You will learn
- Say what a pronoun is.
- Use he, she, it, they, I and we.
- Replace a noun with a pronoun.
- Choose the right pronoun.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- A pronoun takes the place of a noun.
- He is for a boy, she is for a girl.
- It is for a thing or animal.
- They is for more than one.
Words to know
a word that takes the place of a noun
used for a boy or man
used for a girl or woman
used for more than one
1. Discover: Ama and Kofi
Ama says, “Kofi is my friend. Kofi likes to play. Kofi has a ball.” The teacher says, “You said Kofi three times! Try: Kofi is my friend. He likes to play. He has a ball.”
Think: Which word took the place of Kofi?
2. Understand: Pronouns
Idea 1: What is a pronoun?
A pronoun takes the place of a noun: he, she, it, they, I, we, you.
Idea 2: Which one?
He = a boy or man. She = a girl or woman. It = a thing or animal. They = more than one.
Idea 3: Why use them
Pronouns stop us from repeating the same name again and again.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Replace
Kofi likes to play. Kofi has a ball.
- Replace the second Kofi.
- Use he.
Answer: He has a ball.
Example 2 (We do it together): Choose
Ama is happy. ___ is smiling.
- Ama is a girl.
- Use she.
Answer: She
Example 3 (You try): Choose
The children run. ___ are fast.
Show the steps and answer
- More than one.
- Use they.
Answer: They
Did you know?
I is always written as a capital letter, even in the middle of a sentence.
Why this matters
Pronouns make writing and speaking smoother and easier to read.
4. Explore: Pronoun swap
Swap names for pronouns.
- Read a sentence with names repeated.
- Replace one name with a pronoun.
- Read the sentence aloud.
- Check it sounds right.
Think about it: what did you notice?
Pronouns stop us repeating names.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- ___ is a boy. ___ likes ___.
- ___ is a girl. ___ likes ___.
- ___ are friends.
- The pronoun is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Replace the second Kofi.
He
Question 2. Ama is happy. ___ is smiling.
She
Question 3. The children run. ___ are fast.
They
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- A pronoun takes the place of a ___.
- Kofi is a boy. ___ is tall.
- Ama is a girl. ___ is kind.
- The ball is red. ___ is round.
- Ama and Kofi play. ___ are friends.
Level 2: Grow
- Replace Ayo: Ayo runs. Ayo jumps.
- ___ am happy. (I/he)
- ___ are going to school. (We/he)
Level 3: Stretch
- Write two sentences using a pronoun.
- Why do we use pronouns?
- Ama says she for a boy. Is she right?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Say two sentences about a friend using a pronoun.
Show a sample answer
Ben is my friend. He likes football.
Another one. Rewrite a sentence by changing a name to a pronoun.
Show a sample answer
Ama has a cat. She loves it.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Use she for a girl.
Fix: Use a pronoun.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what a pronoun is.
- I can use he, she, it, they, I and we.
- I can replace a noun with a pronoun.
- I can choose the right pronoun.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- A pronoun takes the place of a noun.
- He, she, it, they, I, we.
- Use the right one.
- Do not repeat names.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Describing words. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is a pronoun? [1 mark]
- Name three pronouns. [2 marks]
- Replace the noun: Kofi has a ball. Kofi likes it. [1 mark]
- Which pronoun is for a girl? [1 mark]
- Explain why we use pronouns. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- a word that takes the place of a noun [1]
- three valid pronouns [2]
- He likes it [1]
- she [1]
- to avoid repeating nouns [1]; to make writing smooth [1]; example [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Kofi is a boy. ___ is tall.
- Ama is a girl. ___ is kind.
- The ball is red. ___ is round.
- Ama and Kofi play. ___ are friends.
- ___ am happy.
- ___ are going to school.
- A pronoun takes the place of a ___.
- True or false: she is for a boy.
- Write a sentence with he.
- Write a sentence with they.
Homework
Write four sentences about friends using he, she and they.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kofi is a boy. ___ is tall. | He | 1 |
| 2. Ama is a girl. ___ is kind. | She | 1 |
| 3. The ball is red. ___ is round. | It | 1 |
| 4. Ama and Kofi play. ___ are friends. | They | 1 |
| 5. ___ am happy. | I | 1 |
| 6. ___ are going to school. | We | 1 |
| 7. A pronoun takes the place of a ___. | noun | 1 |
| 8. True or false: she is for a boy. | false | 1 |
| 9. Write a sentence with he. | a valid sentence | 1 |
| 10. Write a sentence with they. | a valid sentence | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 noun; 2 He; 3 She; 4 It; 5 They. Level 2: 1 He jumps; 2 I; 3 We. Level 3: 1 two valid sentences; 2 so we do not repeat names; 3 no, he is for a boy.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what a pronoun is | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Use he, she, it, they, I and we | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Replace a noun with a pronoun | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Choose the right pronoun | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Using he for a girl. Use she for a girl.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use pictures with boy, girl, thing, group.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns to use words like he, she and they instead of names. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Notice pronouns in books.
- Ask: who is he?
- Praise smooth sentences.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what a pronoun is; use he, she, it, they, I and we; replace a noun with a pronoun; choose the right pronoun.
Prerequisite knowledge. Action words.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Say repeated-name sentences and ask how to improve.
Explanation (10 min). Teach he, she, it, they, I, we.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise pronoun swap.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners share their sentences.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Who is it? Which pronoun fits?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures for each pronoun. Extension. Use his, her and their.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Using he for a girl. Use she for a girl.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use pictures with boy, girl, thing, group. Enrichment. Write a paragraph using at least five pronouns. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 1 » Language. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core L.1.1.d (use personal, possessive, and indefinite pronouns); Education Endowment Foundation Improving Literacy in Key Stage 1 guidance (grammar and sentence writing); Cambridge Primary English Stage 1 (grammar). These sources informed the lesson.