Hello, grammar learners! Today, we are going to learn about two very special kinds of pronouns: possessive and reflexive pronouns. Don’t worry, they are not as tricky as they sound!
❓️ What is a Pronoun?
First, let’s remember what a pronoun is. A pronoun is a small word that takes the place of a noun (a person, place, or thing).
For example, instead of saying,
“Sarah is happy,”
we can say,
“She is happy.”
“She” is the pronoun!
🌟 Now, for Possessive Pronouns: Showing Ownership
Possessive pronouns are used to show that something belongs to someone. They answer the question, “Whose is it?”
Here are some common possessive pronouns:
* mine (This is my book. The book is mine.)
* yours (This is your pencil. The pencil is yours.)
* his (This is his jacket. The jacket is his.)
* hers (This is her dog. The dog is hers.)
* ours (This is our ball. The ball is ours.)
* theirs (This is their house. The house is theirs.)
Examples:
* “The lunchbox on the table is mine.” (It belongs to me.)
* “That bicycle is hers.” (It belongs to her.)
* “We shared the cookies. All of them are ours.” (They belong to us.)
🌟 Next, the Reflexive Pronouns: Talking about Yourself!
Reflexive pronouns are used when the person doing the action is also the person who receives the action. They “reflect” the action back to the subject, like a mirror!
They all end in -self or -selves.
Here are some reflexive pronouns:
* myself (I made the sandwich myself.)
* yourself (You should be proud of yourself.)
* himself (He fixed the toy himself.)
* herself (She taught herself how to play the piano.)
* itself (The robot can move by itself.)
* ourselves (We built the fort ourselves.)
* yourselves (You need to clean the room yourselves.)
* themselves (They can take care of themselves.)
Examples:
* “I drew this picture myself.” (I am the one who drew it.)
* “He cooked dinner for himself.” (He cooked it for no one else but him.)
* “The children found the lost puppy themselves.” (They found it without help.)
❓️ What’s the difference?
Possessive pronouns show ownership, while reflexive pronouns show that the subject of the sentence is also the object of the action.
* Possessive: “The book is mine.” (The book belongs to me.)
* Reflexive: “I read the book myself.” (I am the one who read the book.)
🧐 To put it in the simplest words possible:
Possessive = mine🙋♂️
Reflexive = same person👯♀️
📖 Here is the first worksheet: Fill in the Blanks
Directions: Use the correct possessive or reflexive pronoun to complete each sentence. Choose from the words in the box. There is a bold hint in the sentence. If there is no hint, I have provided one at the end of the sentence.
This second worksheet is a little more challenging:
📖 Find the Mistake!
Directions: Read each sentence. The underlined pronoun is wrong. Circle the incorrect pronoun and write the correct possessive or reflexive pronoun on the line.
