Pronouns Notes, Quizzes & Revision

What is a pronoun?

A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun to avoid repetition and make sentences shorter and clearer.

Main types of pronouns (with simple Kenyan examples)

• Personal pronouns — refer to people/things (subject/object).
  I, you, he, she, it, we, they
  Examples: John is here. He is here. — John ana hapa. Yeye ana hapa.
• Possessive pronouns / adjectives — show ownership.
  my/mine, your/yours, his, her/hers, its, our/ours, their/theirs
  Example: This is my exercise book. — Hiki ni kitabu changu.
• Demonstrative pronouns — point to things.
  this, that, these, those
  Example: Those matatus are full. — Sisi hatuna nafasi kwa matatu hizo.
• Reflexive pronouns — when subject and object are same.
  myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
  Example: Wanjiru made herself a sandwich. — Wanjiru alijitengenezea sandwich.
• Relative pronouns — join clauses.
  who, whom, whose, which, that
  Example: The teacher who teaches us is kind. — Mwalimu anayetufundisha ni mwema.
• Interrogative pronouns — used in questions.
  who, whom, which, what, whose
  Example: Who left the umbrella? — Nani aliweka mwavuli?
• Indefinite pronouns — refer to non-specific people or things.
  someone, anyone, everyone, something, nothing, etc.
  Example: Someone stole the mangoes. — Kuna mtu aliiba maembe.

Quick grammar rules

• Pronoun must agree with its noun in number (singular/plural): The student → He/She; The students → They.
• Use object pronouns after verbs/prepositions: Give it to me / She called him.
• Possessive adjective (my) goes before a noun; possessive pronoun (mine) stands alone: my book vs the book is mine.
• Its (possessive) ≠ It's (contraction of it is). Example: Its cover is torn. It's torn.
• Reflexive pronouns are used when doer = receiver: He dressed himself.

Practice: short exercises (for age_replace)

1. Replace the noun with a pronoun:
   1. Fatuma found Fatuma's pen. → ___________________
2. Choose the correct pronoun:
   2. (He / Him) and I went to the market.
3. Fill the blank with a demonstrative:
   3. _______ mangoes on the table are sweet. (near / far)
4. Identify the type of pronoun:
   4. "Who" in "Who is at the door?" → __________

Common mistakes to watch (useful in Kenyan classrooms)

• Using object pronoun as subject: wrong → "Him is here." Correct → "He is here."
• Confusing its and it's: remember its = belonging to it; it's = it is / it has.
• Mixing singular/plural: "The team said they are ready" is common—check whether you treat collective as singular or plural depending on meaning.
• For mixed-gender groups, use they/them to avoid awkwardness.

Short classroom mini-tasks (1–5 minutes)

• Quick swap: Students point to an object and say a sentence using a demonstrative: "This is my pencil."
• Pair work: One student names an object/person, the partner replies using a pronoun: "Aisha is late." → "She is late."
• Spot the error: Write 3 sentences on the board with one pronoun mistake; learners correct them.