Third-Person Pronouns: Meaning and Examples

Third-person pronouns are pronouns that refer to people or things other than the speaker or the listener. They include he, she, it, they, him, her, them, his, hers, its, theirs. Using third-person pronouns correctly can help you avoid repetition, clarify your meaning, and show respect for others.

What Are Third-Person Pronouns?

Third-person pronouns are used to avoid repeating nouns and to show the relationship between the speaker and the referent.

For example, in the sentence “John is my friend. He is very kind,” the pronoun “he” replaces the noun “John” and shows that the speaker is talking about a male person who is not present.

Third-person pronouns can be classified into different types based on their function in a sentence:

• Subject pronouns are used as the subject of a verb. They include he, she, it, and they.
• Object pronouns are used as the object of a verb or a preposition. They include him, her, it, and them.
• Possessive pronouns are used to show ownership or relationship. They include his, hers, its, and theirs.

Third-Person Subject Pronouns

Third-person subject pronouns are pronouns that act as the subject of a verb. They are used to indicate who or what is performing the action of the verb.

For example, in the sentence “She likes chocolate,” the pronoun “she” is the subject of the verb “likes” and shows who is doing the action of liking.

The third-person subject pronouns in English are:

• He: used for a male person or animal
• She: used for a female person or animal
• It: used for a non-human thing, an animal, or an unknown person
• They: used for more than one person or thing, or for a person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant

Some examples of third-person subject pronouns are:

• He is my brother.
• She is my sister.
• It is my cat.
• They are my friends.

Note: Some people prefer to use “they” as a singular pronoun instead of “he” or “she” when referring to someone whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary. This is called gender-neutral or inclusive language and is becoming more common and accepted in English.

Third-Person Object Pronouns

Third-person object pronouns are pronouns that act as the object of a verb or a preposition. They are used to indicate who or what is receiving the action of the verb or being affected by the preposition.

For example, in the sentence “I gave him a book,” the pronoun “him” is the object of the verb “gave” and shows who is receiving the action of giving.

The third-person object pronouns in English are:

• Him: used for a male person or animal
• Her: used for a female person or animal
• It: used for a non-human thing, an animal, or an unknown person
• Them: used for more than one person or thing, or for a person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant

Some examples of third-person object pronouns are:

• I saw him yesterday.
• I called her this morning.
• I found it in the garden.
• I invited them to my party.

Third-Person Possessive Pronouns

Third-person possessive pronouns are pronouns that show ownership or relationship. They are used to indicate who or what something belongs to or is related to.

For example, in the sentence “This book is his,” the pronoun “his” shows that the book belongs to a male person.

The third-person possessive pronouns in English are:

• His: used for something that belongs to a male person or animal
• Hers: used for something that belongs to a female person or animal
• Its: used for something that belongs to a non-human thing, an animal, or an unknown person
• Theirs: used for something that belongs to more than one person or thing, or to a person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant

Some examples of third-person possessive pronouns are:

• This pen is his.
• This dress is hers.
• This tail is its.
• This house is theirs.

Note: Do not confuse “its” with “it’s.” “Its” is a possessive pronoun that shows ownership, while “it’s” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has.”

Third-Person Pronouns vs First-Person Pronouns

Third-person pronouns are different from first-person pronouns, which are pronouns that refer to the speaker or the writer. First-person pronouns include I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, and ours.

Here is a table that compares third-person pronouns and first-person pronouns:

Conclusion

Third-person pronouns are pronouns that refer to people or things other than the speaker or the listener. They include he, she, it, they, him, her, them, his, hers, its, and theirs. They can be used as subjects, objects, or possessives in sentences. They can also be used to show respect and inclusivity by using “they” as a singular pronoun for people whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary.