Personal Pronouns

Click *HERE* for Personal and Stressed Pronoun Exercise

A. Pronoun order

When there are multiple pronouns in a sentence, they always follow this order:

B. How to identify when to use: D.O., I.O., y, en

1. To find the direct object, have the verb in the sentence ask the questions "what?" or "whom?"

John ate peanuts. "Ate what?" = Ate peanuts. (D.O.)
Mary saw Sam. "Saw whom?" = Saw Sam. (D.O.)

2. To find the indirect object, have the verb in the sentence ask "to whom?".

John gave the peanuts to Mary. "Gave to whom?" = to Mary (I.O.)

3. en = de + anything

J'ai mangé des pommes. --> J'en ai mangé.

4. y = a preposition [not de ] + a thing [not a person]. Often y means "there".

Ton chien est: sur le lit / dans la cuisine / devant la télé / à côté de ta chaise. = Ton chien y  est.

C. Position of pronouns

1. Nothing ever separates the pronoun from its position next to the verb.

Marie ne le voit pas. (Negatives go around the verb and pronoun.)
Le mange-t-elle souvent? (The subject inverts in a ques.; the pro. stays where it is.)
Ne le mange-t-elle pas?

2. In positive commands, the pronoun comes after the verb and is attached by a hyphen. Use the same word order as in English.

Donne-leur-en. (Give them some.)

In negative commands, follow the same rules as above (in C.1.).

Ne leur en donne pas.

Note that moi, toi  become m',t'  next to a vowel:

moi + en = m'en:  Donne m'en.  

==> Review Disjunctive pronouns (stressed pro.) before doing practice exercises for pronouns.

Click *HERE* for Personal and Stressed Pronoun Exercise

Return to Index