Grammatical persons in English: first person, second person, third person

The grammatical persons in English are an important grammar item that everyone needs to master to improve their English language skills. Understanding them accurately and knowing how to use them flexibly not only helps you communicate effectively but also helps you achieve high scores in practical exams. Let’s explore the meanings, usage, and practice exercises on grammatical persons in English with PREP!

I. Grammatical person definition

The grammatical persons in English, also known as personal pronouns, pronouns of address, or pronouns of reference, are often used in a sentence to replace or represent a person or object, avoiding direct reference or repetition of the noun mentioned earlier. Below are some grammatical person examples:

• I am going to the store. ➡ "I" is the first-person singular pronoun representing the person speaking.
• You should study for the exam. ➡ "You" is the second-person singular pronoun representing the person who is listening.
• We are going on vacation next week. ➡ "We" is the first-person plural pronoun representing the group of people who are speaking.

II. Personal pronouns in English

PREP has compiled a table of grammatical persons in English along with their meanings. Try to read it carefully to understand the correct usage of each person in English!

Note: Personal pronouns of the second person are used in both singular and plural forms. The usage of singular or plural forms depends on the situation or context at the time of speaking.

III. English grammatical person differentiation

Let’s explore the below guideline to better understand the usage of each grammatical person in English with PREP!

1. First person

In English, the first person pronoun has two types: singular first person (I) and plural first person (We). Both refer to the speaker, but "I" is used for one person, while "We" is used for multiple people. Here are some specific examples:

• I am going to the park. 
• We don’t have anything to say 

2. Second person

For the second person of both singular and plural forms, the pronoun "you" is employed to refer to the listener or the person being addressed. For example:

• You should study for the test.
• You have to get up early. 
• You all did a great job on this project 

3. Third person

For the singular third person, we use pronouns such as "he" (for a male), "she" (for a female), and "it" (for an object or an animal) to refer to someone or something other than the speaker and the listener. For example:

• He is my friend. 
• She has a cat. 
• It is a beautiful day. 

For the plural third person, we use "they" to refer to a group of individuals being mentioned. For example:

• They need to attend the meeting 
• They have to wear uniforms. 

IV. Verb forms of different persons in English

Which verb form does a grammatical person go with? Let’s check it out with PREP!

1. Tobe

1.1. Tobe in the present tense

1.2. Tobe in the past tense

2. Action verbs in the present simple tense

3. Action verbs in the past simple tense

V. Some notes on grammatical persons in English

Let PREP accompany you on the below notes on grammatical persons in English!

1. “He/She/It” can be used for pets

The pronoun “it” is supposed to address animals. However, "he/she" also serves the same goal, especially to differentiate gender and increase the level of closeness between humans and animals. For example:

• She is my cat. 
• He is my dog. We have been together for 3 years. 
• It is an adorable rabbit. 

2. Dummy subject with the pronoun “It”

"It" is sometimes used as a dummy subject to represent an object, a phenomenon, or an idea in a sentence when the gender is not specified or there is no life.

• It is raining. 
• It is important to be on time. 

3. "They" can be used when the gender of the mentioned subject has not been determined.

“They” can be used to replace a group of people or an object whose gender is not specified. For example:

• Someone left their bag here. Keep it until they come back.
• If someone calls, tell them I’ll call back later. 

Note: There may be some exceptional cases, so the use of pronouns depends on the context and the relationship between the speaker and the listener.

VI. Exercises on grammatical persons in English with detailed answers

Exercise 1: Give the correct form of the verbs in brackets

• I (work) in a hospital.
• You (study) English at school.
• He (play) guitar in a band.
• You (do) a great job in your presentation.
• She (teach) mathematics at a university.
• It (rain) heavily outside.
• We (travel) to different countries.
• They (watch) a movie at the cinema.
• We (do) our best to help others.
• He (cut) his hair before going out.

Answer keys: 

• work
• study
• plays
• do 
• teaches
• rains
• travel
• watch
• do 
• cuts

Once finishing this article, are you able to competently identify and use grammatical persons in English? Hopefully, the information in the article has been helpful to you. If you still have any doubts or questions, then join the teachers at Prep in the courses below!