The Mother Tongue, Book I: Lessons in Speaking, Reading and Writing English · Secs. 453–456 · Part 2: Part Second
125. Using pronouns correctly
Goal: Your child chooses the right pronoun for person and number and uses I, me, he, him and the others correctly.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- Paper and pencil (a notebook kept just for this book works well)
What's in the book
Section 453 gives twenty-four sentences to name each pronoun's person. Section 454 gives the rule that a pronoun agrees in number with its noun. Section 455 has eight blanks to fill. Section 456 gives rules for the correct use of pronouns: I, he, she, they, who as subjects; me, us, him, them, whom as objects.
The lesson, step by step
Name the person (Section 453)
Do twelve of the twenty-four sentences aloud: your child names each pronoun and its person.
It is I, be not afraid.
Agreement (Section 454)
A Pronoun must agree in Number with the Noun to which it refers.
Answer the book's questions: What must be the number of the noun that "I" refers to? "they"? "it"?
Fill the blanks (Section 455)
Your child fills the eight blanks aloud.
Then and now: the book expects "Every child carried his book home." Today many people write "his or her book" or "their book" when the child could be a boy or a girl.
Correct use (Section 456)
Read the rules together and make pairs aloud: "He and I went." / "Mother called him and me." Try the test of taking away the other person: "Mother called ... me," not "Mother called ... I."
Write
Your child writes five sentences using I, me, he, him, they or them correctly, including at least two with "and" (my sister and I; for her and me).
Check it gently
Use the take-away test on each sentence with two people. Your child fixes any that sound wrong once the other person is removed.
What a good result looks like
Example (written for this guide, not from the book):
Mother called Ella and me to supper.
He and I went to the store.
The teacher gave the prize to her and me.
Each sentence passes the take-away test: "Mother called me," "I went," "gave the prize to me."
Answers to the book's problems
Section 453 (person): 1. I, first. 2. It, third; I, first. 3. We, first. 4. It, third; we, first. 5. Thou, thy, thyself, second. 6. It, third; thou, second. 7. he, third. 8. It, he, third; I, first. 9. she, third. 10. It, she, third. 11. They, third; my, first. 12. It, they, third; I, first. 13. I, first. 14. it, third; our, first. 15. me, first. 16. us, first; it, third; us, first. 17. thee, second. 18. him, his, third. 19. I, first; him, he, third. 20. He, third; me, first (twice). 21. We, first; them, third. 22. you, second. 23. you, second. 24. I, first. (Who and whom are not personal pronouns; the book comes back to them later.) Section 455: 1. his (or her). 2. its. 3. his (or her). 4. his. 5. its. 6. his. 7. his (or her). 8. his (or her).
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.