He vs His
What’s the difference between them?
He
Meaning:
He is a pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal.
Examples:
1. He went to the store to buy groceries.
2. He was too scared to take the dare.
3. He made me laugh with his funny joke.
His
Meaning:
possessive pronoun and adjecitve; shows that something belongs to a male person.
Examples:
1.His blue eyes sparkled as he smiled.
2.His strong arms held me close.
3.His sense of humor always made me laugh.
Learn similar and opposite words to spot the difference
Synonyms
Antonyms
He
1. Him
2. Himself
3. Male
4. Gentleman
5. Man
1. She
2. Disagree
3. Repel
4. Decrease
5. Withhold
His
1. He
2. Him
3. Hisself
4. Male individual
5. Gentleman
1. Hers
2. Its
3. Theirs
4. Absent
5. Opposite
Tricks for mastery
Useful tips to understand the difference between confusing words "He", "His".
1. 'He' is a subject pronoun, meaning it usually starts a sentence or clause, referring to a male person or animal. Example: 'He is my brother.'
2. 'His' indicates possession or ownership, either as a possessive pronoun or adjective. Example: 'That is his book.'
3. If the word is at the beginning of a sentence or clause and is followed by a verb, 'he' is usually the correct choice.
4. If the word is before a noun, indicating who the noun belongs to, 'his' is the word to use.
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Frequently asked questions
In what situations should the first word be used?
'He' should be used when referring to a male person or animal. It can also be used to refer to a group of people when the gender is unknown or irrelevant.
When is the appropriate context for using the second word?
'His' is a possessive pronoun and adjective used to refer to something belonging to or associated with a male person or animal.
Do the two words share the same pronunciation?
No, the two words do not share the same pronunciation. 'He' has a long 'e' sound, whereas 'His' has a short 'i' sound.
What are some common mistakes people make when using these words?
One common mistake people make when using these words is forgetting the apostrophe in 'His'. Another mistake is using 'He' when referring to a group of people, when the correct usage is 'They'.
Fill in the gaps to check yourself
1. ________ is a talented pianist and often performs at local concerts.
2. That car is ________; he bought it last year.
3. ________ favorite color has always been blue.
4. Who is the author of this book? I think ________ name is on the cover.
5. ________ will be joining us for dinner tonight, wont he?
6. The cat scratched ________ arm, and now he has to wear a bandage.
1. He is a talented pianist and often performs at local concerts.
Explanation: In this sentence, the subject is a person who performs, so the pronoun he fits appropriately to indicate the subject of the action.
2. That car is his; he bought it last year.
Explanation: Here, the sentence is indicating possession or ownership of the car, so the possessive pronoun his is the correct choice.
3. His favorite color has always been blue.
Explanation: The sentence is referring to a particular preference or liking of a person, indicating possession. Therefore, his is the right choice.
4. Who is the author of this book? I think his name is on the cover.
Explanation: This sentence requires a possessive pronoun to indicate ownership of the name. His is the appropriate choice to refer to the name of the author.
5. He will be joining us for dinner tonight, wont he?
Explanation: The subject of this sentence is a person who will be joining for dinner. He is the right pronoun to indicate the subject.
6. The cat scratched his arm, and now he has to wear a bandage.
Explanation: The sentence indicates a specific part of a persons body (arm) that was scratched. The possessive pronoun his correctly shows ownership of the arm.
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List of Commonly Confused Words
Finding your way around the English language can be hard, especially since there are so many confusing words and rules. So, a list of the most confusing words in English is an extremely useful tool for improving language accuracy and sharing the ideas clearly.