He, she, it, and they: what you learned
| Pronoun | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| he | one boy or man | Ben waved. He grinned. |
| she | one girl or woman | Ava sang. She smiled. |
| it | one animal or thing | The kite flew. It went high. |
| they | more than one | The ducks swam. They dove. |
How to choose
- Find the naming word the pronoun stands in for.
- Count. More than one means they.
- One person means he or she.
- One animal or thing means it.
Three things to keep straight
| What people write | What is right |
|---|---|
| The ducks flew. He went south. | They went south. Count the naming word first. |
| My brother came home. It was hungry. | He was hungry. People never take it. |
| He shouted my name. (first line of a story) | Name the person first, then use the pronoun. |
Keeping the reader with you
A pronoun only works if the reader knows who it stands for. “Leo told Ben that he lost the ball.” leaves everybody guessing. When two people are in a sentence, use the name instead.
Quick warm-up before the check
Which pronoun fits?
- “Ava painted a picture. ____ used blue paint.”
- “The soup is hot. ____ needs to cool down.”
- “Ben and Ava rode bikes. ____ went fast.”
Answers
- “She”
- “It”
- “They”
Now take the final check below.
Where to go next
- Possessive Pronouns: my and your and his and her
- Using I and Me: the two pronouns for yourself
- Verbs That Tell About Now: matching the verb to he and she and they
- Naming Parts of Sentences: the slot these pronouns fill