Basic English · 18 min
Pronouns
The point
A pronoun stands in for a noun so you do not repeat it. I, you, he, she, it, we, and they are subjects. Use he or she for a person, it for a thing, they for more than one.
Form and use
A pronoun stands in for a noun. The form changes with the job. These are all the subject forms. They do the action, or they sit before be. I you he she it we they I called. She is ready. They know the way. These are all the object forms. They receive the action, or they follow a preposition. me you him her it us them Nia called me. This note is for her. You and it do not change. The others do.
A possessive determiner sits before a noun. It does not replace the noun. It says whose it is. The full set is this. my your his her its our their my key, your chair, his name, her bag, its lid, our room, their plan. Its has no apostrophe. It's means it is. A possessive pronoun replaces the whole noun phrase and can stand as the complement after be. This set has no its. mine yours his hers ours theirs This key is mine. The bag is hers. His works in both jobs.
A reflexive pronoun points back to the subject. The subject and the object are the same person or thing. The full set is this. myself yourself himself herself itself ourselves yourselves themselves I taught myself. She blamed herself. They helped themselves. Yourself is for one you. Yourselves is for more than one you. Hisself and theirselves are not real forms.
Demonstratives point to something near or farther away. The full set is this. this that these those This and that are singular. These and those are plural. This and these are near the speaker. That and those are farther away. This file is new. Those files are old. Do not pair a singular demonstrative with a plural noun: not this files, and not these file.
Keep the three jobs apart. Subject: She called. Object: Nia called her. Complement: The bag is hers. She does the action. Her receives it. Hers completes is and says whose bag it is. Her called is wrong, because her is not a subject form. The bag is her is wrong when no noun follows, because her only works as a determiner before a noun. Me is ready is wrong. After be, a possessive complement is mine, yours, his, hers, ours, or theirs, never my and never me.
Don't translate it like this
Don't say
Him is ready.
Say
He is ready.
그는 준비됐습니다.
He is the subject form. Him is not.
Short examples
She is here.
그녀는 여기 있습니다.
They are ready.
그들은 준비됐습니다.
They saw us at the station.
그들이 역에서 우리를 봤습니다.
This note is for him.
이 메모는 그를 위한 것입니다.
The bag is hers.
그 가방은 그녀의 것입니다.
This seat is mine.
이 자리는 제 것입니다.
He taught himself the song.
그는 그 노래를 스스로 익혔습니다.
They helped themselves.
그들은 스스로 챙겼습니다.
The cat washed its paws.
고양이가 제 발을 씻었습니다.
Those boxes are heavy.
저 상자들은 무겁습니다.
Questions
Every question has to be right to close this point.
Answer every question, then check.