I / you / he / she / we / they

Referring to People

Level 1

These pronouns identify people in Singlish as in other English varieties. A person may be left unspoken when the conversation makes the reference clear, but a missing subject is not a new pronoun.

How It Works

A pronoun points to someone already identified. I is the speaker, you is the listener, and he, she and they refer to other people. We refers to a group including the speaker; context tells you whether the listener belongs to that group.

Use the pronoun when it helps identify who acts. In a clear exchange, a speaker can leave an understood person unstated, but that is a separate way of building a clause. Do not guess that every short sentence means I. Keep a person's pronouns and the people included in we consistent through the conversation.

Examples (4)

  1. I want water.

    I want water.

  2. You take this seat.

    You take this seat.

  3. She can help us.

    She can help us.

  4. We meet them downstairs.

    We will meet them downstairs, in the agreed plan.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

I / you / he / she / we / theyLevel 1Referring to People

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.