A1 · Débutant Chapitre 4

Identifying People and Objects

3 Règles totales
33 exemples
5 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of pointing things out and talking about people with precision and ease.

  • Identify the correct subject to use in your sentences.
  • Use object pronouns to describe who receives an action.
  • Distinguish between near and far objects using demonstratives.
Point, name, and connect with the world around you.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Get ready to chat about the world around you! We'll explore how to use words like 'this' and 'that' to point things out, and understand how to talk about 'him' or 'her' correctly when they receive the action. You'll be describing everything with confidence!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Correctly use subject and object pronouns to describe social interactions.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'this', 'that', 'these', and 'those' to identify physical items in your environment.

Guide du chapitre

Overview

Ever wanted to tell someone about your new friend, or maybe point out a delicious-looking pastry in a cafe? This chapter is your trusty guide to doing just that! It's all about making your conversations clear and simple when you want to talk about people and things around you.
We're diving into the basics of English identifying people and objects for beginners, giving you the tools to chat about who is doing an action (like 'I' or 'she') and who is receiving an action (like 'me' or 'him'). Plus, you'll master those handy pointing words like this and that to show exactly what you mean. Learning these simple patterns is super important for an A1 level because it helps you build foundational sentences and express yourself easily in everyday situations.
Get ready to feel more confident as you learn English A1 grammar and describe your world with clarity!

How This Grammar Works

Let's break down how to talk about people and things in English!
First, we have Subject Pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. These words are like the star of your sentence – they are the ones *doing* the action. For example, instead of saying
John eats an apple,
we can say
He eats an apple.
Or,
We like pizza.
They help you avoid repeating names and keep sentences smooth and natural.
Next, meet Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, them. These pronouns are the ones *receiving* the action. They usually come after a verb (the action word) or a preposition (like to, for, with).
Think about it: if someone gives something, someone else receives it. So, you might say,
She sees him
(he receives the seeing) or
Can you give the book to me?
(I receive the giving).
Finally, let's talk about our pointing words: This, That, These, Those. These are super handy for showing *where* something is and *how many* there are.
  • Use This for one thing that is close to you.
    Look at this phone.
  • Use That for one thing that is far from you.
    Is that your car?
  • Use These for many things that are close to you.
    These are my friends.
  • Use Those for many things that are far from you.
    Those flowers are beautiful.
You can use these words to point to objects, and then use pronouns to talk about them later! For instance,
Look at this book. It is good.
See how they all connect to make your English clearer?

Common Mistakes

  1. 1Mixing Subject and Object Pronouns
✗ She likes I.
✓ She likes me.
Explanation: Remember, the person *doing* the action uses a subject pronoun (she), and the person *receiving* the action uses an object pronoun (me). You can't like «I,» but you can like me.
  1. 1Using This/That with Plural Nouns
✗ This are my friends.
✓ These are my friends.
Explanation: This and that are for *one* thing (singular). When you have *many* things (plural), use these (close) or those (far).
  1. 1Confusing Near and Far Pointing Words
✗ Look at this mountain way over there!
✓ Look at that mountain way over there!
Explanation: If something is far away (like way over there), use that (for one thing) or those (for many things). Save this and these for things close to you.

Real Conversations

Dialogue 1: At a Café

A

A

Excuse me, is this my coffee?
B

B

Oh, no. That coffee is for him. Your latte is on its way!

Dialogue 2: Introducing Friends

A

A

Hi Mark! These are my friends, Emily and Tom. They just arrived.
B

B

Nice to meet them! So, you all know each other from school?

Dialogue 3: Shopping

A

A

I like this shirt. Do you think it will fit me?
B

B

Hmm, it looks a bit small. What about that one, the blue one?
A

A

Oh, yes! That looks much better. My sister likes blue too; maybe I will buy it for her.

Quick FAQ

Q

How do I choose between this and that in English?

Use this for singular items *close* to you. Use that for singular items *far* from you. For example, "This is my phone (it's in my hand), but That is your car (it's across the street)."

Q

What's the main difference between subject and object pronouns?

Subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they) *do* the action in a sentence. Object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) *receive* the action or come after a preposition. For example:

She (subject) saw him (object).

Q

When should I use him instead of he in English?

Use him when the person is the *receiver* of an action or when it comes after a preposition. For example,

I gave the book to him
or
She called him.
Use he when the person is *doing* the action, like
He is here.

Q

Can I use

it
to talk about a person?

Generally, no. We use it for objects, animals, or general ideas. For people, always use he or she (subject) or him or her (object). Using

it
for a person can sound very impersonal or even rude.

Cultural Context

Native English speakers use these pronouns and pointing words constantly in everyday chat. In informal speech, you might hear people shorten things, but the core grammar of who does what and what is where stays the same. For example, pointing with your finger when you say
this
or
that
is very common and natural!
Don't be afraid to use them often – they make your English clear and direct.

Exemples clés (6)

1

`I` am studying for my exam tonight.

J'étudie pour mon examen ce soir.

Pronoms Sujets Anglais (je, tu, il...)
2

`You` look great in that new jacket!

Tu as fière allure dans cette nouvelle veste !

Pronoms Sujets Anglais (je, tu, il...)
3

Can you help `me` with this TikTok dance?

Peux-tu m'aider avec cette danse TikTok ?

Pronoms compléments en anglais : me, you, him, her (Recevoir l'action)
4

I'll call `you` on Zoom later tonight.

Je t'appellerai sur Zoom plus tard ce soir.

Pronoms compléments en anglais : me, you, him, her (Recevoir l'action)
5

Is `this` your water bottle?

Est-ce votre bouteille d'eau ?

Ce, Cette, Ces (This, That, These, Those): Les Démonstratifs
6

Look at `that` sunset!

Regarde ce coucher de soleil !

Ce, Cette, Ces (This, That, These, Those): Les Démonstratifs

Conseils et astuces (3)

💡

Toujours une Majuscule pour 'I'

Même si tu es en train d'écrire un SMS rapide, le 'I' est toujours en majuscule, partout dans la phrase. C'est une règle spéciale juste pour lui, alors n'oublie pas ! I am happy.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronoms Sujets Anglais (je, tu, il...)
💡

L'astuce du 'O'

Souviens-toi que l'**O**bjet est l'**O**utcome (le résultat) de l'action. Il est souvent à la fin de la phrase. I like him.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronoms compléments en anglais : me, you, him, her (Recevoir l'action)
🎯

La règle du téléphone

Quand tu parles au téléphone, uses toujours « this » pour toi (This is John) et « that » pour la personne au bout du fil (
Is that you, Mary?
).
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ce, Cette, Ces (This, That, These, Those): Les Démonstratifs

Vocabulaire clé (6)

me receiver of action him male receiver her female receiver this near singular those far plural they plural subject

Real-World Preview

shopping-cart

Shopping for gifts

Review Summary

  • Pronoun + Verb
  • Verb + Pronoun
  • Demonstrative + Verb + Noun

Erreurs courantes

You should use 'I' because you are the one doing the action. 'Me' is only for receiving actions.

Wrong: Me like this book.
Correct: I like this book.

Since he is receiving the action of being seen, you must use the object form 'him'.

Wrong: I see he.
Correct: I see him.

Use 'This' for singular items. 'These' is only for plural items.

Wrong: These is my pen.
Correct: This is my pen.

Next Steps

You have done an excellent job mastering these basics. Keep practicing, and you will be speaking fluently in no time!

Label items in your house using sticky notes.

Continue to: Describing Your World and Actions

Pratique rapide (9)

Complète la phrase pour quelque chose que tu tiens.

I can't believe I found ___ book in the trash!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: this
Si tu l'as trouvé et que tu le tiens ou le regardes de près, use « this » pour un objet singulier.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ce, Cette, Ces (This, That, These, Those): Les Démonstratifs

Choisis le mot qui décrit correctement plusieurs choses éloignées.

___ clouds look like sheep.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Those
Les nuages sont pluriels et loin dans le ciel, donc on use « those ».

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ce, Cette, Ces (This, That, These, Those): Les Démonstratifs

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

The new movie is great. They is very exciting.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The new movie is great. It is very exciting.
Le pronom 'They' est pluriel et se réfère à des personnes ou des choses. 'The new movie' est une chose singulière et non-humaine, donc 'It' est le bon pronom sujet.
It is very exciting.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronoms Sujets Anglais (je, tu, il...)

Quelle phrase utilise correctement un pronom sujet ?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I am hungry.
'I' est le bon pronom sujet pour la première personne du singulier, qui fait l'action d'être 'hungry'. I am hungry.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronoms Sujets Anglais (je, tu, il...)

Choisis le bon pronom sujet pour compléter la phrase.

My sister loves to sing. ___ sings every day.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She
La phrase parle de 'my sister', qui est une femme. Donc, 'She' est le bon pronom sujet. She sings.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronoms Sujets Anglais (je, tu, il...)

Corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

That shoes are very dirty.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Those shoes are very dirty.
« Shoes » est pluriel. « That » est singulier. Il faut « those » (loin) ou « these » (proche). « Those » est la meilleure correction ici.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ce, Cette, Ces (This, That, These, Those): Les Démonstratifs

Complète avec le pronom objet correct.

I love this song! I listen to ___ every day.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: it
Puisqu'une 'song' est une chose, on utilise le pronom objet 'it'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronoms compléments en anglais : me, you, him, her (Recevoir l'action)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur.

Find and fix the mistake:

He is my friend. I like he very much.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I like him very much.
Après le verbe 'like', tu dois utiliser le pronom objet 'him', pas le pronom sujet 'he'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronoms compléments en anglais : me, you, him, her (Recevoir l'action)

Quelle phrase est grammaticalement correcte ?

Choose the best sentence for a text message:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Can you help me?
'me' est le pronom objet utilisé après le verbe 'help'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronoms compléments en anglais : me, you, him, her (Recevoir l'action)

Score: /9

Questions fréquentes (6)

Un pronom sujet est un mot (comme 'I', 'he', 'they') qui remplace un nom et fait l'action du verbe dans une phrase. C'est celui qui 'fait' l'action.
I go to the store.
On les utilise pour éviter de répéter les noms, ce qui rend nos phrases plus naturelles. Par exemple, au lieu de 'John went, John saw, John ate', on dit 'John went, he saw, he ate'. He saw.
Un pronom objet est un mot comme 'me', 'him' ou 'them' qui reçoit l'action d'un verbe ou suit une préposition. Il remplace un nom pour éviter les répétitions. Par exemple : I see him.
Utilise 'I' quand tu fais l'action (I see you). Utilise 'me' quand l'action t'arrive (You see me) ou après des mots comme 'for', 'to' ou 'with'. Par exemple :
He talks to me.
Oui ! Tu peux dire « This is great! » pour parler d'une fête ou d'un projet que tu vis en ce moment. C'est super !
« That » sert à montrer quelque chose de spécifique pour l'identifier. « It » est utilisé après avoir déjà identifié la chose. Exemple : « Look at that! It is a massive bug! » C'est comme ça qu'on parle !
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Apprends à nommer tout ce qui t'entoure !
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Describing Your World and Actions
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