Nouns and Pronouns: Replacing repeated nouns with pronouns for Primary 1

Class: Primary 1
Term: First Term
Week: 8
Age: 6 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Studies
Curriculum Theme: Grammatical Accuracy
Focal competence: Using nouns and pronouns appropriately in sentences
Key competencies/values: Collaboration; Respect; Communication; Creativity and Innovation; ICT and Digital Competencies
Skills:

• Identifying and using nouns and pronouns appropriately

Previous Lesson: Greetings: Greeting and responding with appropriate tone and gesture
Topic: Introducing Nouns And Pronouns
Subject Matter: Replacing repeated nouns with pronouns

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Identify nouns in simple sentences.
• State pronouns that can replace specific nouns.
• Replace repeated nouns with appropriate pronouns in short sentences.

Affective Domain

• Show interest in using pronouns correctly to improve sentence flow.
• Participate actively in classroom activities involving pronouns.

Psychomotor Domain

• Write short sentences using appropriate pronouns.

Social Domain

• Collaborate with classmates to identify and use pronouns in sentences.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 Revised 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• Approved Primary 1 English Studies Textbook
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Approved publisher-neutral text
• Letter, word and picture cards (e.g., card with “boy”, card with “he”, picture of a boy)
• Exercise books and pencils
• Simple objects in the classroom (e.g., a book, a chair, a ball)
• Flashcards with nouns and corresponding pronouns

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important because it teaches pupils how to make their sentences sound better and clearer by avoiding unnecessary repetition of nouns. Understanding pronouns helps pupils to construct more grammatically correct and fluent sentences, which is a foundational skill for effective communication in English. It also supports their overall grammatical accuracy and writing development.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils should have a basic understanding of what nouns are and be able to identify common nouns in simple sentences.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Introducing Nouns And Pronouns

What are Nouns?

Nouns are naming words. They name people, animals, places, or things.

Examples of nouns:

1. People: boy, girl, teacher, mother
2. Animals: dog, cat, bird, lion
3. Places: school, market, home, Nigeria
4. Things: book, table, pen, car

What are Pronouns?

Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. We use pronouns to avoid repeating the same noun many times in a sentence or story.

Common Pronouns Used to Replace Nouns

The following pronouns are commonly used:

1. I: Used when you are talking about yourself.
2. You: Used when you are talking to someone.
3. He: Used for one boy or man.
4. She: Used for one girl or woman.
5. It: Used for one animal or one thing.
6. We: Used when you are talking about yourself and others.
7. They: Used for many people, animals, or things.

Replacing Repeated Nouns with Pronouns

We use pronouns to make our sentences clearer and less repetitive.

Examples:

1. Noun: Mary
   Pronoun: She
   Sentence without pronoun: Mary is a girl. Mary likes to play.
   Sentence with pronoun: Mary is a girl. She likes to play.
2. Noun: John
   Pronoun: He
   Sentence without pronoun: John is a boy. John is happy.
   Sentence with pronoun: John is a boy. He is happy.
3. Noun: The dog
   Pronoun: It
   Sentence without pronoun: The dog is running. The dog is fast.
   Sentence with pronoun: The dog is running. It is fast.
4. Nouns: My friends and I
   Pronoun: We
   Sentence without pronoun: My friends and I are playing. My friends and I are happy.
   Sentence with pronoun: My friends and I are playing. We are happy.
5. Nouns: The children
   Pronoun: They
   Sentence without pronoun: The children are singing. The children are loud.
   Sentence with pronoun: The children are singing. They are loud.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Explanation, Individual Practice, Pair Work.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Recalling/Engaging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to recall what nouns are, giving examples of people, animals, places, and things. The teacher shows some picture cards and asks pupils to name them.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, recall the meaning of nouns, and identify objects in the picture cards.

Learning Point: Naming words recall

Step 2: Introduction to Pronouns

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that sometimes we do not want to repeat a noun many times. The teacher introduces pronouns as words that take the place of nouns. The teacher gives simple examples using “I” and “you” (e.g., “I am a teacher,” “You are a pupil”).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and repeat simple sentences using “I” and “you”.

Learning Point: Pronoun concept introduction

Step 3: Learning “He,” “She,” and “It”

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Visual Aid/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses picture cards of a boy, a girl, and an object (e.g., a book). For each, the teacher states a sentence with the noun and then replaces it with “he,” “she,” or “it.” For example, “This is John. John is happy.” then “This is John. He is happy.” The teacher guides pupils to repeat and identify which pronoun replaces which noun.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the picture cards, listen to the examples, and practice replacing nouns with “he,” “she,” and “it” orally.

Learning Point: Singular pronoun usage

Step 4: Learning “We” and “They”

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Group Activity/Explanation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher involves a group of pupils to demonstrate “we” (e.g., “We are pupils. We are learning.”) and then points to another group or objects to demonstrate “they” (e.g., “Those are books. They are on the table.”). The teacher explains that “we” is for “I and others” and “they” is for “many people or things.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in group demonstrations and practice using “we” and “they” in simple sentences.

Learning Point: Plural pronoun usage

Step 5: Guided Practice – Replacing Nouns

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes simple sentences on the board with repeated nouns (e.g., “Musa has a ball. Musa plays with the ball.”). The teacher asks pupils to identify the repeated noun and suggest a pronoun to replace it. The teacher then rewrites the sentence with the correct pronoun.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify repeated nouns and suggest appropriate pronouns. They observe the rewritten sentences.

Learning Point: Noun-pronoun replacement practice

Step 6: Individual Practice

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Independent Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes two more sentences with repeated nouns on the board and asks pupils to rewrite them in their exercise books, replacing the repeated nouns with pronouns. The teacher walks around to provide support.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils rewrite the sentences in their exercise books, using pronouns correctly.

Learning Point: Independent pronoun application

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What is a pronoun?
2. Which pronoun would you use for “a girl”?
3. Which pronoun would you use for “John and Mary”?
4. Rewrite this sentence using a pronoun: “The cat is sleeping. The cat is on the mat.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Pronoun identification and use

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to copy the essential Board Summary notes on nouns and pronouns into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Nouns and pronouns notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Summarising

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly reminds pupils that pronouns help us speak and write better by avoiding repetition. The teacher encourages them to use pronouns in their daily conversations and writing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and acknowledge the importance of using pronouns.

Learning Point: Pronoun usage reinforcement

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework / Practice Exercise

Instruction: Rewrite the following sentences in your notebook. Replace the repeated noun with the correct pronoun.

1. My mother is cooking. My mother is in the kitchen.
2. The ball is red. The ball is big.
3. Tunde is playing. Tunde is happy.
4. The girls are singing. The girls are dancing.
5. I have a pen. The pen writes well.

Lesson Keywords

• Nouns – Naming words for people, animals, places, or things.
• Pronouns – Words that take the place of nouns to avoid repetition.
• He – Pronoun for one boy or man.
• She – Pronoun for one girl or woman.
• It – Pronoun for one animal or one thing.
• They – Pronoun for many people, animals, or things.

Differentiation

For weaker learners: Provide more one-on-one assistance and use more visual aids like picture cards with matching pronouns. Focus on “he,” “she,” and “it” first before introducing “we” and “they.” Offer sentences with only one repeated noun to simplify the task. Encourage oral practice before written work.

For faster learners: Challenge them to create their own sentences with repeated nouns and then rewrite them using pronouns. Ask them to identify more pronouns in short storybooks or simple texts. Introduce more complex sentences with multiple nouns that can be replaced.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For further understanding, search on YouTube for: Primary 1 pronouns for kids English

Teacher Guide for Using This Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have a variety of picture cards for people (boy, girl, man, woman), animals (dog, cat), and objects (book, table). Also, prepare word cards for common nouns and pronouns. Begin by reviewing nouns to ensure pupils have a solid foundation. When introducing pronouns, use clear, simple language and demonstrate with physical actions or by pointing to pictures and pupils. Guide pupils through each pronoun type (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) with ample examples and repetition. Encourage oral practice before moving to written exercises. During guided practice, allow pupils to suggest pronouns and correct them gently. For the note-taking step, ensure the Board Summary is clearly written and legible for Primary 1 pupils to copy. Circulate around the classroom during individual practice to provide immediate feedback and support. Conclude by reiterating the main point of using pronouns to make sentences clearer and more interesting.