Grade 5 English Pronouns – Personal Pronouns Notes
English — Pronouns
Subtopic: Personal Pronouns (for age 10)
Personal pronouns are small words that take the place of people, animals or things. They help us avoid repeating names.
Subject Pronouns
I, you, he, she, it, we, they
I, you, he, she, it, we, they
Object Pronouns
me, you, him, her, it, us, them
me, you, him, her, it, us, them
Possessive Adjectives
my, your, his, her, its, our, their
my, your, his, her, its, our, their
Possessive Pronouns
mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
How to use them (simple rules)
- Subject pronouns are the doers: "She walks to school."
- Object pronouns receive the action: "The teacher called him."
- Possessive adjectives come before nouns to show ownership: "This is my book."
- Possessive pronouns replace the whole thing that belongs to someone: "That book is mine."
Examples using Kenyan context
- James lives in Nairobi. He goes to school by matatu. (matatu = small bus)
- My sister is in Kisumu. I visit her in the holidays.
- The ball is on the pitch. It is round.
- Sana and I finished our homework. We handed it to the teacher.
- These are the neighbours' goats. The goats are theirs.
Useful matching chart
| Person | Subject | Object | Possessive (before noun) | Possessive (stand-alone) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | I | me | my | mine |
| 2nd singular/plural | you | you | your | yours |
| 3rd singular (male) | he | him | his | his |
| 3rd singular (female) | she | her | her | hers |
| 3rd singular (thing/animal) | it | it | its | — |
| Plural | we / they | us / them | our / their | ours / theirs |
Short activities
- Fill in the correct pronoun:
- Amira is from Mombasa. ____ is friendly.
- The teacher called John and me. The teacher called ____.
- These pencils belong to us. They are ____.
- Where is the mat? I can’t find ____.
- Sara and Wanjiru are here. ____ are ready for the game.
Answers:
- She
- us (or "John and me" — object pronoun: us)
- ours
- it
- They (or "We" if you include yourself — but here "They" because it talks about Sara and Wanjiru)
Tips to remember
- Use a subject pronoun when someone is doing the action. (Who does it?)
- Use an object pronoun after a verb or a preposition. (I saw him.)
- Use possessive adjectives before a noun. (my book, your bag)
- Use possessive pronouns to replace the whole noun phrase. (That book is mine.)
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Practice these in your daily talk — at home, in class, or while playing with friends!