Him vs His: Difference and Comparison

“Him” is used as an object pronoun when referring to a person or entity that is the recipient of an action or being acted upon. On the other hand, “his” serves as a possessive pronoun, indicating ownership or possession by a male person.

Key Takeaways

1. “Him” is a pronoun that represents the object of a verb or preposition, while “His” is a possessive pronoun that shows ownership.
2. “Him” is an indirect or direct object, whereas “His” is an adjective to show possession.
3. “Him” is always used as an object, while “His” indicates ownership.

Him vs. His

“Him” is a pronoun used as the object of a verb or preposition, used to refer to a male person or animal that is the object of an action. “His” is a possessive determiner indicating ownership or possession, used to indicate ownership or possession of something by a male person or animal.

Comparison Table

Feature	Him	His
Part of speech	Pronoun	Possessive pronoun
Function	Refers to a male person (previously mentioned)	Shows ownership of something by a male person
Position in a sentence	* Subject: He went to the store. * Direct object: I saw him yesterday. * Indirect object: She gave him a gift. * Object of preposition: The book belongs to him.	* Before a noun: His book is on the table. * After a noun with a hyphen: The man with the blue-his shirt.
Examples	* Did you see him? * He is my brother. * I gave the book to him. * The teacher spoke to him.	* His house is on the corner. * I borrowed his pen. * This is his favorite movie.

What is Him? 

“Him” is a pronoun in the English language, belonging to the objective case. It is primarily used to refer to male beings, whether human or otherwise, as the object of a verb or preposition within a sentence.

Function and Usage

1. Objective Case: “Him” is predominantly employed in sentences where the individual or entity being referred to is the recipient of an action. For instance, in the sentence “I gave the ball to him,” “him” functions as the recipient of the action of giving.
2. Direct Object: In sentences where the action is directly performed on someone or something, “him” is utilized as the direct object. For example, “She hugged him tightly,” where “him” is the direct recipient of the hug.
3. Indirect Object: Additionally, “him” can be employed as an indirect object when the action is done for or to someone indirectly affected by the verb. For instance, “I bought him a gift,” where “him” is the indirect recipient of the action of buying.

Examples in Context

• “They invited him to the party.”
• “She sang him a lullaby.”
• “I saw him at the store.”

Contrasting with “His”

While “him” serves as the objective case pronoun, “his” serves as the possessive case pronoun for the masculine singular form. It indicates ownership or possession by the male person or entity being referred to.

Example

• “He brought his book to the library.”

In this example, “his” indicates possession of the book by the male subject.

What is His? 

“His” is a possessive pronoun in English, predominantly used to indicate ownership or possession by a male person or entity.

Function and Usage

1. Possessive Case: “His” is employed to show that something belongs to or is associated with a male individual or entity. It indicates ownership or possession, specifying that a particular object or attribute pertains to the male subject.
2. Possessive Determiner: As a determiner, “his” is used before a noun to indicate possession. It helps clarify who owns or has control over the noun it precedes.
3. Gender Specification: While “his” specifically denotes possession by a male, it contrasts with “her,” which indicates possession by a female, and “its,” which is used for inanimate objects or animals.

Examples in Context

• “That is his car parked outside.”
• “He forgot his umbrella at home.”
• “His dog ran around the yard.”

Contrasting with “Him”

While “his” indicates possession, “him” serves as the objective case pronoun, used when referring to the male individual as the recipient of an action within a sentence.

Example

• “He gave him his book.”

In this example, “his” indicates that the book belongs to the male subject, while “him” refers to the recipient of the action.

Main Differences Between Him and His 

• Function:
  • “Him” is primarily an objective pronoun used to indicate the person or entity receiving an action.
  • “His” is a possessive pronoun used to show ownership or possession by a male individual or entity.
• Usage:
  • “Him” is employed when referring to the male individual or entity as the object of a verb or preposition within a sentence.
  • “His” is used to indicate that something belongs to or is associated with the male subject, preceding the noun it possesses.
• Examples:
  • “She hugged him tightly.” (Using “him” as the recipient of the hug)
  • “That is his car parked outside.” (Using “his” to denote ownership of the car)
• Role:
  • “Him” serves to specify the recipient of an action, clarifying who is being acted upon.
  • “His” serves to denote possession, indicating who owns or has control over a particular object or attribute.

References 

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749596X03000718  
2. https://www.hkep.com/_v3/userfiles/book/sample/9789881901576s.pdf  
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0024384178900062