Grammar · Lesson 2

Subject pronouns

Pronouns let us speak quickly without repeating names. Notice who is speaking, who is listening, and who we are talking about.

≈ 35–45 minI / you / he / she / itnoticing + tile drill

NoticeLook at meaning before naming the rule.

DiscoverBuild the pattern from examples.

DrillRepeat with quick feedback.

UsePersonalize in short exchanges.

What is a pronoun?

A pronoun is a small word that takes the place of a name or a thing.

We use pronouns so we do not say the same name again and again.

Subject pronouns tell us who does the action, or who the sentence is about.

Before and after

Maria is my sister. Maria is from Mexico.
Maria is my sister. She is from Mexico. (She = my sister Maria)
Tom is my brother. Tom is happy.
Tom is my brother. He is happy. (He = my brother Tom)
The book is blue. The book is new.
The book is blue. It is new. (It = the book)

The second sentence is shorter and sounds more natural. The pronoun points back to the name.

Name or noun	Pronoun
my sister, Maria	she
my brother, Tom	he
my sister and brother	they
the book	it
you and I	we

Quick practice: replace the name

Tap the gap, then choose the pronoun that replaces the name

1Maria is my sister and a student. is from Mexico.

2Tom is my brother and my friend. is happy.

3The book is blue. is new.

4Maria and Tom are here. are my friends.

Notice the people

Read the mini-dialogue. Before explaining anything, point to the speaker, the listener, and the people being talked about.

Guided noticing

Ana: I’m Ana. You’re Leo. Maria is my coworker. She’s from Mexico. Tom is our manager. He’s in a meeting. We’re new employees.

Who says I?
Who is you?
Which words replace names?

The pattern

Pronoun	Meaning	Quick example
I	me, the speaker	I am a student.
you	the listener, one or many people	You are my teacher.
he	one person who uses he	Tom is my brother. He is a chef.
she	one person who uses she	Ana is my sister. She is a doctor.
it	one thing, place, situation, or animal when no personal pronoun is known	The phone is new. It is fast.
we	me + one or more people	We are classmates.
they	two or more; also one person when we do not know or need to say gender, or when the person uses they	My friends are here. They are early. · Someone called. They want a callback.

They can mean more than one person or one person. We still say they are and they want: A new client is here. They are waiting.

Sound natural: say the pronoun and verb as one piece

In a normal sentence, the pronoun is short and the new information is clear.

sentence	natural rhythm
She is a doctor.	She’s a DOCtor.
He is at work.	He’s at WORK.
They are from Brazil.	They’re from BraZIL.

Make the pronoun strong when you correct who: SHE is the doctor, not HE. Remember that you can mean one listener or many listeners; the situation tells us which meaning it has.

Memory move

Point to yourself for I, to your listener for you, and to other people for he, she, or they.
Notice the meaning first. Then name the pronoun.
Practice he / she / they with the names of real people you know.

Quick practice: choose the pronoun

1Ana, my sister → is from Mexico.

2Tom, my brother → is a student.

3A book → is blue.

4Ana and Tom → are friends.

Tile game: match the meaning

Click a pronoun tile, then click the matching meaning slot.

Build it and drill it

Now use the pronouns in real, everyday sentences. Each task gives quick feedback.

Drill: choose the right pronoun

Tap a gap, then choose the pronoun that fits the people or thing

1Sara is my sister and works in Berlin. is an engineer.

2Mr. Diaz is my manager. is in a meeting.

3This is my new phone. is very fast.

4My parents live in Italy. are retired.

5My wife and I cook together. make dinner at seven.

6I am speaking to Daniel. are a great teacher.

7A new client is here, but I do not know the person’s name or gender. are waiting in reception.

Sentence builder: put the words in order

Tap the words in order to make a correct sentence

Sentence builder: one more

Tap the words in order to make a correct sentence

Spot the mistake

Each sentence has one wrong word. Tap the word that is wrong.

Sentence 1

My sister she is a nurse.

Sentence 2

The book is heavy. He is old.

Sentence 3

Maria and Tom are here. We are my friends.

Say it aloud

Say each sentence with the correct pronoun, then reveal to check.

Name to pronoun

Say your sentence first, then tap reveal

Carlos, my uncle→ ___ is a chef.

He is a chef.

My mother→ ___ is kind.

She is kind.

The dogs→ ___ are hungry.

They are hungry.

My team and I→ ___ work hard.

We work hard.

Quick check

Choose the correct pronoun

1. Anna is my sister and my friend. ___ is from Spain.

2. Look at the car. ___ is fast.

3. My brother and I are tall. ___ play basketball.

4. These are my keys. ___ are on the table.

5. A caller left a message, but you do not know the caller’s name or gender. Which sentence is best?

Play and practice

Games and a short reading that recycle this lesson. Use them as a warm-up, a fast finisher, or homework. Each one checks itself.

Read

Meet the hotel team

Read once for meaning. Then read again and do the tasks below.

Welcome sign64 wordsAbout 1 min

Hello! We are the front desk team at Green Hotel. I am Lena, the manager.

This is Jamal. He is from Kenya. Rosa is our receptionist. She is very friendly. Mr. and Mrs. Lee are our cooks. They are from Korea.

Our cafe is on the first floor. It is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. You are always welcome at the desk!

Find it

Tap the 7 subject pronouns.

Check your understanding

1. Where is Jamal from?

2. Who are the cooks?

3. “It is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.” What is it?

Sort it

Which pronoun replaces it?

Tap the name or noun, then tap the pronoun that replaces it. Press Check when the tray is empty.

Unscramble

Build pronoun sentences

Tap the words in order to build the sentence. Tap a placed word to send it back.

1. Talk about your parents.
2. Talk about Mr. Diaz, your manager.
3. Talk about your new phone.
4. Talk about you and Ana.
5. Speak to Daniel.

Memory

Pronoun meanings

Flip two cards. If they belong together, they stay. Find every pair in as few turns as you can.

Communicate

Pair drill: point to people or objects in the room. Partner answers with a full sentence: She is Maria. It is a pencil. We are students.

Personalization: Write three true sentences using I, you, we, then read them aloud.

Reflect

Quick self-check

Can you say one true sentence about yourself with I?
Can you talk about a friend with he or she?
Can you talk about your family or team with we or they?
Do you use it for a thing, not he or she?

Next use: in your next class, introduce three people you know using he, she, and they. Then return to the five-minute retrieval check without reviewing your notes first.

Next-day retrieval

Come back tomorrow. Try this short check before you look at the lesson again.

Choose from memory

Tap each gap, then choose the pronoun that fits the context

1Luis is my brother. is a chef.

2This laptop is new. is fast.

3A visitor called, but I do not know the visitor’s gender. want to speak with you.

Repair from memory

My parents are here. We are waiting outside.

Say it without notes

Answer aloud, then reveal

Who is who?I = the speaker. You = ___ . We = ___ .

You = the listener. We = the speaker plus one or more people.

Replace the wordsMy sister and brother are at work. ___ are busy.

They are busy.

Thirty-second response: identify yourself, your listener, one person whose pronoun you know, and one unknown caller. Use I, you, he, she, or they, and singular they.