Introduction
One of the most common grammatical mistakes in English involves the use of pronouns after a possessive pronoun, specifically whether to use “him” or “he” and “her” or “she.” For example, people often struggle with determining whether to say “his dog and him went to the park” or “his dog and he went to the park.” The confusion arises because possessive pronouns like “his” already indicate possession or ownership, leading some to mistakenly use object pronouns like “him” instead of subject pronouns like “he.” This issue extends to other pronoun pairs like “her” and “she.” When combined with a possessive pronoun like “her dog,” people may be unsure if they should say “her dog and her” or “her dog and she.” This content will explain the grammatical rules around using pronouns after a possessive, provide clear examples, and outline why people often struggle with choosing the right pronoun in these situations.
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns are words that are used to show ownership or possession of something. Some examples of possessive pronouns are his, her, their, etc. As defined by Scribbr, possessive pronouns “indicate ownership.”
Some common possessive pronouns are:
- My – belonging to me (e.g. This is my book)
- Your – belonging to you (e.g. Is this your pen?)
- His – belonging to him (e.g. His dog was very friendly)
- Her – belonging to her (e.g. She loves her new car)
- Its – belonging to it (e.g. The company is expanding its product line)
- Our – belonging to us (e.g. This is our house)
- Their – belonging to them (e.g. Their garden is very nice)
Possessive pronouns show that something belongs to or is associated with someone. They replace possessive noun phrases and are used before nouns to avoid repeating information that has already been stated.
Subject Pronouns
A subject pronoun is a pronoun that acts as the subject of a sentence and performs the action of the verb, telling us who or what is performing the action of the verb in a sentence. The subject pronouns are: I, you, he, she, it, we, they and who.
Examples of subject pronouns (from https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/subject-pronouns):
- He enjoys his morning coffee.
- I drove to the market yesterday.
- They are meeting us for dinner.
- We finished the project on time.
The subject pronouns typically come at the beginning of a sentence before the verb, answering the question “who” or “what” performs the action of the verb.
Object Pronouns
Object pronouns refer to the person or thing that is receiving the action of the verb. They include: me, you, him, her, it, them, us (source: https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/object-pronouns).
Some examples of object pronouns used in sentences are:
- Luis helped me with my math homework.
- The coach encouraged them before the match.
- I bought her a gift for her birthday.
Choosing the Right Pronoun
The grammar rule for choosing between “him/he” or “her/she” after a possessive pronoun is this – use the subject pronoun (he, she) when the pronoun is the subject of the clause, and use the object pronoun (him, her) when the pronoun is the object of the clause.
For example, you would say “This is his dog and he likes to play.” In this sentence, “he” is the subject of the verb “likes,” so you use the subject pronoun “he.”
On the other hand, you would say “I threw the ball for his dog and him.” Here, “him” is the object of the preposition “for,” so you use the object pronoun “him.”
The rule applies for all personal pronouns – he/him, she/her, we/us, they/them. The key is to analyze the grammatical function of the pronoun in the sentence to determine whether it is a subject or object.
For more examples, see the guides from Grammarly and Masterclass.
‘His dog and him’ vs ‘His dog and he’
The correct phrase is “his dog and he.” This is because “he” is a subject pronoun, while “him” is an object pronoun. In the phrase “his dog and he,” the pronoun “he” is the subject of an understood verb like “were walking.” So the full implied sentence would be “His dog and he were walking.” Since “he” is the subject of the verb, the subject pronoun “he” is correct.
In contrast, “him” would be the appropriate pronoun to use in a sentence like “The dog walker took his dog and him to the park.” Here, “him” is the object of the verb “took,” so using the object pronoun “him” is correct.
It’s a common mistake to use “him” incorrectly instead of “he” when the pronoun is the subject. But remembering that “he” is for subjects and “him” is for objects will help you choose the right pronoun.
Other Examples
Here are some additional examples of possessive pronouns in sentences:
“The dog is his, so we should return it to him.” This correctly uses “his” as the possessive pronoun and “him” as the object pronoun.
“She set down her book and then picked up hers again.” In this sentence, “her” is the possessive pronoun while “hers” is used as a standalone possessive pronoun.
“After washing their hands, the children reached for their towels.” “Their” is used in both cases as a possessive pronoun.
As demonstrated, possessive pronouns function in place of a noun to show ownership or possession in a sentence.
Some common possessive pronouns are: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs.
“Yours is nicer but mine works perfectly well.” “His looks old but his still runs smoothly.” In these examples, the possessive pronouns stand on their own.
Common Mistakes
One of the most common mistakes people make with possessive pronouns is using “him” or “her” incorrectly after a possessive such as “his” or “hers.” For example, saying “his dog and him went to the park” is incorrect. The correct way to phrase this would be “his dog and he went to the park.”
This happens because “him” is an object pronoun, while “he” is a subject pronoun. After a possessive like “his,” you need to use a subject pronoun like “he” or “she.” Object pronouns like “him” and “her” are used when someone is receiving the action of the verb. Since “he” is the one performing the action of “going” in the sentence, you have to use the subject pronoun form.
It’s easy to miss this kind of mistake in speech because we don’t always carefully distinguish between subject and object pronouns when we talk. But in writing, it’s important to use the correct pronoun form. Getting into the habit of using “he” and “she” after possessives like “his” and “hers” will help avoid this common grammatical error.
Style Guidelines
The major academic style guides (APA, Chicago Manual of Style, MLA) generally agree that a person’s correct personal pronouns (such as he/him or she/her) should be respected when referring to that person (see Indiana University’s guide). For example, the University of Iowa’s DEI style guide recommends asking individuals for their preferred pronouns and using those pronouns when referring to them (see Diversity Equity and Inclusion Style Guide: Gender).
Using a person’s preferred pronouns shows respect and helps create an inclusive environment. Style guides emphasize following an individual’s preferences when it comes to gendered pronouns like he/him and she/her.
Conclusion
In summary, determining which possessive pronouns to use can be tricky, but the key thing to remember is that “he” is a subject pronoun, while “him” is an object pronoun. When using a pronoun alongside a possessive determiner like “his”, you should use the subject pronoun, which is “he”. So the correct phrase is “his dog and he”, not “his dog and him”. This highlights that the pronoun is part of the subject of the sentence, not the object.
By following basic grammar rules and thinking about subjects and objects, you can choose the right possessive pronoun. While some everyday speech may say “his dog and him”, for formal written English you should always use “his dog and he”. This shows proper understanding of sentence construction and parts of speech. With a bit of practice, distinguishing between subject and object pronouns becomes second nature.