Knowing when to use subject and object pronouns seems simple…but can be tricky for an inexperienced writer. Did “her and I go to the mall”? Or did “she and I go to the mall”? Most people get this simple grammar rule confused. Read on to learn how to use “her and I” or “she and I” correctly in your writing!
Always using the right words? Make sure:
Check Your TextPick Between “Her and I” or “She and I”
Most new writers struggle to identify subject and object pronouns. This also holds true with the Name and Me or Name and I grammar rule. Remember these simple rules to know when to use these feminine pronouns in the phrases “her and I” and “she and I“.
Rule: Use “She and I” in your writing because both are subject pronouns.
“Her” is an object pronoun & possessive pronoun; therefore, it would be correct to use “me” and not “I”. In this case, it would be proper grammar to say “her and me”.
If the “girl” & “I” were both subjects of the sentence, then it would be considered proper grammar to say “She and I”.
Here are some examples to illustrate this rule.
- She and I played catch after school.
- She and I ran to the mall to shop.
In the event that the “girl” & “me” are considered to be the direct objects of a sentence it would be proper grammar to say “her and me.” This phrase usually occurs AFTER the verb in a sentence. Other proper nouns like I or Me and Whom or Who follow these rules.
Here are some examples to illustrate this rule.
- Dad gave football tickets to her and me.
- The stray cat ran after her and me.
Takeaway: When used as subjects of a sentence “her and I” should be used. When used as object pronouns “her and me” should be used.
What Are Object Pronouns?
Object pronouns are normally used as the object of a verb or preposition.
- When used as the object of a verb, they receive the action of the verb. For example, in the sentence “I see him,” the word “him” is the direct object of the verb “see.”
- When object pronouns are used as the object of a preposition, they do not receive the action of the verb. Instead, they express some other type of relationship with the noun or pronoun that precedes them. For example, in the sentence “We depend on them for support,” the word “them” does not receive any action.
Takeaway: Me, you, him, her, us, them, and whom are the pronouns that receive the action in a sentence.
Why Are Object Pronouns Important?
Object pronouns are important in English language because they play a crucial role in replacing and referring to nouns or noun phrases. The main benefit of object pronouns is that they help make our writing more concise & clear.
- Original sentence: “Mary bought a book, and Mary gave the book to John.”
- Revised sentence: “Mary bought a book, and she gave it to John.”
What Are Subject Pronouns?
Subject pronouns are words that take the place of a noun as the subject of a sentence. And if you’re a high school student, it’s critical to understand pronoun grammar tips to ace the SAT. The most common subject pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, we and they.
Here are some examples of how to use a subject pronoun in a sentence.
- I am writing a paper.
- You are the best teacher I have ever had.
- He is taller than me.
- She is smarter than I am.
- I was it fly right over your head.
- They never listen to my directions.
Why Are Subject Pronouns Important?
Subject pronouns are important in English language because they serve as the subjects of sentences, and indicate who or what performs the action of the verb. Subject pronouns main benefit is that they help us to convey information clearly, establish sentence structure, and avoid unnecessary repetition.
- Original sentence: “John is a teacher, and John loves his job.”
- Revised sentence: “John is a teacher, and he loves his job.”
Her vs. She – When To Use Each
Both “she” and “her” are feminine pronouns with similar meanings…but they are NOT the same.
- “She” is used as an object pronoun.
- “Her” is a possessive pronoun that can be used to show possession, ownership, or affiliation.
Here are some technically correct sentences using “she” & “her”.
- If you are referring to a woman who is your sister, you would say “she is my sister.”
- If you are referring to a woman who is your friend, you would say “she is my friend.”
- If you are referring to a woman who is not related to you, you would say “she is a woman.”
- “If you are referring to your friend’s hair you might say, “her hair is blond.”
- If you are indicating you have possession of a female friend’s dog, you might say “I have her dog at my house.“
Takeaway: Her is the possessive form and she is an object pronoun.
Using We & Us
Although we just covered the rules for using “her” and “she” in a sentence, it is important to know that they are not always the best option. Sometimes it just sounds better to use the words “we” or “us” instead! Just like the words “wear vs ware“, “us” & “we” are similar words that are often confused.
Here are some examples of using “we” and “us” in a sentence.
- We went to the grocery store.
- My grumpy neighbor chased us from his lawn.
- We got matching tattoos!
When To Use I & Me
“I” & “me” are often misused by new and experienced writers alike. It reminds me of mistakes I often see with the words which vs that in writing.
Rule: “I” is the subject of the sentence and “me” is the object.
- “I” is doing the action.
- “Me” is receiving the action.
Here are some examples to illustrate this rule.
- “I gave mark a gift.” In this sentence, “I” is the subject. “I” is doing the action (giving) and “mark” is receiving the action (the gift).
- “Mark gave a gift to me.” In this sentence, “Me” is receiving the action (being given a gift).
However, just like we saw in our post about the phrase “how do you spell amateur” even small spelling mistakes can be a big deal.
FAQs – She vs Her
It is only correct grammar to say “her and I” before the verb. After the verb, it should be written “her and me”.
She is used as the subject of a sentence, and it takes the place of a singular noun. For example, “She is the best athlete on our team.” Her can be used as an adjective or a pronoun. As an adjective, it modifies a noun, for example, “That is her book.” As a pronoun, it replaces a noun in the sentence, for example, “He gave her his jacket.”
It is considered standard English to say “John and I” when this phrase is placed before the verb. When it is the object of a sentence, it is proper grammar to say “John and me”.
The correct phrase is “it is her” in the English language. However, in formal language & formal writing, “it is she” is considered proper grammar. The phrase “it is she” does not sound correct for casual conversation or informal writing. It sounds awkward to use overly formal terminology in conversation.
“She and her husband” is the correct phrase. She is one of several subject pronouns and should not be used as a direct object. This rule holds true in any English-speaking country.
When to use these gender-specific pronouns depends on the context in which you are using the word. If you are looking for a general guideline, then “she” is is a subjective pronoun and is generally considered to be more formal than “her.” For example, it is grammatically incorrect to say that “I am better than she” but you can say “I am better than her”.
There are a few different ways that we can use the word “her” in writing. Most commonly, it is used as the object of a verb or a preposition. For example, we might say “I saw her yesterday” or “I gave her a gift.” We can also use “her” to refer to someone’s possessions.
You should use “should her” when her is an object pronoun. You should use “should she” when she is the subject pronoun. Both phrases can be technically correct within context of the sentence.
The Bottom Line
Now you know the truth about when to use “Her and “I” or “She and I” in your writing and conversation. This follows the same grammar rules as he and i or him and i! When proofreading your work, always make sure you are making correct use of the object pronoun and subject pronoun. Use these tips to avoid typos and take your writing to the next level.