Grammar – Using Pronouns In Sentences (My, His, Her, Our, Their, Yours, Etc.) Basic 2 English Studies Lesson Note

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

1. Define pronouns
2. Identify and list out some pronouns (singular and plural form)
3. Use pronouns in sentences

Content

What are Pronouns?

Definition: Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. Instead of repeating the same noun over and over, we use pronouns to make our sentences shorter and less repetitive.

Example without pronouns: “Sarah went to Sarah’s classroom. Sarah opened Sarah’s book and Sarah began reading Sarah’s lesson.”

Example with pronouns: “Sarah went to her classroom. She opened her book and she began reading her lesson.”

Why Do We Use Pronouns?

• Avoid repetition – Don’t say the same noun many times
• Make sentences shorter – Easier to speak and write
• Sound more natural – Normal way people talk
• Connect ideas – Link sentences together smoothly

Types of Pronouns

1. SUBJECT PRONOUNS

Definition: Pronouns that replace the subject (who or what does the action)

Singular Subject Pronouns:

I – refers to yourself

• I go to school every day.
• I like to read books.
• I am seven years old.

You – refers to the person you’re talking to

• You are my best friend.
• You have a beautiful dress.
• You can play with us.

He – refers to one boy or man

• He is playing football. (instead of “John is playing football”)
• He loves mathematics. (instead of “My brother loves mathematics”)
• He runs very fast.

She – refers to one girl or woman

• She is reading a book. (instead of “Mary is reading a book”)
• She teaches us English. (instead of “Mrs. Johnson teaches us English”)
• She sings beautifully.

It – refers to one thing, animal, or place

• It is raining today. (the weather)
• It barks loudly. (the dog)
• It is a beautiful school. (the school)

Plural Subject Pronouns:

We – refers to yourself and other people

• We are students in Primary 2.
• We play together during break time.
• We study hard for our tests.

You – refers to more than one person you’re talking to

• You are all good students. (talking to the class)
• You can come to my party. (talking to friends)
• You need to listen carefully.

They – refers to more than one person, thing, or animal

• They are my classmates. (instead of “Ahmed and Fatima are my classmates”)
• They live in the same neighborhood. (instead of “My parents live in the same neighborhood”)
• They are flying in the sky. (the birds)

2. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

Definition: Pronouns that show ownership or belonging

Possessive Pronouns Used Before Nouns:

My – belongs to me

• My book is on the table.
• My mother cooks delicious food.
• My uniform is blue and white.

Your – belongs to you

• Your pencil is very sharp.
• Your house is near the school.
• Your drawing is beautiful.

His – belongs to him (boy or man)

• His bag is heavy. (Ahmed’s bag)
• His father is a doctor. (the boy’s father)
• His bicycle is red.

Her – belongs to her (girl or woman)

• Her dress is pretty. (Fatima’s dress)
• Her voice is sweet. (the girl’s voice)
• Her homework is complete.

Its – belongs to it (thing, animal, or place)

• Its tail is long. (the cat’s tail)
• Its leaves are green. (the tree’s leaves)
• Its doors are painted blue. (the school’s doors)

Our – belongs to us (me and others)

• Our teacher is very kind.
• Our classroom is clean and bright.
• Our school has a big playground.

Their – belongs to them (other people, things, or animals)

• Their books are new. (the students’ books)
• Their house has a beautiful garden. (my neighbors’ house)
• Their feathers are colorful. (the birds’ feathers)

Possessive Pronouns Used Alone:

Mine – belongs to me

• This book is mine. (This is my book)
• The red pencil is mine.

Yours – belongs to you

• Is this bag yours? (Is this your bag?)
• The drawing on the wall is yours.

His – belongs to him

• The football is his. (The football belongs to him)
• That bicycle is his.

Hers – belongs to her

• The doll is hers. (The doll belongs to her)
• This lunch box is hers.

Ours – belongs to us

• This classroom is ours. (This is our classroom)
• The playground is ours to use.

Theirs – belongs to them

• Those seats are theirs. (Those seats belong to them)
• The project is theirs to complete.

Pronoun-Noun Agreement

Singular and Plural Agreement

Rule: Pronouns must match the number of nouns they replace

Singular Examples:

• The boy → He
• The girl → She
• The book → It
• My sister → She
• The dog → It

Plural Examples:

• The boys → They
• The girls → They
• The books → They
• My sisters → They
• The dogs → They

Gender Agreement

Rule: Pronouns must match the gender of people they replace

Male References:

• Ahmed → He, His, Him
• My father → He, His, Him
• The man → He, His, Him

Female References:

• Fatima → She, Her, Hers
• My mother → She, Her, Hers
• The woman → She, Her, Hers

Non-Gender Specific:

• The child → He or She (depending on the child)
• The student → He or She (depending on the student)
• Animals → It (unless we know male/female)

Common Pronoun Usage Patterns

Pattern 1: Replacing Repeated Nouns

Without pronouns: “Ahmed likes Ahmed’s new school. Ahmed’s teacher is kind to Ahmed.”

With pronouns: “Ahmed likes his new school. His teacher is kind to him.”

Pattern 2: Continuing Stories

Without pronouns: “The cat climbed the tree. The cat got scared. The cat meowed loudly.”

With pronouns: “The cat climbed the tree. It got scared. It meowed loudly.”

Pattern 3: Describing Ownership

Without pronouns: “This is Mary’s book. Mary’s book is new. Mary’s book has pictures.”

With pronouns: “This is Mary’s book. Her book is new. It has pictures.”

Pronoun Practice Exercises

Exercise Type 1: Pronoun Substitution

Replace the underlined nouns with pronouns:

1. John is playing football. → He is playing football.
2. The teacher is writing on the board. → She is writing on the board.
3. My parents are going to the market. → They are going to the market.
4. The book is on the table. → It is on the table.

Exercise Type 2: Choosing Correct Pronouns

Choose the correct pronoun:

1. Sarah likes (her/his) new dress.
2. The boys finished (their/our) homework.
3. (We/They) are going to the library.
4. Is this pencil (yours/theirs)?

Exercise Type 3: Pronoun-Antecedent Matching

Match pronouns with what they refer to:

1. Ahmed forgot his lunch. (his refers to Ahmed)
2. The girls played with their dolls. (their refers to the girls)
3. We studied for our test. (we and our refer to the speakers)

Advanced Pronoun Usage

Using Multiple Pronouns in Sentences

Examples:

• She gave him her book. (She = girl, him = boy, her = girl’s)
• We showed them our project. (We = speakers, them = other people, our = speakers’)
• They brought their lunch to our picnic. (They = other people, their = other people’s, our = speakers’)

Pronoun Clarity Rules

Rule 1: Make sure it’s clear what the pronoun refers to

Unclear: “Ahmed and David went to the park. He played on the swings.” (Who played? Ahmed or David?)

Clear: “Ahmed and David went to the park. Ahmed played on the swings.” Or: “Ahmed and David went to the park, and he (Ahmed) played on the swings.”

Rule 2: Don’t use too many pronouns in one sentence

Confusing: “She gave it to her for her to give to them.”

Better: “Mary gave the book to Sarah for Sarah to give to the students.”

Common Pronoun Mistakes and Corrections

Mistake 1: Wrong Gender Pronouns

Wrong: “Mary lost his book.” Right: “Mary lost her book.”

Mistake 2: Wrong Number Pronouns

Wrong: “The students finished his homework.” Right: “The students finished their homework.”

Mistake 3: Unclear Pronoun Reference

Wrong: “Ahmed and John went home. He was tired.” Right: “Ahmed and John went home. Ahmed was tired.”

Mistake 4: Using Wrong Possessive Form

Wrong: “Is this your’s pencil?” Right: “Is this your pencil?” or “Is this pencil yours?”

Interactive Pronoun Games

Game 1: Pronoun Detective

Students identify what each pronoun refers to: “Sarah and Ahmed went to the store. She bought apples while he bought oranges.”

• She = Sarah
• He = Ahmed

Game 2: Pronoun Relay

Students take turns replacing nouns with pronouns:

• Student 1: “The cat is sleeping.”
• Student 2: “It is sleeping.”

Game 3: Possessive Match

Match people with their belongings using possessive pronouns:

• Ahmed + book = his book
• Mary + dress = her dress
• Students + classroom = their classroom