He and she stand in for one person
When you have already named a person, you can use a pronoun the next time.
- he for one boy or one man
- she for one girl or one woman
“Leo built a fort. He used every blanket in the house.”
“My teacher was late. She missed the bus.”
It works for any word that names a person
The naming word does not have to be somebody’s name.
| Naming word | Pronoun |
|---|---|
| Ava | she |
| my brother | he |
| the baker | he or she |
| Mrs. Cruz | she |
Look at “the baker”. That word does not tell you which one to use. You need to know something about the person before you can choose.
Name the person first
A pronoun only works if the reader already knows who you mean.
Starting a story with “He shouted my name.” leaves everybody guessing. Who shouted?
Name the person first, then switch to the pronoun.
“Ben shouted my name. He waved from the gate.”
Now the reader knows. That is the whole reason the order matters.
A mistake to watch for
When two people are in a story, a pronoun can get confusing.
“Leo told Ben that he lost the ball.”
Who lost it? Leo or Ben? Nobody can tell. When that happens, use the name instead of the pronoun.
“Leo told Ben that Ben lost the ball.”
Your turn
Which pronoun fits?
- “Ava painted a picture. ____ used blue paint.”
- “My uncle called. ____ is coming on Sunday.”
- “Mrs. Cruz opened the door. ____ let us in.”
Check your answers
- “She used blue paint.”
- “He is coming on Sunday.”
- “She let us in.”
Remember
- He stands in for one boy or man.
- She stands in for one girl or woman.
- Name the person before you use the pronoun.