Object and reflexive pronouns

Objective & content

This grammar sheet teaches object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) after a verb or a word like for, to and with, and reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, ourselves...) when the action comes back to the same person (I burnt myself.), with by myself for "alone" and enjoy yourself. Pupils read Kayode's blog about the birthday cake he and his little sister Martha made for their mum, find the missing pronouns and read the rule, given in a box. By the end, they can replace a noun with the right pronoun and say what people do by themselves.

Pedagogical guide

Page 1 is the blog, with a picture of Kayode: Dad leaves Kayode and Martha to make the cake by themselves, a cloud of flour covers them, and the cake burns in the oven while they play a video game. Pupils find six missing pronouns in sentences from the blog. The rule, given in a box in short lines, follows: each subject pronoun with its object form, then with its -self or -selves form, and "I burnt myself, NOT I burnt me". Page 2 has nine sentences where pupils tick the right pronoun, six sentences where they replace the words in bold with an object pronoun, and seven sentences to complete with a reflexive pronoun. Page 3 is a word search: pupils write the missing reflexive pronoun in seven sentences, find the seven words in the grid (across, down and diagonally), then write the message hidden in the letters they did not use. Every exercise opens with a worked example, except the word search. The blog tells its story in the past simple.

Suggested procedure

1. (5 min) Mime cutting your finger and say "Ouch! I cut myself!"; ask pupils what happened.
2. (10 min) Read the blog aloud; pupils find the missing pronouns.
3. (5 min) Read the rule in the box with the class; pupils find us, me, ourselves and myself in the text.
4. (10 min) Page 2: pupils tick the right pronouns, then replace the words in bold.
5. (5 min) Page 2: the reflexive pronouns.
6. (10 min) Page 3: pupils complete the sentences, find the words in the grid and write the hidden message.
7. (5 min) Check with the answer key on page 4.

Adaptations

[S] Pupils read the blog aloud, in turns, before the tasks.

[A] Pupils write three sentences about something they did by themselves.

Materials & prerequisites

One copy of pages 1 to 3 per pupil. Pages 4 and 5 are the answer key and teacher notes: keep them. Pupils need the subject pronouns, the past simple of common verbs (made, broke, ate, put) and the words for cooking and the kitchen. To take it further, pupils write a short blog post about a funny disaster of their own, with three object pronouns and two reflexive pronouns.