Grammar · Free lesson
Help me, talk to her: choose the object pronoun
Amy helps you prepare an invitation. Later, you call Amy and speak to your two guests. Pronouns let you refer to the people again without repeating every name.
Professor Scott MendozaThe short answer
Use I, she and they as subjects in these simple sentences. Use me, her and them as objects: She helps me. I called her. I spoke to them. After to or with, choose the object form too.
Choose the pronoun by its role, not just the person.
In She helps me, she is the person helping and me is the person receiving help. In I called her, I makes the call and her refers to Amy. After a preposition such as to, use an object form: I spoke to them, referring to the two guests.
Who acts, and who is involved?
She helps me.
I called her.
I spoke to them.
The same person can be I in I called her and me in She helps me. The role changes the form.
Replace a repeated name
Start with the person named
I called Amy.
Find the object
Amy → her
Choose her
I called her.
Try it now
Match the pronoun to its role.
Read all answers and explanations
Ask another person to help you: “Please help ___.”
meThe person receiving help is the object, so use me. I is a subject form; my expresses ownership before a noun.
Amy is your friend. Replace Amy in “I spoke to Amy.”
I spoke to her.After to, choose the object form her. She is a subject form, and hers is an ownership form.
Your two guests are waiting. Replace the guests in “I will call the guests.”
I will call them.Them is the object form for the two guests. They is the subject form; their needs an ownership noun.
Put it into practice
Fix the invitation update.
Amy is helping, and you are receiving the help. Correct both pronoun roles.
Her helps I with the invitations.
See a model answer
She helps me with the invitations.
Both words refer to people, but their different jobs require different forms.
A little more clarity
Common questions
A few useful details before you move on.
Do I use the object form after with too?
Yes. In a phrase such as with me or with her, the pronoun is the object of the preposition. It is not the subject of the sentence.
Amy came with me.
What if her could refer to two different people?
Use the person’s name to make the reference clear. A grammatically correct pronoun is not useful if your listener cannot tell who it means.
I called Amy, not Nina.
Take it into your day
Use me, her and them as objects in these patterns, including after to or with. Keep I, she and they for the subject role.
Your next step · Available on Udemy
Build sentences with clearer roles and references.
This lesson practices three subject/object pairs. The English Grammar and English Speaking course includes Object Pronouns through Learn it, Review it, Use it and Practice it lessons, alongside a wider grammar and speaking curriculum.
Explore the course English Master Course: English Grammar and English Speaking