I, me, mine - The correct use of 1st person singular pronouns

The pronoun "I" (I) belongs to the class of "subject pronouns" (subjective pronouns), which in Portuguese refers to the pronouns of the straight case. These pronouns should be used to replace the subject of the sentence, thus avoiding repetition. So, when telling a story of mine, I can substitute my name for the pronoun “I”. This pronoun should generally be used at the beginning of sentences, as its function is to replace the subject. It should be remembered that, according to English language grammar, the pronoun “I” must always be written with a capital letter.

I like to study at night. (I like to study at night).
i love my parents. (I love my parents).
I hate that TV show. (I hate that television show).

The pronoun “me” (me) belongs to the “object pronouns” (object pronouns). They must always come after verbs and prepositions.

Bob brought this present I'm me. (Bob brought this gift to me).
mary loves me. (Mary loves me).
Call me as soon as possible. (Call me ASAP).

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The pronoun "mine" (mine, mine) belongs to the class of "possessive pronouns" (possessive pronouns). Possessive pronouns should be used to replace nouns.

This pizza is hers and that is mine. (This pizza is hers and that is mine).
That is his car, and this is mine. (That's his car, and this is mine).
She loves her daughter and I love mine. (She loves her daughter and I love mine).

In the first example above it could also be said: “This is her pizza and that is my pizza” (This is her pizza and that is my pizza), however, to avoid the repetition of the noun “pizza”, which had already been mentioned previously, only the pronoun “mine”.

Layssa Gabriela Almeida e Silva
Brazil School Collaborator
Degree in Languages ​​- English from the State University of Goiás - UEG
Improvement course in English by Zoni Language Centers - USA - USA

English - Brazil School

Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:

SILVA, Layssa Gabriela Almeida e. "I, me, mine – The correct use of 1st person singular pronouns"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/ingles/i-me-mineuso-correto-dos-pronomes-1-a-pessoa-singular.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.

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