A pronoun is a word that stands in place of a noun.
Kayden lay down on the bed and in two minutes, he was asleep.
In this example, the pronoun he is used instead of repeating the proper noun Kayden.
It wouldn't sound as good if we said, Kayden lay down on the bed and in two minutes, Kayden was asleep.
Personal Pronouns
He is a personal pronoun.
Personal pronouns are used instead of the names of people or things.
Here are some other personal pronouns:
I
he
she
it
we
you
they
him
her
Look at the sentence below.
My grandparents looked after me and my grandparents made me dinner.
Which personal pronoun could we use to avoid repeating my grandparents in this sentence?
We could use they.
My grandparents looked after me and they made me dinner.
Possessive Pronouns
A possessive pronoun is used when something belongs to someone.
Conor lay down on his bed.
In this example, the pronoun his shows that the bed belongs to Conor.
It would sound strange to say Conor lay down on Conor's bed.
Here are some other possessive pronouns:
my
his
her
its
our
your
their
Can you see the possessive pronouns in the sentences below?
Laura ate her dinner.
The elephant lifted up a branch with its trunk.
The children finished their homework.
In this activity, you'll be on the hunt for personal and possessive pronouns. Good luck.