction: “I gave the book to Rahul and her.”

Hindi:

गलत: “मैंने दी Rahul और उसे किताब।”

सही: “मैंने किताब Rahul और उसे दी।”

 

3. Using the Wrong Pronoun in Indirect Speech

When using personal pronouns in indirect speech, it’s important to match the subject’s pronoun correctly.

 

Example:

Incorrect: “He said that I am happy.”
Correction: “He said that you are happy.” (if referring to the person addressed)
Hindi:
गलत: “उसने कहा कि मैं खुश हूँ।”
सही: “उसने कहा कि तुम खुश हो।” (यदि व्यक्ति से बात कर रहे हों)

 

4. Mixing Up Subject and Object Pronouns

People often mix up subject pronouns with object pronouns.
Example:

Incorrect: “Me went to the park.”
Correction: “I went to the park.”
Hindi:
गलत: “मुझे park गया।”
सही: “मैं park गया।”

 

5. Using “It” for People

Using “it” to refer to a person can be disrespectful or incorrect unless referring to a baby or a pet.

Example:

Incorrect: “It is my friend.”
Correction: “He is my friend.”
Hindi:
गलत: “इसे मेरा दोस्त है।”
सही: “वह मेरा दोस्त है।”

 

Difference Between Personal Pronouns and Demonstrative Pronouns

The basic difference between personal pronouns and demonstrative pronouns lies in their function within a sentence. Personal pronouns refer to specific people or things and change based on number (singular/plural), gender (he/she), and case (subject/object). In contrast, demonstrative pronouns point to specific items or people, indicating their location or identity in relation to the speaker.

Personal pronouns और demonstrative pronouns में basic अंतर उनके कार्य में है। Personal pronouns विशेष रूप से व्यक्तियों या वस्तुओं को दर्शाते हैं और number (एकवचन/बहुवचन), gender (वह/वह) और case (subject/object) के आधार पर बदलते हैं। दूसरी ओर, Demonstrative pronouns खास वस्तुओं या व्यक्तियों को indicate करते हैं, यह बताने के लिए कि वे कहां हैं या उनकी पहचान क्या है।

Comparison:

Personal Pronoun: “I am going to the market.”
Hindi: “मैं market जा रहा हूँ।”
Demonstrative Pronoun: “This is the market I mentioned.”
Hindi: “यह वह market है जिसका मैंने जिक्र किया था।”

Personal Pronoun: “They are coming to the party.”
Hindi: “वे party में आ रहे हैं।”
Demonstrative Pronoun: “Those are the cupcakes I made.”
Hindi: “वे cupcakes हैं जो मैंने बनाए।”

Personal Pronoun: “She is studying hard.”
Hindi: “वह मेहनत से पढ़ाई कर रही है।”
Demonstrative Pronoun: “That is the book I need.”
Hindi: “वह वह किताब है जो मुझे चाहिए।”

 

Types of Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are divided into different categories based on their person, number, and case:

 

• First Person Pronouns

English: These refer to the speaker or speakers.
Hindi: ये pronouns उस व्यक्ति या लोगों को दर्शाते हैं जो बोल रहे हैं।
Examples:
English: I, we
Hindi: मैं, हम

 

• Second Person Pronouns

English: These refer to the person or people being spoken to.
Hindi: ये pronouns उस व्यक्ति या लोगों को दर्शाते हैं जिनसे बात की जा रही है।
Examples:
English: You (singular and plural)
Hindi: तुम, आप

• Third Person Pronouns

English: These refer to the person, people, or things being spoken about.
Hindi: ये pronouns उस व्यक्ति, लोगों, या वस्तुओं को दर्शाते हैं जिनके बारे में बात हो रही है।
Examples:
English: He, she, it, they
Hindi: वह (पुरुष), वह (स्त्री), यह, वे

 

• Subject Pronouns

English: These are used as the subject of the sentence.
Hindi: ये pronouns वाक्य के subject के रूप में use होते हैं।
Examples:
English: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
Hindi: मैं, तुम, वह, हम

 

• Object Pronouns

English: These are used as the object in the sentence.
Hindi: ये pronouns वाक्य के object के रूप में use होते हैं।
Examples:
English: Me, you, him, her, it, us, them
Hindi: मुझे, तुम्हें, उसे, हमें, उन्हें

 

Practice Questions Related to Personal Pronouns

Fill in the blanks with the correct personal pronoun (choose the correct option in brackets):

1. __ (He/She) is my best friend.
2. Can __ (I/me) come to your party?
3. __ (They/Them) are going to the concert tonight.
4. John and __ (I/me) are planning the event.
5. __ (We/Us) need to finish the project by tomorrow.
6. This gift is for __ (you/your).
7. Can you help __ (he/him) with his homework?
8. __ (She/Her) loves to read books in the evening.
9. Sarah and __ (she/her) went shopping yesterday.
10. Please tell __ (they/them) the good news.
11. I saw __ (him/he) at the mall.
12. My friends and __ (I/me) went on a road trip.
13. __ (It/Its) was a beautiful day yesterday.
14. __ (We/Us) are excited for the holiday trip.
15. __ (They/Them) finished the assignment on time.

Answers:

1. He
2. I
3. They
4. I
5. We
6. you
7. him
8. She
9. she
10. them
11. him
12. I
13. It
14. We
15. They

 

Common Questions About Personal Pronouns

Q1: What do we mean by a Personal Pronoun?

Answer: A personal pronoun is a word that replaces a specific noun in a sentence, referring to a person, group, or thing. Personal pronouns change based on number (singular/plural), gender (he/she), and case (subject/object). The typical personal pronouns are “I,” “you,” “he,” “she,” “it,” “we,” and “they.” For example, in the sentence “He is reading a book,” “he” refers to the subject, a male person.

Q2: How do personal pronouns change based on number and gender?

Answer: Personal pronouns change depending on whether they refer to one person/thing (singular) or more than one (plural). They also vary by gender: “he” for males, “she” for females, and “it” for non-human objects or when gender is unknown. “They” can be used for both plural and singular, gender-neutral situations.

Example: “He is happy” (singular, male), “They are coming” (plural), “Someone left their phone” (singular, gender-neutral).

 

Q3: What is the difference between personal pronouns and possessive pronouns?

Answer: Personal pronouns replace nouns to refer to people or things (e.g., “I,” “you,” “he,” “she”). Possessive pronouns show ownership (e.g., “mine,” “yours,” “his,” “hers”).

Example:
Personal Pronoun: “She is reading a book.”
Possessive Pronoun: “That book is hers.”
Personal pronouns refer to subjects or objects, while possessive pronouns show who something belongs to.

Q4: How do personal pronouns function in compound subjects?

Answer: In compound subjects, it’s important to use subject pronouns correctly. For example, in the sentence “Raju and I went to the store,” “I” is the subject pronoun that indicates the speaker is performing the action. Saying “Raju and me went to the store” is incorrect because “me” is an object pronoun, which should only be used when receiving the action, not performing it. Proper usage maintains grammatical accuracy.

 

Q5: Is “they” always plural, or can it be used as singular?

Answer: While “they” is traditionally a plural pronoun, it can also be used as a singular pronoun in modern English to refer to someone whose gender is either unknown or unspecified. This usage is increasingly accepted, particularly in contexts where inclusivity or privacy is important. When used in this way, “they” helps to maintain gender neutrality.
For example:

Plural: “They are going to the party.” (Refers to more than one person)

Singular, Gender-neutral: “Someone left their bag here.” (Refers to one person whose gender is unspecified)
In both cases, “they” makes the sentence grammatically correct without specifying gender.

Conclusion

Grasping and correctly using personal pronouns is helpful for better communication. These pronouns serve to replace nouns, making sentences clearer and more short. By mastering their forms in various contexts and understanding their roles as subjects and objects, learners can easily improve their language skills and reduce common mistakes. Whether referring to oneself, another person, or a group, personal pronouns play an important role in expressing thoughts accurately. We’ve explored their categories, rules, and usage, which will help you improve your spoken English. If you’re interested in advancing your language skills, now is the perfect time to join Awal sir’s online Spoken English course!