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Unit 01
Subject Pronouns
I, you, he, she, it, we, they
What are Subject Pronouns?
A subject is the person or thing that does the action in a sentence. A subject pronoun is a short word that replaces that person or thing, so we don't repeat the same name again and again.
Instead of "Maria likes coffee. Maria drinks coffee every morning." we say "Maria likes coffee. She drinks it every morning."
English has seven subject pronouns:
| Person | Singular (one) | Plural (more than one) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person (the speaker) | I — ben | we — biz |
| 2nd person (the listener) | you — sen | you — siz |
| 3rd person (someone/something else) | he (a man/boy) · she (a woman/girl) · it (a thing/animal) | they — onlar |
He, She or It?
Turkish has one word, "o", for every third person. English has three, and you must choose by meaning:For one person or thing (3rd person singular), English has three pronouns. Choose by meaning:
| Pronoun | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| he | one man or boy | My father is a pilot. He flies to Berlin. |
| she | one woman or girl | Elif is my cousin. She lives in İzmir. |
| it | one thing, place, idea or animal | This bag is new. It is very light. |
| they | two or more people, things or animals | The shoes are cheap. They are on sale. |
Pets, Countries and Things
- Pets: we often use he/she for our own pets because we know them: Our dog is called Paşa. He is three. For an unknown animal, use it.
- Countries, ships and cars are normally it in modern English: Turkey is beautiful. It has four seasons.
Subject Pronouns + the Verb "be"
The subject pronoun decides the form of the verb. With the verb be (am / is / are) this is very important:
| Pronoun | be | Short form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | I'm | I'm a student. |
| you | are | you're | You're late! |
| he / she / it | is | he's / she's / it's | She's a doctor. It's cold. |
| we | are | we're | We're friends. |
| they | are | they're | They're at home. |
Remember
- I is the only pronoun with am.
- You always takes are, even for one person: You are my best friend.
Key Rules
- Never drop the subject. In Turkish the verb ending shows the person (Geliyorum), so the pronoun is often left out. In English you must say it: I am coming. — not
Am coming. - The subject pronoun comes before the verb in statements: She works here. In questions it comes after the auxiliary: Does she work here?
- Always write I with a capital letter, even in the middle of a sentence: My brother and I are twins.
- It is used as an "empty" subject for weather, time and distance, because English sentences need a subject: It's raining. It's 5 o'clock. It's 10 km to the beach.
- They can also mean one person when we don't know or don't say if it is a man or a woman: Someone called. They left a message.
- When you talk about yourself and another person, put yourself last and use I: Ali and I (not
Me and Alias a subject) → we.
Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
subjectIverbamobjecta student
↳ 1st person singular — "I" always takes "am"
subjectYouverbareobjectmy friend
↳ 2nd person — "you" is the same for one or many people
subjectSheverbworksprepositionin a hospital
↳ 3rd person singular — replaces one woman
subjectItverbisadjectivecoldadverbtoday
↳ "It" as an empty subject for weather
subjectWeverbloveobjectpizza
↳ 1st person plural — the speaker + other people
subjectTheyverbare studyingadverbnow
↳ 3rd person plural — replaces a group
subjectMy brother and Iverbplayobjecttennis
↳ Two subjects → "I" comes last (= we)
Common Mistakes
Me am a student.
→
I am a student.
"Me" is an object pronoun. The subject (the doer) is "I".
Them are from Italy.
→
They are from Italy.
"Them" is an object pronoun. Use "They" as the subject.
Is very tired.
→
He is very tired.
English never drops the subject. Say who is tired.
He are a doctor.
→
He is a doctor.
He / she / it take "is", not "are".
Me and Ali are friends.
→
Ali and I are friends.
As a subject, use "I" and put yourself last.
My mother she is a teacher.
→
My mother is a teacher.
Don't use the noun and the pronoun together. Use one of them.
Is raining.
→
It is raining.
Weather sentences need the empty subject "it".