What is a pronoun? | Year 4 English PDF Download

Understanding Pronouns

• A pronoun serves as a replacement for a noun in a sentence. Nouns are words that indicate objects, places, or people.
• Pronouns are concise words like 'it', 'she', 'he', 'you', 'we', 'they', 'us', and 'them'.
• They are utilized to refer to individuals or groups without repeating their names, enhancing sentence clarity.
• Without pronouns, sentences can become cumbersome and repetitive. For instance:
• "Tom went upstairs to the bedroom. Tom opened the door and Tom sat on the bed."
• This repetition can be avoided by using pronouns effectively.

Function of Pronouns

• Pronouns replace nouns to prevent redundancy and maintain fluidity in communication.
• They aid in avoiding monotony in language and enhance the readability of sentences.

Types of Pronouns

• Personal Pronouns: Refer to specific people or things (e.g., he, she, it).
• Possessive Pronouns: Indicate possession (e.g., his, her, its).
• Reflexive Pronouns: Reflect the action of the subject back to itself (e.g., myself, yourself).
• Demonstrative Pronouns: Point to specific things (e.g., this, that).

Benefits of Pronouns

• Pronouns facilitate smoother communication by eliminating repetitive use of nouns.
• They enhance sentence structure and overall readability.

Personal Pronouns

• I: Used to refer to oneself
• She: Refers to a female person
• He: Refers to a male person
• You: Refers to the person being spoken to
• We: Refers to a group including oneself
• Us: Refers to a group excluding oneself
• Them: Refers to a group of people

Personal pronouns are small words that replace names. For instance, instead of saying "Anita charged towards the dragon," you can say "She charged towards the dragon," replacing 'Anita' with 'she'.

Possessive Pronouns

• Mine: Shows ownership
• Ours: Shows ownership by a group
• Yours: Shows ownership to the person being spoken to
• His-Hers: Shows ownership by a male or female respectively
• Theirs: Shows ownership by a group

Possessive pronouns indicate possession. For example, instead of saying "That hat is Ben’s," you can say "That hat is his," replacing 'Ben’s' with 'his'.