Year 4 English: Pronouns: replacing a noun, and keeping the reference clear
Part of the Year 4 English noun phrases, pronouns and verb forms chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Pronouns: replacing a noun, and keeping the reference clear
A pronoun takes the place of a noun or a noun phrase, so the writing does not repeat it. Ruby and I becomes we. The stall becomes it.
Some pronouns come before a verb: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Others come after a verb or a preposition: me, you, him, her, it, us, them. We say I walked, not me walked.
A pronoun must point clearly to one noun. Ella met Ruby, and she smiled could mean either girl. When a pronoun could be unclear, use the name again. Repeating a name can also help the sentences join up smoothly, which is called cohesion.
| Pronoun | Where it goes | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I, you, he, she, it, we, they | before the verb | They walked home. |
| me, you, him, her, it, us, them | after a verb or a preposition | Dad called them. |
| a name instead of a pronoun | when two people could be meant | Ella met Ruby, and Ruby smiled. |
Key ideas
- A pronoun takes the place of a noun or a noun phrase, so the writing does not repeat it.
- I, you, he, she, it, we and they come before a verb: They walked home.
- me, you, him, her, it, us and them come after a verb or a preposition: Dad called them.
- A pronoun must point clearly to one noun. If it could mean two people, use the name again.
Method. Replace the noun phrase with a pronoun that matches it.
- Find the words to replace. The noun phrase names the person or thing that the pronoun stands for.The gardeners
- Choose the pronoun. They is the pronoun for more than one person.They
- Write the new sentence. The pronoun takes the place of the noun phrase, and the rest stays the same.They planted seeds in the rows.
- Write the answer. They planted seeds in the rows.
Check. Read the new sentence aloud: it means the same. ✓
Watch out. Keep the rest of the sentence the same.
Method. Find the pronoun, and check which noun it could mean.
- Find the pronoun. He could mean Sam or Ben, so the reader cannot be sure.he
- Use the name. Use the name Ben, so the reader knows who opened the box.Ben
- Write the new sentence. The rest of the sentence stays the same.Sam gave Ben the box, and Ben opened it.
- Write the answer. Sam gave Ben the box, and Ben opened it.
Check. Now the reader knows that Ben opened the box. ✓
Watch out. Other clear rewrites work too, if they name the person who opened it.
Method. Choose the word that fits the grammar and the meaning.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Decide which word the sentence needs.Ruby and Amira went home. ___ were tired after the walk.
- Think about the grammar and the meaning. They is the pronoun before the verb were, and it stands for two people.Ruby and Amira went home. They were tired after the walk.
- Check the other choice. Them comes after a verb or a preposition, so it cannot come before were.Ruby and Amira went home. They were tired after the walk.
- Write the answer. They
Check. Read the whole sentence aloud with They in the gap. ✓
Watch out. Put each choice in the gap and read the sentence aloud.
Watch out
Watch out: use me, him, her, us or them after a verb or a preposition: Mum gave it to us, not Mum gave it to we. Before a verb, use I, he, she, we or they.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Read a short passage together. Ask your child to point to each pronoun and say which noun it stands for. Then ask: could it mean anyone else? If so, use the name.
Exercise 7C Practice: pronouns and clear reference
Method. Replace the noun phrase with a pronoun that matches it.
- Find the words to replace. The noun phrase names the person or thing that the pronoun stands for.Mum and I
- Choose the pronoun. Mum and I are more than one person, including me, so we stands for them.We
- Write the new sentence. The pronoun takes the place of the noun phrase, and the rest stays the same.We are going to the shop.
- Write the answer. We are going to the shop.
Check. Read the new sentence aloud: it means the same. ✓
Watch out. Keep the rest of the sentence the same.
Method. Replace the noun phrase with a pronoun that matches it.
- Find the words to replace. The noun phrase names the person or thing that the pronoun stands for.the parcel
- Choose the pronoun. The parcel is one thing, so it stands for it, after the verb.it
- Write the new sentence. The pronoun takes the place of the noun phrase, and the rest stays the same.Dad opened it.
- Write the answer. Dad opened it.
Check. Read the new sentence aloud: it means the same. ✓
Watch out. Keep the rest of the sentence the same.
Method. Replace the noun phrase with a pronoun that matches it.
- Find the words to replace. The noun phrase names the person or thing that the pronoun stands for.The children
- Choose the pronoun. The children are more than one person, so they stands for them, before the verb.They
- Write the new sentence. The pronoun takes the place of the noun phrase, and the rest stays the same.They washed their hands.
- Write the answer. They washed their hands.
Check. Read the new sentence aloud: it means the same. ✓
Watch out. Keep the rest of the sentence the same.
Method. Replace the noun phrase with a pronoun that matches it.
- Find the words to replace. The noun phrase names the person or thing that the pronoun stands for.Ali and Ben
- Choose the pronoun. Them comes after the verb called, so it is the form used there.them
- Write the new sentence. The pronoun takes the place of the noun phrase, and the rest stays the same.Mum called them.
- Write the answer. Mum called them.
Check. Read the new sentence aloud: it means the same. ✓
Watch out. Keep the rest of the sentence the same.
Method. Choose the word that fits the grammar and the meaning.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Decide which word the sentence needs.___ drew a picture of the sea.
- Think about the grammar and the meaning. Drew is the verb, and the pronoun before it must be the one that does the drawing: she.She drew a picture of the sea.
- Check the other choice. Her and hers do not come before the verb as the doer of the action.She drew a picture of the sea.
- Write the answer. She
Check. Read the whole sentence aloud with She in the gap. ✓
Watch out. Put each choice in the gap and read the sentence aloud.
Method. Find the pronoun that comes after a preposition.
- Look at the place of Sam. Sam comes after to, which is a preposition, so the pronoun is the form used there.to Sam
- Choose the form. Him is used after a preposition; he and his do not fit there.him
- Write the answer. him
Check. Mum gave the book to him. ✓
Watch out. He comes before a verb, and his comes before a noun. Neither comes after to.
Method. Find the pronoun after the verb.
- Find the pronoun. Us comes after the verb help.help us
- Check it. Us stands for the speaker and other people.us
- Write the answer. us
Check. Us comes after a verb. ✓
Method. Find the pronoun that stands for the sandwich.
- Find the noun it stands for. The sandwich is the thing Sam ate.the sandwich
- Find the pronoun. It stands in place of the sandwich.it
- Write the answer. it
Check. It stands for the sandwich. ✓
Method. Find the pronoun after the preposition.
- Find the preposition. At comes before the pronoun.at them
- Find the pronoun. Them stands for more than one person.them
- Write the answer. them
Check. Them comes after a preposition. ✓
Method. Check which pronoun comes before a verb.
- Look at the pronoun. Them comes before the verb went, but it is used only after a verb or a preposition.Them went
- Choose the form. Before a verb, the pronoun for more than one person is they.They went to the park.
- Write the answer. No. Before a verb, use they: They went to the park.
Check. They comes before the verb. ✓
Watch out. Them comes after the verb or the preposition, never before the verb.
Method. Find the pronoun that comes before the verb.
- Find the pronoun. Me comes before the verb went, so it needs the form used before a verb.me
- Change it. Before a verb, the pronoun for the speaker is I.I
- Check the rest. Take Sam away, and the sentence still needs I, not me.I went home.
- Write the answer. Sam and I went home.
Check. Read it aloud: Sam and I went home. ✓
Watch out. Check the pronoun alone: I went home, not me went home.
Method. Find the pronoun, then use the name of the person who smiled.
- Find the pronoun. She could mean Ella or Ruby.she
- Choose the name. Name the person who smiled, so the reader is sure.Ruby
- Write the new sentence. The rest of the sentence stays the same.Ella met Ruby, and Ruby smiled.
- Write the answer. Ella met Ruby, and Ruby smiled.
Check. Now the reader knows who smiled. ✓
Watch out. Other versions work too, if they name the person who smiled.
Method. Name both people first, then use they.
- Name both people. Ali and Mia must come first, so the reader knows who they means.Ali and Mia built a den.
- Use they in the next sentence. They stands for both people, and it comes before the verb hid.They hid inside it.
- Write the answer. Ali and Mia built a den. They hid inside it.
Check. They points clearly to Ali and Mia. ✓
Watch out. The name must come before the pronoun, so that the reader can find who they means.