Grammar for Everyone - Barbara Dykes 2007

Demonstrative pronouns
Introduction
Part II The parts of speech

As the name suggests, demonstrative pronouns demonstrate or point out ’which one’ of a number. There are just four obvious ones:

Remember, as the pronoun takes the place of a noun, the noun is not mentioned.

A pronoun - This is scrumptious.

Not a pronoun - This eclair is scrumptious.

In the second sentence this is an adjective qualifying (telling more about) the noun ’eclair’. (See adjectives on page 53.)

Note: the words one and such can also be used as pronouns taking the place of nouns.

For example:

One can search for gemstones.

Such is life.

I found one.

He told me such.

2.1 Activities: pronouns

1. Students rewrite sentences replacing the nouns with suitable pronouns.

2. Students in pairs attempt to have a conversation without using any pronouns. Suggest subjects, such as:

a. What you did yesterday ...

b. A teacher reprimanding a student for a bad piece of work ...

3. Students are given cloze sentences with a choice of pronouns for filling the gaps.

a. Who drove the car? David drove (them, it, his, we)

b. Who gave Lucy the chewing gum? did. (him, those, he, this)

c. We saw ... at the show. (I, they, him, us)

d. David bought ... ice-creams. (he, they, us, this)

e. Jenny was at the show. Did ... see ... (them, her, we, you)

4. Students make example sentences using pronouns correctly, orally, on the board or in their grammar exercise books.

5. Choose pronouns to fill in the blanks.

a. Michael gave ... some of ...

b ... really enjoyed ...

c ... were ripe and juicy.

d. So ... gave ... to Bella.

e ... enjoyed it too.

f ... said ... was the best ... had ever had.

g. Shall ... go and get more of ...?

h. Yes ... is a good idea.

i. Let ... go now.

j ... can take this basket to carry ...

6. Students draw a flowchart for pronouns showing personal pronouns and demonstrative pronouns. Further categories can be added as they are learnt.

Checklist: pronoun

Students should now be able to:

• give the meaning of the word ’pronoun’

• define the word pronoun - what is a pronoun? (with emphasis on the point that a pronoun takes the place of a noun, so the noun is not mentioned)

• explain why we have pronouns in our language

• pick out or mark the nouns in a given passage

• replace nouns with pronouns in a given passage