My or me? Possessive and object pronouns
Short answer: My, your, his, her, its, our and their go before a noun and show who owns it: my book. Me, you, him, her, it, us and them go after an action word or a place word: I see him. Choose by the job in the sentence, not by the person: I → my (before a noun) or me (after a verb).
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At a glance
| Subject | Before a noun | After a verb |
|---|---|---|
| I | my | me |
| you | your | you |
| he | his | him |
| she | her | her |
| it | its | it |
| we | our | us |
| they | their | them |
In short
- my, your, his, her, our, their + a noun.
- me, him, her, us, them after an action word.
- its has no apostrophe. it's = it is.
What is the rule for “my, your, his, her and me, him, them”?
The rule
my, your, his, her, its, our and their go before a noun. me, you, him, her, it, us and them go after an action word or a place word.
How it looks
I → my / me · he → his / him · she → her / her · we → our / us · they → their / them
What it means
They show who owns something, or who gets the action.
When to use it
Use them so you do not say the same name again.
How it works
- Is the word right before a noun? Use my, your, his, her, its, our or their: her hat.
- Is it after an action word or a place word? Use me, you, him, her, it, us or them: Please help me.
- Check the person: Ben is a boy, so his dog. Mia is a girl, so her dog.
- Its has no apostrophe. It’s means it is.
Examples of “my, your, his, her and me, him, them”
- This is her hat.
her goes before a noun: her hat. - I see him.
him goes after an action word. - They like their dog.
their goes before a noun. - Please feed them.
them goes after an action word. - This is our house.
our goes before a noun. - Please call me later.
me goes after a verb. - Where is his bag?
his goes before a noun. - I like them.
them goes after a verb.
Common mistakes with “my, your, his, her and me, him, them”
Me like it.→ I like it.
Use I before an action word.I see he.→ I see him.
After an action word use him.Ben has a dog. Her dog is brown.→ Ben has a dog. His dog is brown.
Ben is a boy: his.Her is my friend.→ She is my friend.
Use she as the subject of the sentence.The dog wags it’s tail.→ The dog wags its tail.
Its has no apostrophe.
Exceptions: watch out
- her
her can go before a noun (her hat) or after an action word (I see her).
My or mine? Her or hers?
My, your, his, her, our and their go before a noun. Mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs stand alone.
| Before a noun | Stands alone |
|---|---|
| my bag | The bag is mine. |
| your pen | The pen is yours. |
| her dog | The dog is hers. |
| our car | The car is ours. |
See also: Whose is it? Mia's, mine and yours
Check yourself
- Fill the gap: “I see ___.” (he)
Show the answer
him After a verb use the object form.
- Fill the gap: “Mia has a dog. ___ dog is white.”
Show the answer
Her Mia is a girl; her goes before a noun.
- Fix: “The cat licks it’s paw.”
Show the answer
The cat licks its paw. Its has no apostrophe.
How to practice “my, your, his, her and me, him, them”
The interactive version adds step-by-step help, spoken instructions and a quick check. One rule card, one sound lesson and the first lesson of every stone are free to try; the rest is part of Full Access. See Full Access.
- Practice lesson: my, your, his, her and me, him, them
Questions
Why does “her” appear twice in the table?
Her is both: her hat (before a noun) and I see her (after a verb). The form is the same.
Can I say “Me and Ben are friends”?
In speech, yes, but in careful writing say Ben and I.
What is the difference between “its” and “it’s”?
Its shows ownership. It’s is a short form of it is or it has.
More Sentence Building rules
- Subject + Verb: A sentence needs someone or something (the subject) and a verb: Birds fly.
- Verbs can have an object: Some verbs can have an object: the person or thing that gets the action.
- Present simple: I, you, we, they: For things we do again and again, and for likes, use the plain action word with I, you, we and they.
- Present simple: he, she, it + -s: With he, she, it or one name, the action word usually adds -s.
- Negatives: not with be and can: To say no with am, is, are or can, add not: I am not, she isn't, they aren't, it can't.
- Negatives: don't and doesn't: To say no with an action word, use don't or doesn't and then the plain action word.
Used in these writing topics
Part of the 📘 Grammar tool. Level G2: Sentence Building. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30
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