Basic English II · Lección 12

Who Do You See? Object Pronouns

You already know subject pronouns like I, he, she, they — the ones that do the action. Now meet their partners: object pronouns — the ones that receive the action. They always come after a verb or after a preposition, and they make your English sound natural and fluent.

After verb She calls him.
I see them.
After prep This is for her.
Come with us.
I → ME Never "I" after
a verb or prep!
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What Are Object Pronouns?

me · you · him · her · it · us · them — la tabla completa

Subject Pronouns vs. Object Pronouns

Every pronoun has two forms: a subject form (the pronoun that does the action) and an object form (the pronoun that receives the action). The subject comes before the verb; the object comes after the verb or after a preposition.

Subject PronounObject PronounExample
I me She called me this morning.
you you I see you every day at school.
he him Maria knows him very well.
she her We visit her on Sundays.
it it I like this song. I play it every morning.
we us The teacher helps us with our homework.
they them Do you know them? They are my neighbors.
⚠ The Position Rule — Always

Subject pronouns go before the verb: She calls her friend.
Object pronouns go after the verb: She calls her.
Object pronouns also go after prepositions: This gift is for her.

Pronoun Pairs — Audio

I → me. She called me this morning. Subject I / Object me
He → him. Maria knows him very well. Subject he / Object him
They → them. Do you know them? Subject they / Object them
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Two Positions: After the Verb · After a Preposition

She sees him. · This gift is for her. · Come with us.

After the Verb
Subject + verb + object pronoun
She calls him every night.
I see them at the market.
We help her on weekends.
The teacher greets us at the door.
Do you know it? It is a great book.
After a Preposition
to / for / with / about / from + object pronoun
This gift is for her.
He is always thinking about me.
Can you come with us?
The letter is from them.
She spoke directly to him.
Common Prepositions + Object Pronoun
to him / her / us / them  ·  for me / him / her / us  ·  with me / us / them
about me / him / her / them  ·  from her / them / us

Object Pronouns After the Verb — Audio

She calls him every night. verb + him (replaces a male person)
I see them at the market on Saturdays. verb + them (replaces plural people/things)
The teacher helps us with our homework. verb + us (replaces we)

Object Pronouns After Prepositions — Audio

This gift is for her. She will love it. for + her (preposition + object pronoun)
Can you come to the park with us? with + us (preposition + object pronoun)
He is always thinking about me. about + me (preposition + object pronoun)
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Object Pronouns vs. Possessive Adjectives

I love him. vs. I love his dog. — ¿cuándo va solo y cuándo va con sustantivo?

The Key Difference

Object pronouns stand alone — they replace a noun entirely. Possessive adjectives always come before a noun and cannot stand alone.

Object Pronoun vs. Possessive Adjective — Side by Side
Object Pronoun (stands alone)Possessive Adjective (+ noun)
I love him. I love his dog.
She called them. She called their manager.
Can you help her? Can you help her sister?
My boss knows us. My boss knows our project.
I check it every morning. I check its battery every morning.
⚠ The Simple Test

Ask yourself: Is there a noun after the pronoun?
Yes, there is a noun → use the possessive adjective: his, her, their, our, its
No noun follows → use the object pronoun: him, her, them, us, it

Object Pronoun vs. Possessive — Audio

I admire her. She is very talented. her = object pronoun (stands alone)
I admire her work. It is beautiful. her = possessive adjective (+ noun "work")
We know them well. Their house is near ours. them = object pronoun / their = possessive adjective
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I vs. ME — The Most Common Error

"She invited John and me." NOT "She invited John and I."

When to Use I and When to Use ME

I
Use as the subject — before the verb
I always arrive on time.
I don't understand this rule.
I am responsible for this project.
I think this needs more time.
ME
Use as the object — after verb or preposition
She invited me to the meeting.
This role is perfect for me.
Can you help me with this?
The director talked to me yesterday.
Trick: Remove the Other Name and Test

When the sentence includes another person ("John and ___"), remove that name and read the sentence alone.

"She invited John and ___ to the party."
Remove "John and" → "She invited me to the party." ✅ → use me
Remove "John and" → "She invited I to the party." ❌ → never I after a verb

"___ and my colleague work together."
Remove "my colleague and" → "I work together." ✅ → use I (it's the subject)

I vs. ME — Audio

She invited my partner and me to the dinner. ME — after verb "invited"
I always arrive early to every class. I — subject, before verb "arrive"
This job is perfect for my friend and me. ME — after preposition "for"
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Common Mistakes

Los errores más frecuentes con pronombres de objeto — y cómo corregirlos

Errors to Avoid

The teacher explains the lesson to we every day.
The teacher explains the lesson to us every day.
After the preposition to, use the object pronoun us, not the subject pronoun we.
She likes John and I a lot.
She likes John and me a lot.
After the verb likes, use the object pronoun me. Test: "She likes I" ❌ → always me after a verb.
Can you help they with the project?
Can you help them with the project?
After the verb help, use the object pronoun them, not the subject pronoun they.
My manager called he this morning.
My manager called him this morning.
After the verb called, use the object pronoun him, not the subject pronoun he.
This important package is for she.
This important package is for her.
After the preposition for, use the object pronoun her, not the subject pronoun she.
The director invited my colleague and I to the meeting.
The director invited my colleague and me to the meeting.
Remove "my colleague and" → "invited me" ✅ / "invited I" ❌. Always use me after a verb.
We called she, but she didn't answer.
We called her, but she didn't answer.
After the verb called, use the object pronoun her. She is only used as a subject before a verb.
I see they every day at the office.
I see them every day at the office.
After the verb see, use the object pronoun them, not the subject pronoun they.

Reading: "The Community Garden"

Read carefully. Highlighted words show: object pronouns after a verb, object pronouns after a preposition, and the I / ME pattern.

The Community Garden
A neighborhood project in Alajuela, Costa Rica · Object pronouns in everyday conversation
Object pronoun after verb Object pronoun after preposition I / ME pattern

Valentina lives in a quiet neighborhood in Alajuela, Costa Rica. One afternoon, her neighbor Tomás knocks on her door with an idea: he wants to start a community garden in the empty lot at the end of the street. Valentina loves the idea. She tells him that she will help right away. Together, they visit the lot and make a plan. The city gives them permission to use it for one year.

The first person they invite is Mrs. Campos, an older woman who loves plants and flowers. They knock on her door and explain the project to her. She listens carefully and smiles. "I have been waiting for something like this," she says. Valentina asks her to be in charge of the fruit trees. Mrs. Campos accepts with joy.

On the first Saturday, the children from the neighborhood arrive too. Tomás gives them small shovels and explains the rules. The kids love it — they think the garden is the most exciting thing on the street. One little boy named Sebastián finds a big earthworm and shows it to everyone. Some children scream; others laugh.

Valentina's mother calls her during the morning break. "How is the garden going?" she asks. "It is going very well," Valentina says. "Come visit us this afternoon!" Her mother arrives with homemade food and shares it with the whole group. Everyone thanks her for the meal.

By the end of the day, the garden is starting to take shape. Tomás looks at Valentina and says: "We did this together. Nobody helped us. We did it all." Valentina smiles and replies: "That is what makes it special."

Reading Comprehension Quiz

10 questions about "The Community Garden." Read the passage carefully before answering.

Practice Quiz — Object Pronouns

30 questions covering the full pronoun table, after-verb and after-preposition uses, object pronouns vs. possessive adjectives, and the I vs. ME rule. Take your time!