Pronouns
Elementary School
Definition
A word that takes the place of a noun to avoid repetition, such as "he," "she," "it," "they," or "this." For example, instead of repeating "Maria," we can say "she." Pronouns must agree with the nouns they replace.
Worked examples
Maria loves reading. She reads every night before bed.
"She" replaces "Maria" to avoid repeating the name.
The students finished their homework. They turned it in early.
"They" replaces "the students" and "it" replaces "homework."
Common mistakes
- Each student must bring their own lunch. (when singular agreement is required) → Each student must bring his or her own lunch. "Each student" is singular, so the pronoun must be singular too (though "their" is increasingly accepted in informal writing).
- Me and Jake went to the store. → Jake and I went to the store. Use "I" (subject pronoun) when the pronoun is doing the action, not "me" (object pronoun).
- The team won their game. (when team is treated as singular) → The team won its game. Collective nouns like "team" take singular pronouns when acting as one unit.
Where you'll use it next
You'll apply pronoun rules in all your writing—essays, stories, and reports—and study pronoun-antecedent agreement, pronoun case, and clear reference in grammar lessons throughout middle and high school.
See also
Reviewed by Pat Cheng, M.Ed. — StudyPug Curriculum Lead · Last updated June 6, 2026