Of His vs. Him – Which is Correct?
When should you use “of his” or “him”? Both are correct, but they serve different grammatical roles. “Of his” expresses possession or partitive meaning, while “him” is an object pronoun referring to a male person or animal. Choose “of his” after nouns or quantities and “him” after verbs or prepositions.
Of His or Him – Which is Correct?
Both “of his” and “him” are correct, but they cannot usually be substituted for each other. “Of his” is a possessive phrase. It shows that something belongs to, comes from, or is associated with a male person. It can also mean “among the things that belong to him.”
“Him” is an object pronoun. It refers to a male person or animal receiving an action or following a preposition. For example, “I saw him” and “Give the book to him” use him because the person is the object of the verb or preposition.
Compare these sentences:
- She admired a painting of his. The painting belongs to him or was created by him.
- She admired a painting of him. The painting shows his image.
- I spoke of his achievements. The conversation concerned achievements belonging to or associated with him.
- I spoke to him. He was the person receiving the communication.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the ownership test. If you can replace the phrase with his, belonging to him, or among his things, use “of his.” If you can replace the word with that man, the boy, or the male animal as the object of an action or preposition, use “him.”
Remember: “of his” points to ownership or association, while “him” points to the person affected by an action.
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| of his | Possessive phrase | Belonging to him, associated with him, or among his possessions | I read several novels of his. |
| him | Object pronoun | A male person or animal receiving an action | The manager called him. |
How to Use Of His
“Of his” generally follows a noun or a quantity expression. It can identify something owned, created, experienced, or associated with a male person. The phrase is common in both formal and casual English.
One frequent pattern is “a + noun + of his.” This construction often means “one of the person’s” or “belonging to the person.” For example, “a colleague of his” means one of his colleagues.
Another common pattern is “some, many, several, or all + of his + noun.” In this structure, his directly modifies the noun that follows it.
Example 1: She borrowed a jacket of his for the evening.
Example 2: Several of his photographs were displayed in the gallery.
Example 3: A close friend of his recommended the restaurant.
What are the different forms of Of His?
“Of his” is a fixed grammatical phrase, so it does not change for tense, number, or degree of comparison. However, the noun surrounding it may change: a story of his, stories of his, or several stories of his.
Do not confuse “of his” with “of him.” The first usually expresses possession or association, while the second usually refers to an image, description, opinion, or other representation of the person: a portrait of him, an opinion of him, or a description of him.
Etymology of the phrase Of His
“Of” comes from the Old English preposition of, which expressed separation, source, or association. “His” developed from the Old English possessive form related to he. Together, of his has long been used to express possession or connection with a male person.
How to Use Him
“Him” is the objective form of the third-person singular masculine pronoun. Use it when a male person or animal receives the action of a verb or follows a preposition.
Use him after transitive verbs such as see, call, help, and invite: They invited him. It also follows prepositions such as to, for, with, about, and from: She spoke with him.
Example 1: The teacher asked him to stay after class.
Example 2: We sent the documents to him yesterday.
Example 3: Everyone trusted him with the confidential information.
What are the different forms of Him?
“Him” does not change according to tense or number, but it belongs to a set of related pronoun forms:
- He: subject form, as in He arrived early.
- Him: object form, as in I called him.
- His: possessive form, as in That is his coat.
- Himself: reflexive or emphatic form, as in He prepared it himself.
A useful grammatical test is to identify the role of the pronoun. Use he for the subject, him for the object, and his to show possession.
Etymology of the Word Him
“Him” comes from the Old English form him, the dative and accusative form of the masculine pronoun related to he. Its basic role has remained stable in English: identifying a male person or animal as the object of an action or preposition.
Related Concepts
Understanding pronoun cases and possessive constructions makes the difference between of his and him much easier to recognize.
- Object pronouns: Object pronouns receive an action or follow a preposition. Common examples include me, you, him, her, us, and them.
- Possessive pronouns and determiners: Possessive forms show ownership or association. His can work before a noun, as in his book, or independently in some constructions, as in a friend of his.
- Prepositional phrases: A phrase beginning with a preposition can describe possession, location, direction, or association. In a photograph of him, of him identifies the subject shown in the photograph.
- Partitive constructions: Expressions such as some of his books refer to part of a larger group or collection.
Examples from Media and Literature
The distinction appears frequently in storytelling, journalism, reviews, and everyday descriptions. These examples show how the meaning changes according to the grammatical form.
- Book review: “Several novels of his have become standard reading in modern literature.” Here, of his refers to novels written by or associated with the author.
- Film review: “The camera lingers on him during the final scene.” Here, him is the object of the preposition on.
- News report: “A former adviser of his released a statement.” The phrase identifies one adviser connected with the person.
- Biographical writing: “The portrait of him hangs in the family home.” The portrait represents the male subject, so him is appropriate.
- Narrative fiction: “She remembered a promise of his and wondered whether he would keep it.” The promise is associated with or made by him.
Practice Exercises
Choose the correct word or phrase to complete each sentence.
- I borrowed a pen ______.
- The committee invited ______ to speak.
- Several ______ paintings were sold at the auction.
- We sent the message directly to ______.
- A former colleague ______ recommended the candidate.
Answer Key
- of his
- him
- his
- him
- of his
Of His Synonyms
The best substitute for of his depends on whether the phrase expresses ownership, authorship, association, or membership in a group.
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| His | Shows possession directly before a noun, as in “his jacket.” |
| Belonging to him | A clear phrase expressing ownership. |
| Written by him | Specifies that he created a written work. |
| Associated with him | Expresses a general connection rather than definite ownership. |
Him Synonyms
Him has no exact synonym in every sentence because it is a pronoun. Depending on the context, it can be replaced by a specific noun or noun phrase.
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| That man | A demonstrative noun phrase referring to a particular male person. |
| The man | A specific male person already known from the context. |
| The boy | A noun phrase used when the male person is a child. |
| The male animal | A descriptive replacement when referring to a male animal. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “of his” grammatically correct?
Yes. “Of his” is correct when it expresses possession, authorship, association, or membership in a group, as in “a friend of his” or “some books of his.”
Question 2: When should I use “him” instead of “of his”?
Use “him” when the male person is the object of a verb or preposition: “I called him,” “She helped him,” or “We spoke to him.”
Question 3: What is the difference between “a picture of his” and “a picture of him”?
“A picture of his” usually means a picture belonging to him or created by him. “A picture of him” means a picture that shows or depicts him.
Question 4: Is “a friend of him” correct?
In standard English, use “a friend of his,” not “a friend of him,” when expressing the meaning “one of his friends.” However, “of him” is correct when the phrase means “about him” or “depicting him,” as in “a story of him.”
Conclusion
“Of his” and “him” are both correct, but they have different functions. Use of his for possession, authorship, association, or partitive meaning. Use him as the object of a verb or preposition. Pro Tip: Choosing the correct pronoun form in professional writing demonstrates grammatical accuracy and protects your credibility.
