Pronouns
You learn to find the pronoun: the short word that takes the place of a noun.
How to do the test
- Look for a short word that stands in for a person or thing.
- Swap in a name.
- If the sentence still works, it is a pronoun.
A worked example
Tap the pronoun. She hid under the table.
- A pronoun takes the place of a noun.
- Swap in Mia: Mia hid under the table.
- The sentence still makes sense, so she stands in for Mia.
- She is the pronoun.
More examples
Tap the pronoun. Tom called them.
- A pronoun takes the place of a noun.
- Swap in the twins: Tom called the twins.
- The sentence still makes sense, so them stands in for the twins.
- Them is the pronoun.
Tap the pronoun. I loved pizza.
- A pronoun takes the place of a noun.
- Swap in Ben: Ben loved pizza.
- The sentence still makes sense, so i stands in for Ben.
- I is the pronoun.
Watch out
You tap a noun, like Dad or table, because it names a person or thing.
A noun names the person or thing. A pronoun stands in for it. Swap in a name: Dad is already a name, so it is a noun.
Tips
- I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him, her, us and them are the personal pronouns.
Why it works
Pronouns save us from repeating names. When you swap in a name for the word and the sentence still works, the word was a pronoun.