English Grammar Pronoun For Class 1
Nouns and pronouns are an integral part of English grammar. Children learn the basic concepts in the primary classes and the advanced concepts in the higher classes. In this article, we focus on understanding the definition, rules and types of pronouns with examples. Class 1 students can practice English grammar pronouns using the concepts given here.
Pronoun
Before understanding the definition of pronoun, read the sentences below-
Rita is an intelligent girl.
Rita studies very hard.
Rita’s brother’s name is Ram.
Rita loves Rita’s brother very much.
Didn’t you find these sentences irksome? The word ‘Rita’ is used repetitively in all the sentences, making it sound inappropriate.
Now read the below sentences-
Rita is an intelligent girl.
She studies very hard.
Her brother’s name is Ram.
She loves her brother very much.
The sentences now sound meaningful! What did we do to make them appropriate? Yes, we changed a few words, i.e. replaced the proper noun, Rita, with the words she and her. These new words are pronouns.
In simple terms, the words used in place of nouns are called pronouns. They represent the nouns they replace and legibly convey information about them. The main advantage of pronouns is that they eliminate the use of repetitive nouns in a sentence or a paragraph. They enhance the writing and reading experience (as they did for us in the above sentences).
Pronouns for Children - Examples:
For self - I, me, my, we, us, our
For girls, women - she, her
For boys, men - he, him, his
For other persons - you, your, they, them, their
For other nouns (animals, places, things) - it
Let us practice English grammar pronouns with a few more examples (by replacing nouns with pronouns) -
Ram is talking to Tina.
He is talking to her.
Lucy and I are best friends.
We are best friends.
The cat has sharp claws.
It has sharp claws.
John and Jane are going for a picnic.
They are going for a picnic.
David got a new bicycle.
David is riding the bicycle.
David got a new bicycle. He is riding it.
I went to India Gate. India Gate is in New Delhi.
I went to India Gate. It is in New Delhi.
Let us now understand the rules and types of pronouns.
Types of Pronouns
The broad classification of pronouns is as follows:
Subject Pronouns - Pronouns that are a subject in a sentence (e.g. he, she, it, we, they).
Object Pronouns - Pronouns used as an object in a sentence (e.g. me, us, him, her, it, them).
Possessive Pronouns - Pronouns that tell about the ownership of nouns in a sentence (e.g. my, their, his, her).
The following are a few more types of pronouns -
Personal Pronouns
The words used to replace the name of persons, animals or things are called personal pronouns. We have already mentioned pronouns used for self, girls, boys, men, women, and animals. All these are personal pronouns. Let us know them more-
1st Person (speaker)
Singular - I, Me, My
Plural - We, Us, Our
2nd Person (speaking to)
Singular and Plural - You, Your
3rd Person (spoken about)
Singular - He, She, It, Her, His, Him
Plural - They, Them, Their
Examples -
I am going to the market.
They will come tomorrow.
She is not happy with the result.
He has not called him.
Their house is big.
His aunt is a teacher.
Your dress is so pretty.
It is our dog.
All the underlined words are personal pronouns, as they replace the nouns used for persons or things.
Possessive Pronouns
Since pronouns are words used in the place of nouns, let us first define possessive nouns.
Nouns that show the possession or ownership of persons or things are called possessive nouns, i.e. something belongs to someone. We put an apostrophe and an ‘s’ to show the ownership or possession.
For example:
It is Linda’s book.
This sentence tells about the possession of the book, i.e. this book belongs to Linda.
To form a possessive pronoun, replace the nouns, book and Linda, with pronouns. So, we can write:
It is her book.
To use a possessive pronoun, we replace her with hers. So, we can write:
The book is hers.
Likewise, we can rewrite: This is my pen as The pen is mine.
Thus, possessive pronouns are the words that show the possession or ownership of persons or things using pronouns. Let us consider a few more examples-
It is my toy.
The toy is mine.
These are my paintbrushes. Where are your paintbrushes?
These paintbrushes are mine. Where are yours?
Reflexive Pronouns
These are pronouns that refer back to the subject of the sentence. We use these pronouns when the subject and the object of a verb refer to the same noun.
For example:
I completed the task all by myself.
John blamed himself for the loss.
The Clarks cannot look after themselves.
She bought the flowers for herself.
Indefinite Pronouns
Pronouns that replace an indefinite noun (with no fixed name or number) are indefinite pronouns.
For example:
Everyone applauded the team.
A few students have not enrolled for the entrance exam.
I have some work to do in the morning.
Nobody knows the struggles of others.
Interrogative Pronouns
Pronouns that ask questions are interrogative pronouns. The sentences always end with a question mark (?).
For example:
Which one is your bag?
Whose book is this?
To whom did you give the envelope?
What is inside the box?
Relative Pronouns
Pronouns that connect two relative statements or clauses to provide additional information are relative pronouns.
For Example:
The boy who is standing at the door is my cousin.
The letter that you gave me is in my cupboard.
Please recommend a cafe which serves excellent coffee.
Demonstrative Pronouns
Pronouns that describe or point out a particular noun or more than one noun are demonstrative pronouns.
For Example:
This house belongs to us.
That boy always makes fun of others.
These potatoes are stale.
Those are my books.
Class 1 children can practise more questions on English grammar pronouns and their types from free kindergarten worksheets available online.
Rules of Pronouns
- A personal pronoun must agree with the noun it replaces. It must provide information on the maiden noun.
For Example:
My friend and I are studying together. We are preparing for our final exams.
The pronoun we in the second sentence provides information about the noun it replaces, i.e. my friend and I.
- An adjective always gets placed after a pronoun (followed by a verb) and never before. So, we always write -
She is beautiful (pronoun - verb - adjective).
- Unlike possessive nouns, possessive pronouns do not have an apostrophe. Hence, pronouns hers, ours, yours, theirs do not have an apostrophe and an ‘s’.
- Singular subject pronouns have plural verbs.
For example - she sings, he reads, etc.
The exception to this rule is the pronouns I and You.
For example - I sing, you read, etc.
Plural subject pronouns have singular verbs.
For example - they cook, we play, etc.
Final Words
Pronouns are the words that replace the nouns in a sentence or a paragraph to avoid repetitions. They get used when the reader or the listener knows the nouns referred to (mentioned once in the sentence). Pronouns make sentences easy to read and write and more meaningful. They provide more information about the nouns getting replaced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are pronouns called the building blocks of a sentence?
Pronouns are the building blocks of a sentence as they act like nouns and help give all the information about them concisely. They can replace the subjects and objects in a sentence to make it more crisp and meaningful.
Is my a pronoun?
Pronoun my shows possession of something by self (my house, my brother, my car, etc.). Hence, these are possessive determiners used as pronouns. Some other examples of such pronouns are his, her, your, and their. The possessive pronouns of these determiners are mine, his, hers, yours and theirs, respectively.
Can one pronoun be used in different forms?
Yes, many pronouns change forms when used in different places in a sentence or for conveying information in a different context. To give an example, we can use the pronoun her, in the following ways -
As a possessive pronoun - Her car needs repair.
As an object pronoun - I will talk to her.
Which one is correct - he and me, him and I, or he and I?
He and Me - Incorrect, as when referring to self as subject, we use I and not me (an object pronoun).
Him and I - Incorrect, as when referring to a third person as subject, we use the pronoun he and not him (an object pronoun).
He and I - Correct, as both the pronouns are subjects.
How to make Class 1 students practice English grammar pronouns?
- Download free PDF worksheets of CBSE Class 1 English Grammar Pronouns.
- Free kindergarten worksheets on pronouns are also available on educational websites.
- Refer to Grade 1 Grammar Lesson 11 Pronouns available online.
- Study Class 1 English grammar chapter on pronouns from NCERT books.
