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📚 Detailed Explanation of Personal and Reflexive Pronouns

When learning about pronouns in Year 6 English, it is important to understand the difference between personal pronouns and reflexive pronouns. Both types replace nouns, but they have different uses and rules.

👥 What Are Personal Pronouns?

Personal pronouns are words that take the place of specific people or things in a sentence. They usually refer to the person speaking, the person being spoken to, or other people or things.

Examples of personal pronouns:

  • I, you, he, she, it, we, they (subject pronouns)
  • me, you, him, her, it, us, them (object pronouns)

Usage rules:

  • Use subject personal pronouns when the pronoun is doing the action:
    She runs every morning.
    They play football after school.
  • Use object personal pronouns when the pronoun is receiving the action:
    The teacher called me.
    I saw them at the park.

🔄 What Are Reflexive Pronouns?

Reflexive pronouns are pronouns that refer back to the subject of the sentence. They are used when the person doing the action and the person receiving the action are the same.

Examples of reflexive pronouns:

  • myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves

Usage rules:

  • Use reflexive pronouns when the subject and object are the same person or thing:
    I made myself a sandwich.
    She taught herself to play the piano.
  • Reflexive pronouns are usually placed immediately after the verb or the object.

⚖️ Comparing Personal and Reflexive Pronouns in Sentences

Here are examples to help you decide when to use personal or reflexive pronouns:

  1. Personal pronoun:
    He hurt him in the game. (Here, “him” is the object personal pronoun.)
  2. Reflexive pronoun:
    He hurt himself in the game. (Here, “himself” shows that the subject “he” also received the action.)
  3. Personal pronoun:
    We saw them at the shop. (“Them” is the object personal pronoun for other people.)
  4. Reflexive pronoun:
    We bought ourselves some ice cream. (“Ourselves” is reflexive, showing the action is for “we” as the subject.)

💡 Helpful Tips to Choose the Right Pronoun

  • Ask yourself: Is the person doing the action the same as the person receiving it?
    – If yes, use a reflexive pronoun.
    – If no, use a personal pronoun.
  • Remember that reflexive pronouns always end with “-self” or “-selves.”

By understanding these tips, Year 6 students can confidently choose between personal and reflexive pronouns in their writing. ✍️

✏️ 20 Examination-Style Questions with Answers on Personal and Reflexive Pronouns

Here are 20 questions designed to help Year 6 students practise choosing between personal and reflexive pronouns. Each question is followed by the correct answer to help reinforce learning.

1.

Question:
I gave the book to _____. (myself / me)

Answer: me

2.

Question:
She looked at _____ in the mirror before going out. (herself / her)

Answer: herself

3.

Question:
We taught _____ to solve the puzzle together. (ourselves / us)

Answer: ourselves

4.

Question:
Could you help _____ with my homework? (myself / me)

Answer: me

5.

Question:
The dog hurt _____ when it fell over. (itself / it)

Answer: itself

6.

Question:
He said he made the cake all by _____. (himself / him)

Answer: himself

7.

Question:
They are proud of ____ for winning the race. (themselves / them)

Answer: themselves

8.

Question:
Jane bought a gift for ____ from the shop. (herself / her)

Answer: herself

9.

Question:
I think you cut ____ while chopping vegetables. (yourself / you)

Answer: yourself

10.

Question:
The children amused _____ with the funny story. (themselves / them)

Answer: themselves

11.

Question:
We could see ____ in the clear water. (ourselves / us)

Answer: ourselves

12.

Question:
He offered to carry the bags by _____. (himself / him)

Answer: himself

13.

Question:
She told ____ a secret and asked me not to tell anyone. (herself / her)

Answer: herself

14.

Question:
They hurt ____ while playing football. (themselves / them)

Answer: themselves

15.

Question:
I promised to help _____ with my chores today. (myself / me)

Answer: myself

16.

Question:
You should be proud of ____ for doing so well. (yourself / you)

Answer: yourself

17.

Question:
The cat cleaned ____ after the meal. (itself / it)

Answer: itself

18.

Question:
He found ____ a seat by the window. (himself / him)

Answer: himself

19.

Question:
We looked after ____ during the school trip. (ourselves / us)

Answer: ourselves

20.

Question:
Did you see ____ in the mirror just now? (yourself / you)

Answer: yourself

These questions are excellent for practising the difference between personal pronouns (like me, you, her, him, us) and reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, herself, himself, ourselves, themselves). Remember, reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object of the sentence are the same person or thing! Keep practising to become confident in recognising and using these pronouns correctly. 💪

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