Grammar: subject and subject pronoun

1. Noun

A noun can be people, places, animals, or things. Some examples of nouns are “father,” “teacher,” “beach,” “school,” “tree,” “house,” “cat.” A noun can begin a sentence, in which case, we call it subject. Here are some examples of nouns as subjects.

Examples:

The father loves his children.

The cat climbs the tree.

Your turn to find the subjects in the following sentences. Write them on the line.

a. The beach is clean. __________

b. The school is big. __________

c. The father loves his children. __________

2. Pronoun

When a noun begins a sentence, it is called a “subject.” A noun can be replaced by a pronoun, and when the pronoun begins the sentence, it is called the subject pronoun. Here are the subject pronouns commonly used in English: I, you (singular), he, she, we, you (plural), and they.

I: This pronoun is used when the subject is me, the person talking.

Example: I am a teacher.

You: This pronoun is used when the subject is someone I am talking to directly.

Example: You are my friend.

He: This pronoun is used when the subject is someone I am talking about who is male, a man, or masculine.

Example: He goes to school.

She: This pronoun is used when the subject is someone, I am talking about who is female, a woman, or feminine.

Example: She is a student.

It: This pronoun is used when the subject is a thing or an animal.

Example: It follows them to school. (Talking about my neighbors’ dog.)

We: This pronoun is used when the subject is a group of people that includes the person talking.

Example: We live in a big city.

You: This pronoun is used when the subject is a group of people I am talking to directly.

Example: You are students.

They: This pronoun is used when I am talking about a group of people or things or animals that does not immediately include the speaker.

Example: They are our friends.

*Replacing nouns with a pronoun

Look at how these pronouns replace the nouns at the beginning of the sentence

1. I

When I introduce myself and say, “My name is Mark,” and I continue to talk, I will no longer need to use Mark. Instead, I will use the pronoun I, which is me, the person speaking.

Example: Hello, my name is Mark. I live in the USA. (I will not say Mark lives in the USA since I am talking about myself.)

1. You

When I introduce someone I am talking to and say, “Philip, you are a good friend,” I will no longer need to use Philip. Instead, I will continue with the pronoun you, which represents the person I am talking to directly. “You” is used for a singular noun as well as a plural noun.

Example 1: Philip, you are a good friend. You help me with my problems.

Example 2: Sophie and Nathalie, you are fantastic. You help us every time we need help.

1. He

Father can be replaced by the pronoun he. Since “father” is a masculine noun, which means that it applies to males, we will replace it with “he,” which is the pronoun used for males.

Example: “The father loves his children.” becomes “He loves his children.”

1. She

Mother can be replaced by the pronoun she. Since “mother” is a feminine noun, which means that it applies to females, we will replace it with “she,” which is the pronoun used for females.

Example: “The mother cooks in the kitchen.” Becomes “She cooks in the kitchen.”

1. It

House can be replaced by the pronoun it. Since “house” is a thing, we will replace it with “it,” which is a pronoun that is used for things.

Example: “The house is pretty.” becomes “It is pretty.”

1. We

When I am talking about myself and someone else and say, “Mike and I are good friends,” I will no longer need to keep repeating Mike and I, but I will replace it with “we.”

Example: Mike and I are good friends. We love to play together.

1. They

When a noun is plural (which means many people or many things or animals), it is not important to think about if they are male or female; we only use “they,” which is the pronoun for plural nouns.

Example 1: “The teachers are in the classroom.” becomes “They are in the classroom.”

Example 2: “The father (male) and the mother (female) are in the house.” becomes “They are in the house.”