Los pronombres personales de sujeto van delante del verbo:
I stayed at home. (Yo me quedé en casa.)
You need another blanket. (Tú necesitas otra manta.)
He wants to buy a new car. (Él quiere comprarse un coche nuevo.)
She is studying Catalan. (Ella está estudiando catalán.)
It barks a lot. (Ladra mucho. → It se emplea para referirnos a cosas, animales o fenómenos atmosféricos: It is raining → Está lloviendo.)
We never eat garlic. (Nosotros nunca comemos ajo.)
You read a lot. (Vosotros leéis mucho.)
They are good friends. (Ellos o ellas son muy buenos amigos o muy buenas amigas.)
Sin embargo, en las oraciones interrogativas el verbo o el auxiliar pasa delante de estos pronombres:
Can you help me? (¿Puedes tú ayudarme?)
Has she got the comic? (¿Tiene ella el tebeo?)
Does he write very often? (¿Escribe él muy a menudo?)
Los pronombres personales de objeto o complemento van detrás del verbo o de preposición:
She loves me. (Me quiere.)
We sent you a letter. (Te enviamos una carta.)
We went with him. (Fuimos con él.)
He adores her. (La adora.)
I saw it with my own eyes. (Lo vi con mis propios ojos.)
They have just invited us to their wedding. (Nos acaban de invitar a su boda.)
Margaret believes in you. (Margaret confia en vosotros.)
We don't like them. (No nos caen bien ellos.)
Los adjetivos posesivos van seguidos de un nombre:
This is my van. (Ésta es mi furgoneta.)
Your lorry is very big. (Tu camión es muy grande.)
His house is enormous. (Su casa es enorme.)
Her face is beautiful. (Su cara es preciosa.)
Its wing is broken. (Su ala está rota.)
Our engagement will be announced tomorrow. (Nuestro compromiso se dará a conocer o anunciará mañana.)
Your son is very clever. (Vuestro hijo es muy listo.)
Their work was excellent. (Su trabajo fue excelente.)
Los pronombres posesivos se usan cuando no mencionamos el nombre, o sea, que aparecen solos:
This book is mine. (Este libro es mío.)
This pencil case is yours. (Este estuche es tuyo.)
Mary is a relative of his. (Mary es pariente suyo.)
I've found hers. (He encontrado el suyo.)
Ours need watering. (Las nuestras necesitan regarse.)
Yours are bigger than mine. (Los vuestros son más grandes que el mío.)
These are your notebooks and those are theirs. (Éstos son vuestros cuadernos y aquéllos son los de ellos.)
Ejercicios:
A. Complete la siguiente tabla según corresponda:
Los pronombres personales de sujeto
I
—
—
—
—
—
you
—
Los pronombres personales de complemento
—
you
—
her
—
—
—
—
Los adjetivos posesivos
—
—
his
—
—
our
—
—
Los pronombres posesivos
—
—
—
—
(not possible)
—
—
theirs
B. Ponga el pronombre personal o el adjetivo o pronombre posesivo adecuado en los espacios en blanco.
1. Mum, have you seen __________ money-box? I'd like to put a couple of coins in.
2. "She met a boy yesterday, and says that she loves __________ deeply."
"__________ can't love __________ deeply! __________ only met yesterday!"
3. This is Tom, and this is __________ father.
4. "Is there anything __________ can do to help you"
"No, there isn't anything you can do to help __________."
5. That dog is almost never in __________ kennel. __________ doesn't like __________.
6. Peter and __________ family do not live in London. __________ say that __________ is too big a city for __________.
7. Can you lend __________ __________ rubber, please? I've lost mine.
8. __________ house is very small, but comfortable. We love __________.
9. __________ son is a very bad student, but __________ daughter is brilliant. We wish __________ would study harder.
10. "Please send __________ a postcard when you are on holiday?"
"Don't worry, mum and dad. We'll send __________ one."
11. __________ is raining cats and dogs, so __________ had better stay at home. We can go to the cinema tomorrow.
12. "Where shall I put this book?"
"Put __________ on the table, please."
13. "I've just bought some big ice-creams for lunch, mum."
"Put __________ in the fridge, sweetheart."
14. "Is this __________ pen, Peter?"
"No, __________ isn't __________. __________ is __________."
"Where is __________, then?"
"__________ is on the floor!"
"OK! Thank you."
15. This is a picture of __________ house. We've been living there since 1999.
16. "How do you know that your neighbours are at home?"
"Because __________ car is over there."
17. "Where is __________ sister, Paul?"
"__________ sister is at home. __________ is studying for an exam. Would you like me to tell __________ something when I get home?"
18. "John and __________ family do not live here any longer."
"Where do __________ live now?"
19. "This table has a missing leg."
"Here is __________ leg."
20. "Can __________ give __________ a glass of water, please? I'm very thirsty."
"Yes, of course."
____________________
En inglés no se hace distinción alguna entre tú, vosotros y usted(es): Tú necesitas otra manta / Vosotros necesitáis otra manta / Usted necesita otra manta / Ustedes necesitan otra manta.