- In the context of people, pronouns are often used to refer to someone's identity, like he/him, she/her, or they/them. Using the correct pronouns for someone shows respect for who they are. It's also important in creating an inclusive environment where everyone's identity is acknowledged and valued.
- This list is not exhaustive but merely meant to provide examples.
The pronoun he is a gender-specific pronoun typically used to refer to someone who identifies as male. It acknowledges a person's male gender identity and is widely recognized in English.
Here's how he works in sentences:
- Subject: He went to the store. Refers to someone who identifies as male.
- Object: I spoke to him about the project. Refers to someone being spoken to.
- Possessive Adjective: That is his book. Shows ownership by someone who identifies as male.
- Possessive Pronoun: The book is his. Indicates that something belongs to someone identifying as male.
- Reflexive: He looked at himself in the mirror. Refers back to the subject.
The pronoun him is a gender-specific object pronoun used to refer to someone who identifies as male. It is used when the male individual is the recipient of an action.
- Subject: Not applicable as “him” is not a subject pronoun.
- Object: I spoke to him about the project. Refers to a male individual being spoken to.
- Possessive Adjective: Not applicable as “him” is not possessive.
- Possessive Pronoun: Not applicable as “him” is not possessive.
- Reflexive: Not applicable as reflexive form for “him” is “himself.”
The pronoun she is a gender-specific subject pronoun typically used to refer to someone who identifies as female. It recognizes a person's female gender identity.
- Subject: She went to the store. Refers to someone who identifies as female.
- Object: Not applicable as “she” is not an object pronoun.
- Possessive Adjective: Not applicable as “she” is not possessive.
- Possessive Pronoun: Not applicable as “she” is not possessive.
- Reflexive: She looked at herself in the mirror. Refers back to the subject.
The pronoun her is both a gender-specific object pronoun and a possessive adjective used to refer to someone who identifies as female.
- Subject: Not applicable as “her” is not a subject pronoun.
- Object: I spoke to her about the project. Refers to a female individual being spoken to.
- Possessive Adjective: That is her book. Shows ownership by someone identifying as female.
- Possessive Pronoun: Not applicable as “her” is not a possessive pronoun.
- Reflexive: Not applicable as reflexive form for “her” is “herself.”
The pronoun they is a gender-neutral pronoun used to refer to a single individual or a group of people. When used in the singular form, it often refers to someone who is non-binary or whose gender is not specified.
- Subject: They went to the store. Refers to one person or multiple people.
- Object: Not applicable as “they” is not an object pronoun.
- Possessive Adjective: Not applicable as “they” is not possessive.
- Possessive Pronoun: Not applicable as “they” is not possessive.
- Reflexive: They looked at themselves in the mirror. Refers back to the subject.
The pronoun them is a gender-neutral object pronoun used to refer to one or more people or someone whose gender is not specified.
- Subject: Not applicable as “them” is not a subject pronoun.
- Object: I spoke to them about the project. Refers to one or more people.
- Possessive Adjective: Not applicable as “them” is not possessive.
- Possessive Pronoun: Not applicable as “them” is not possessive.
- Reflexive: Not applicable as reflexive form for “them” is “themselve
The 'ae' pronoun is a gender-neutral pronoun that some people, particularly those who are non-binary or do not identify with traditional gender categories, may choose to use. Like other gender-neutral pronouns, it allows individuals to express their identity without being confined to 'he' or 'she.'
- Subject: Ae went to the store. Similar to 'He/She went to the store.'
- Object: I spoke to aer about the project. Similar to 'I spoke to him/her about the project.'
- Possessive Adjective: Possessive Adjective: That is aer book. Similar to 'That is his/her book.'
- Possessive Pronoun: Possessive Pronoun: The book is aes. Similar to 'The book is his/hers.'
- Reflexive: Reflexive: Ae looked at aerself in the mirror. Similar to 'He/She looked at himself/herself in the mirror.'
The pronouns e/ey are gender-neutral pronouns chosen by some individuals to reflect their identity, avoiding traditional gender-specific pronouns like he or she.
- Subject: E/Ey went to the store. They went to the store.
- Object: I spoke to em about the project. I spoke to them about the project.
- Possessive Adjective: That is eir book. That is their book.
- Possessive Pronoun: The book is eirs. The book is theirs.
- Reflexive: E/Ey looked at emself in the mirror. They looked at themselves in the mirror.
The pronoun they is both a singular and plural gender-neutral pronoun, used for individuals who are non-binary or when gender is unknown.
- Subject: They went to the store. They went to the store.
- Object: I spoke to them about the project. I spoke to them about the project.
- Possessive Adjective: That is their book. That is their book.
- Possessive Pronoun: The book is theirs. The book is theirs.
- Reflexive: They looked at themselves in the mirror. They looked at themselves in the mirror.
The pronoun xe is a gender-neutral pronoun often used by individuals who do not identify with traditional gender categories.
- Subject: Xe went to the store. They went to the store.
- Object: I spoke to xem about the project. I spoke to them about the project
- Possessive Adjective: That is xir book. That is their book.
- Possessive Pronoun: The book is xirs. The book is theirs.
- Reflexive: Xe looked at xirself in the mirror. They looked at themselves in the mirror.
Ze/ Zie / Ze is a gender-neutral pronoun used to refer to individuals who do not identify strictly as male or female. It functions similarly to they, but has its own forms for each case.
- Subject: Ze went to the store. Refers to someone who prefers non-binary pronouns.
- Object: I spoke to zie about the project. Refers to the individual being spoken to.
- Possessive Adjective: That is zir book. Shows ownership by the individual.
- Possessive Pronoun: The book is zirs. Indicates that something belongs to the individual.
- Reflexive: Ze looked at zirself in the mirror. Refers back to the subject.
Fae is a gender-neutral pronoun used by some individuals, typically those who prefer not to use traditional binary pronouns or wish to emphasize a connection to nature or fantasy contexts.
- Subject: Fae went to the store. Refers to someone who prefers non-binary pronouns.
- Object: I spoke to fae about the project. Refers to the individual being spoken to.
- Possessive Adjective: That is faer book. Shows ownership by the individual.
- Possessive Pronoun: The book is faers. Indicates that something belongs to the individual.
- Reflexive: Fae looked at faerself in the mirror. Refers back to the subject.
The 'per' pronoun is a gender-neutral pronoun that can be used to refer to a person without assuming their gender. It is short for 'person' and is often used by individuals who do not identify strictly as male or female or prefer not to be referred to by gendered pronouns.
Here's how 'per' is used in different cases:
- Subject: Per went to the meeting. Similar to 'He/She went to the meeting.'
- Object: I gave the book to per. Similar to 'I gave the book to him/her.'
- Possessive Adjective:That is per book. Similar to 'That is his/her book.'
- Possessive Pronoun: The book is pers. Similar to 'The book is his/hers.'
- Reflexive:Per saw perself in the mirror. Similar to 'He/She saw himself/herself in the mirror.'
Ve is a gender-neutral pronoun used by some individuals who do not identify strictly as male or female. It serves a similar function to they or xe, offering a way to refer to someone without gender specification.
- Subject: Ve went to the store. Refers to someone who prefers non-binary pronouns.
- Object: I spoke to ve about the project. Refers to the individual being spoken to.
- Possessive Adjective: That is vir book. Shows ownership by the individual.
- Possessive Pronoun: The book is virs. Indicates that something belongs to the individual.
- Reflexive: Ve looked at virself in the mirror. Refers back to the subject.
Yo is another gender-neutral pronoun that some individuals use as an alternative to traditional binary pronouns. It can serve the same role as they and ve in offering a neutral form of address.
- Subject: Yo went to the store. Refers to someone who prefers non-binary pronouns.
- Object: I spoke to yo about the project. Refers to the individual being spoken to.
- Possessive Adjective: That is yor book. Shows ownership by the individual.
- Possessive Pronoun:The book is yors. Indicates that something belongs to the individual.
- Reflexive: Yo looked at yoself in the mirror. Refers back to the subject.