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Pronouns

In one line: A pronoun is a short word, like he, she, it, we or they, that takes the place of a noun (a naming word) so we don't have to keep repeating it.

Why it works

Without pronouns, writing sounds clunky: 'Sam fed Sam's cat because Sam's cat was hungry.' Pronouns make sentences shorter and smoother, and they help readers follow who is doing what. Choosing the right pronoun, such as I or me, or he or him, also makes your writing and speaking sound correct and clear.

Think of it like: A pronoun is like a substitute player in a football match. When a player comes off the pitch, the substitute steps in and does the same job. In a sentence, the noun 'Lily' can come off, and the pronoun 'she' steps in to take her place. (Where this breaks: A substitute player can walk on at any time, but a pronoun only works if the reader already knows who or what it stands for, so you usually need to say the noun first. Also, pronouns change shape depending on their job: 'she' becomes 'her' when Lily is receiving the action ('Mum called her'), which a footballer never has to do.)

Worked example

Rewrite these sentences using pronouns so the names are not repeated: 'Sam and Leo went to the park. Sam and Leo played football. Then Dad called Sam and Leo home.'

  1. Find the noun that keeps repeating: 'Sam and Leo' appears three times.
  2. Keep the names the first time, so the reader knows who we mean: 'Sam and Leo went to the park.'
  3. In the second sentence, Sam and Leo are doing the action (playing), and there are two of them, so use 'they': 'They played football.'
  4. In the third sentence, Dad is doing the action and Sam and Leo are receiving it, so use 'them': 'Then Dad called them home.'
  5. Read it back to check it is clear who each pronoun means.

Answer: Sam and Leo went to the park. They played football. Then Dad called them home.

Common mistakes

  • Saying 'Me and Tom went home' uses 'me' for the person doing the action; take Tom out to test it ('I went home') and write 'Tom and I went home'.
  • Using a pronoun before the reader knows who it means, such as starting a story with 'She ran fast', is confusing, so name the person first and then use the pronoun.
  • Writing 'Him is my friend' uses the wrong form for the doer of the sentence; use 'he', 'she', 'we' or 'they' for the doer and 'him', 'her', 'us' or 'them' for the receiver.
  • Adding an apostrophe to possessive pronouns, as in 'your's' or 'it's tail', is wrong; write 'yours', 'hers', 'ours', 'theirs' and 'its' with no apostrophe.

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Which word in this sentence is a pronoun? 'She kicked the ball over the fence.'

Questions parents ask

What year do kids learn about pronouns?

Children use pronouns in speech from a very young age, but they usually start learning the word 'pronoun' and choosing them on purpose in writing around Years 2–4 in Australia and the UK (in England it is formally taught by Year 4). In the US, pronouns are typically taught in grades 1–2.

How can I help my child with pronouns at home?

Read a short page together and ask your child to point to each pronoun and say who or what it stands for. You can also say a clunky sentence with repeated names, like 'Dad made Dad's tea', and let them fix it with a pronoun. Gently model 'Tom and I' instead of 'me and Tom' in everyday talk.

How do I explain the difference between I and me, or he and him?

Use I, he, she, we and they for the person doing the action, and me, him, her, us and them for the person receiving it. A quick test is to remove the other person from the sentence: 'Gran hugged (Sam and) me' still sounds right, so 'me' is correct.

Are words like 'mine' and 'yours' pronouns too?

Yes, mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs are possessive pronouns, which show who owns something and can stand on their own, as in 'The red bike is mine.' Words like my, your and our that sit just before a noun ('my bike') do a similar job but are often called possessive determiners in grammar lessons.