Related Pages
What Does 'First Person' Mean? (with Examples)
First Person
The term "first person" refers to the speaker himself or a group that includes the speaker (i.e.," I," "me," "we," and "us").
- First Person Narrative. A first-person narrative is one that uses the word "I" (and sometimes "we"). In other words, the storyteller gives a personal account.
- First Person Point of View. The first-person point of view is a view through the storyteller's eyes.
- First Person Shooter. First-person-shooter games are a genre of shooting games in which players see the world through the eyes of their on-screen character.
First Person in Grammar
In grammar, the personal pronouns ("I," "you," "he," "she," "it," "we," "you," "they") are grouped into one of three categories:- First person: "I" and "we"
- Second person: "you"
- Third person: "He/She/It" and "They"


Examples of First Person Pronouns in Different Cases
Here are the first person pronouns in the subjective case, the objective case, and the possessive case:Person | Subjective Case | Objective Case | Possessive Case Possessive Determiner | Possessive Case Possessive Pronouns |
---|---|---|---|---|
First Person Singular |
I Example: I like cheese. |
me Example: He likes me. |
my Example: This is my car. |
mine This is mine. |
First Person Plural |
we Example: We hate celery. |
us Example: They hate us. |
our Example: This is our house. |
ours Example: This is ours. |
First, Second, and Third Person Pronouns
The table below shows the first, second, and third person pronouns. The first person pronouns are shaded.Person | Subjective Case | Objective Case | Possessive Case Possessive Determiner | Possessive Case Possessive Pronouns |
---|---|---|---|---|
First Person Singular | I | me | my | mine |
Second Person Singular | you | you | your | yours |
Third Person Singular | he/she/it | him/her/it | his/her/its | his/hers/its |
First Person Plural | we | us | our | ours |
Second Person Plural | you | you | your | yours |
Third Person Plural | they | them | their | theirs |
Why Should I Care about the First Person?
Here are three good reasons to care about the first person.(Reason 1) In business writing, the first person adds a personal touch.
In business, writing in the first person (i.e., using "I" and "we") portrays a personal touch and shows that you accept responsibility. For example:- We will handle your claim within 24 hours.
- I will send you the results this afternoon.
- Marks Ltd will handle your claim within 24 hours.
- They will send you the results this afternoon. (Writing in the third person is also useful for putting some distance between you and the message recipient, which could be useful for swerving blame.)
(Reason 2) Your readers will connect quickly to a story told in the first person.
Writing in the first person will help your readers to engage not only with the main character but also with those the main character meets. Below are four good reason to tell stories in the first person.A first-person narrative:
- Helps your readers to establish an immediate connection with the character because the character's thoughts and emotions are not expressed through a third party (i.e., someone else).
- Makes the story more believable because readers feel that they are being told the story by the person who experienced it.
- Allows your readers to quickly establish the nature of the relationships with other characters in the story as they described more directly than through a third party.
- Allows the author to get inside the character's head, which helps with developing and describing ideas and emotions.
(Reason 3) "Between you and I" is ALWAYS wrong!
Many people say "between you and I." This is always wrong.- Let's keep this matter between you and I.
- Between you and I, I think it's a shambles.

This is the most common mistake involving the first-person pronoun "I." Here are links to two other issues related to first-person pronouns:
Read about "you and I," "you and me," and terms like "my wife and I."
Read about incorrectly using "myself."
Key Points
- In business, write in the first person for a personal touch.
- When writing fiction, write in the first person to engage your audience quickly.
- Don't say or write "between you and I"...ever.
A Video Summary
Watch a video summarizing "grammatical person" (i.e., first person, second person, and third person)Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?