ALL YOU EVER WANTED TO
KNOW ABOUT….
Personal, Subject, Object, Possessive,
Reflexive, and Indefinite
What is a Pronoun?




A pronoun is a word that is used in place of a noun or
another pronoun.
Like a noun, a pronoun can refer to a person, place, thing,
or idea.
The word that a pronoun refers to is called its antecedent.
For Example:
Maria was lost. She didn’t panic.
She checked the flashlight.
It still worked.
Subject and Object Pronouns L6.1a
Watch the video clip:
https://edpuzzle.com/media/54f602d3cb7a02305a1f731b
With your partner, label the subject and object
pronouns in the following sentences below.
S= Subject O= Object
Sally is more silly than I.
They are in our way.
John will invite you to the birthday party tomorrow.
What is a Possessive Pronoun? L6.1a

A possessive pronoun is a personal pronoun
used to show ownership or relationship.
Singular
my, mine
your, yours
her, hers, his, its
Plural
our, ours
your, yours
their, theirs
To be continued…


The possessive pronouns my, your, her, his, its, our, and
their come before nouns.
For Example:
The dog pricked up its little ears. (ownership)
It saw the boy and heard his loud cry for help. (relationship)
The owner and his best friend came to the rescue. (relationship)
Write a sentence with a possessive
pronoun.

Example
 That
new car is hers.
 Now
you try 
Pronouns can be tricky!!!



Some possessive pronouns sound like
contractions (its/it’s, your/you’re, their/they’re).
Remember, a possessive pronoun never
has an apostrophe.
A contraction, however, always has an
apostrophe.
List of Personal Pronouns…
Subject
Type of
Pronoun
Object
Possessive
Singular
First Person
Second Person
Third Person
I
you
he, she, it
me
you
him, her, it
my, mine
your, yours
his, her, hers, its
Plural
First Person
Second Person
Third Person
we
you
they
us
you
them
our, ours
your, yours
their, theirs
How about a Quick Review?
Directions: With your partner, complete the following
review of pronouns and discuss why you chose the
word to complete each sentence.
Pronouns are used to replace a __________.
Sometimes the pronoun is the _________ of the
sentence. Other times, the pronoun receiving the
action is called the _________ of the sentence.
_____________ pronouns show ownership and some
examples are its, hers, and theirs.
Treasure Hunt…

Use the text to find examples of subject
pronouns, object pronouns, and
possessive pronouns.
Subject Pronouns
Object Pronouns
Possessive Pronouns
What are Reflexive and
Intensive Pronouns? L6.1b
A pronoun that ends in self or selves are reflexive and intensive pronouns
myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, herself, himself, itself, and themselves.
Reflexive Pronouns: a reflexive pronoun refers to the subject and directs the
action of the verb back to the subject.

Reflexive pronouns are necessary to the meaning of a sentence.

For Example:
The Carson family tried to lift themselves out of poverty.
Intensive Pronouns: an intensive pronoun enhances the subject, but it is not
necessary to the meaning of the sentence.
For
Example:
Ben Carson wondered, as he had before, if he himself was smart.
Please watch the following
interactive video.

https://edpuzzle.com/media/54f4d8723dd85d38
2a9ba902
Check for understanding…
Directions:
Identify the reflexive pronoun in each sentence.
 A chameleon can give itself tasty meals of unsuspecting insects.
 I wish I could claim some of its amazing powers for myself.
Identify the intensive pronoun in each sentence.
 Ed Sheeran became an overnight sensation and he himself is the
reason for his success.
 The project was accomplished by we ourselves with no help from our
parents.
Turn and talk: Look at the examples above and tell your elbow partner
the difference between intensive and reflexive pronouns, and make up
your own example sentence using an intensive pronoun.
Recognize Inappropriate Shifts in
Pronoun Number or Person L6.1c

Part 1: Shifts in Person
First

person, 2nd person, 3rd person
Part 2: Shifts in Number
Singular
or plural
Recognizing 1st
Person

Writers or speakers who
use first person speak
directly about themselves
by using the words I, me,
my, mine.
I think I will
start a new
company. I
want something that is
all mine!
Recognizing 1st
Person


Writers or speakers who use
first person speak directly
about them-selves by using
the words I, me, my, mine or
the plural pronouns we, us,
our, ours.
Notice that the speaker is
still talking about himself
even though he is now
including someone else.
We could start our own
company. Then we could
have something that is
truly ours.
Recognizing 2nd
Person


Writers or speakers who use
second person are not
speaking about themselves.
They are writing or
speaking directly to
someone else.
You could start your own
company. Then you could
have something that is truly
yours.
Recognizing 3rd
Person


Writers or speakers who use
third person are neither
speaking about themselves
nor directly to someone else.
They are writing or
speaking about someone or
something else by using
words such as he, him, she,
her, it, its.
Sandra should start
her own business.
What is a shift in person?
A shift in person refers to a mistaken change
in person within a sentence or group of
related sentences.
Example of a Shift in Person


When people get angry,
we sometimes say things
you would not say when
calm.
Do you recognize the
problems?
Example of a Shift in Person




When people get angry,
we sometimes say things
you would not say when
calm.
people = 3rd person
we = 1st person
you = 2nd person
Revised Sentence



When people get angry,
they sometimes say
things they would not say
when calm.
people = 3rd person
they = 3rd person
Another Shift in Person


On reaching the campsite, one must be upset to
discover you must walk another mile for fresh drinking
water.
Can you spot the problem?
Another Shift in Person



On reaching the campsite, one must be upset to
discover you must walk another mile for fresh drinking
water.
one = 3rd person; you = 2nd person
How can you revise it?
Revised Sentence



On reaching the campsite, one must be upset to
discover one must walk another mile for fresh
drinking water.
On reaching the campsite, one must be upset to
discover he or she must walk another mile for fresh
drinking water.
On reaching the campsite, you must be upset to
discover you must walk another mile for fresh
drinking water.
Another Shift in Person


Nick, Lisa, and I took a
close look at the
money, and you could
see that it was fake.
How would you correct
this sentence?
Revised Sentence


Nick, Lisa, and I took a
close look at the money,
and we could see that it
was fake.
What did we do? We
changed the 2nd person
you to first person plural
we. Notice that the
subject (Nick, Lisa, and I)
is first person plural.
Right now the sentence is 3rd person
AND 1st person. Confusing!!!
Rewrite the sentence so there is no
awkward shift in pronoun placement.

The girls were waiting all day for their ride to the mall,
so we finally asked a neighbor to drive us.
Next slide…check your work 
Revised Sentence

The girls were waiting all day for their ride to the
mall, so they finally asked a neighbor to drive them.
 3rd
person plural
Or…

Sally, Jane, and I were waiting all day for our ride to
the mall, so we finally asked a neighbor to drive us.
 1st
person plural
Part 2:
Shifts in Pronoun Number

You may remember from the pronoun chart that
some pronouns are singular and others plural.
One
More than one
Singular and Plural Pronouns
Singular: I, me, my,
mine, she, her, hers
(or he, him, his when
referring to a man
or a boy )
Plural: we, us, our, ours,
they, them, their, theirs
Singular:
it, its
Special Note

Depending on whether one is writing or speaking
to an individual or a group, second person
pronouns (including you, your, yours) can be either
singular or plural.
Would you
like to use my
phone?
Choosing the Right Pronoun


Just as you select pronouns based on the correct
“person,” you must also select them based on
“number.”
Only two types of number exist:
 singular
 plural
What is a shift in number?

Changing from singular to plural or from plural
to singular when referring to the same person or
thing creates a shift in number.
How do I know if I am shifting
number?
Singular
or
plural?


First, you must recognize
the word serving as the
“antecedent” for the
pronoun.
Then you must match the
“number” of the pronoun to
the “number” of the
antecedent.
What is an antecedent?


Although this rule may sound difficult, it is
actually quite simple.
The antecedent is the word that the pronoun
refers to--in other words, the word the pronoun is
renaming.
Example



The car looked brand new although it was
actually sixty years old.
Pronoun: it (singular)
Antecedent: car (singular)
Another Example



These students attend college
during the day, and they work in
a restaurant at night.
Pronoun?
Antecedent?
Another Example



These students attend
college during the day, and
they work in a restaurant at
night.
Pronoun? they (plural)
Antecedent? students
(plural)
A Final Example



The manager was
almost run down as
shoppers hurried past
him toward the meat
department.
Pronoun?
Antecedent?
A Final Example



The manager was
almost run down as
shoppers hurried past
him toward the meat
department.
Pronoun? him
(singular)
Antecedent? manager
(singular)
Example of a Shift in Number



Classes have been cancelled
for today, but it will resume
tomorrow.
Pronoun?
Antecedent?
Example of a Shift in Number




Classes have been cancelled
for today, but it will resume
tomorrow.
Pronoun? it (singular)
Antecedent? Classes (plural)
When pronoun and antecedent
don’t match in number, you
have a “shift in number.”
Revising the Shift



Classes have been cancelled
for today, but they will resume
tomorrow.
Pronoun? they (plural)
Antecedent? Classes (plural)
A Common Cause of Shifts in
Number


Shifts in number often result when a writer tries to
avoid “gender bias.”
“Gender bias” refers to discrimination against
either gender--male or female.
Example of Number Shift to
Avoid Gender Bias



An employee who wishes to take time off during
the holidays should submit their request by
Friday.
their (plural)
employee (singular)
The Result


Although the writer correctly included both
genders, the result was a pronoun error.
The writer could have avoided the error in either
of two ways:
Revision # 1


An employee who wishes to take time off during the
holidays should submit his or her request by Friday.
Both pronoun and antecedent are now singular.
Caution


This solution works well as long as the writer does not
need to use “his or her” repeatedly.
Such repetition would result in awkward sentences.
his or her
Revision # 2


Employees who wish to take time off during the
holidays should submit their requests by Friday.
By using a plural pronoun and plural antecedent,
writers can avoid both the pronoun error and the
potentially awkward sentences using “his or her.”
Can you spot the shift in
number?

Both snakes hissed, and one flicked their tongue.
The Shift in Number Revised

Both snakes hissed, and one flicked its tongue.
Collective Nouns

Collective nouns represent a
group and are usually
considered singular.
committee
flock
Example



Incorrect: The jury
deliberated two weeks
before giving their verdict to
the judge.
Correct: The jury deliberated
two weeks before giving its
verdict to the judge.
The jury acts as a single unit.
Another Example


Incorrect: A family offers
their members both
physical and emotional
support.
Correct: A family offers
its members both physical
and emotional support.
A Third Example


Incorrect: The orchestra gave their summer concert
on the Fourth of July.
Correct: The orchestra gave its summer concert on
the Fourth of July.
Think of an appropriate pronoun.



The committee will soon make _____
recommendations.
The team will play for the championship if ____
can win one more game.
After touring Gilcrease Museum, the class loaded
into _____ school bus.
The Answers



The committee will soon make its recommendations.
The team will play for the championship if it can
win one more game.
After touring Gilcrease Museum, the class loaded
into its school bus.
Ready for a challenge?
Indefinite Pronouns

When writing, you must also pay particular
attention to indefinite pronouns, such as the
following, when they serve as antecedents:

anyone, everyone, someone, no one
anybody, everybody, somebody, nobody
 either, neither
 each of, either of, neither of, one of, every one of,

Singular or Plural?


Indefinite pronouns are normally considered
singular.
Therefore, when they serve as antecedents, the
pronouns that follow them should be singular.
Example




Incorrect: Neither of the boys
has opened their gift yet.
Correct: Neither of the boys has
opened his gift yet.
In this sentence, we are looking at
the boys as individuals.
Each boy has received his own
gift and will open it himself.
Another Example



Incorrect: Everyone has their
own opinion.
Correct: Everyone has his or
her own opinion.
Again, each person is looked
at as an individual.
Think of an appropriate pronoun.




Someone left _____ purse in the shopping cart.
Each of the houses has a hot tub in _________
master bathroom.
Everyone is entitled to ______ own opinion.
Neither of the actors had memorized ____ lines yet.
The Answers




Someone left her purse in the shopping cart.
Each of the houses has a hot tub in its master
bathroom.
Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion.
Neither of the actors had memorized his lines yet.
REMEMBER-
Pronouns and antecedents must agree in person
and number.
Some of the Rules



Use 1st person pronouns when writing or
speaking about yourself.
Use 2nd person pronouns when talking or
speaking directly to another person or group.
Use 3rd person when talking or speaking about
another person, object, or group.
The Remaining Rules


Use singular pronouns when the antecedent is
singular. (Remember that indefinite pronouns and
collective nouns are nearly always singular.)
Use plural pronouns when the antecedent is
plural.
Check for understanding:
Watch interactive Edpuzzle video about
pronoun shifts
Recognize and Correct Vague Pronouns
with Unclear Antecedents L6.1d
Rule:

It must be clear to the reader what noun
(antecedent) the pronoun is referring to in a
sentence.
Background Information
Ambiguous reference
Avoid ambiguous reference. A pronoun refers to the
nearest noun, even though the nearest noun may not
be the real antecedent.
Examples



Oscar told Arnold that he’d bought the wrong book.
(Which guy purchased the wrong book?)
Cindy was going to pick up the baby, but then she
fell asleep. (Who fell asleep?)
I was very busy last week; it is better this week.
(What is it?)
Vague = Unclear…up in the air…
Avoid vague reference. This occurs when a pronoun refers to a general idea or thing
instead of a specific noun.
Vague : Remove the wrappers from the boxes and
then discard them.
(Discard the boxes of the wrappers?)
Clear : Discard the wrappers after you remove them
from the boxes
Vague vs. Clear
Vague: They say
more rain is on
the way.
(Who is/are
they?)
Clear: The weather
bureau says
more rain is on
the way
Vague vs. Clear
Now you try. With a partner, restate this sentence with
the vague pronoun, so the reader is clear who “it” is.
Vague: Last week I
had three tests
and a book
report due. It was
much better this
week.
(what is it?)
Clear: Last week I
had three tests
and a book
report due. My
schedule was
much better this
week.
Practice
Rewrite each sentence correcting the ambiguous or vague pronoun reference.
1.
When Eric spoke to his girlfriend’s father, he was very polite.
2.
Remove the door from the frame and paint it.
3.
Take the socks off your feet and wash them.
4.
Albert told Oscar he’d bought the wrong book.
5.
Cindy was going to pick up the baby, but then she fell
asleep.
Almost Done
Performance Tasks…
Select one of the following performance tasks to complete. The performance
task must highlight subject pronoun, object pronoun, possessive, reflexive, and
indefinite pronouns. If you have your own idea, present it to your teacher for
approval. Creativity is unlimited!!!

Create a picture storybook on the types of pronouns.

Create an assessment on pronouns. Your assessment must have various
types of questions (multiple choice, essay, fill in the blank, etc.)

Create a cartoon, monologue, play, poem, or rap about the types of
pronouns.

Create a study guide about the types of pronouns.
Pronouns in your writing




Using your teacher’s writing prompt, write a 10
minute story.
Trade papers with a partner.
Highlight ALL of your partner’s pronouns. How
many did he or she use?
Was your partner able to:
 Use
clear pronouns?
 Use correct person (point of view) and number (singular
or plural)?