Pronoun case, vague references, and keeping shifts in check
Using I, me, we, us and other pronouns correctly, fixing pronouns that could point to more than one person or thing, stopping a sentence from switching tense or person partway through, and setting off extra information with commas, parentheses or dashes
About three lessons of 40 to 50 minutes
The tiny words that can quietly confuse a whole sentence
Pronouns like I, me, he, and they are some of the shortest words in English, but getting them wrong is one of the fastest ways to sound unsure of yourself in writing, or worse, to confuse the reader about who did what. 'Me and him went to the store' and 'Sam told his brother he had won' both have real problems hiding in plain sight, once you know what to check for.
This unit teaches you to check three things in a sentence: is every pronoun in the right case, does every pronoun clearly point to one specific person or thing, and does the sentence stay in the same tense and person all the way through. You will also learn when a comma, a pair of parentheses, or a dash is the right tool for tucking in extra information.
- 'Me and him' versus 'He and I'the subject of a sentence needs subject pronouns, even when there are two of them
- 'Sam told his brother he had won'who is 'he'? A vague pronoun can leave the reader guessing
- 'I walked to school and see my friend'an inappropriate shift in tense, mid-sentence, without a reason
- A dash to tuck in extra information'My uncle, who lives in Denver, visits every summer' sets off information that is not essential to who he is
What students will be able to do
Students will use pronouns in the correct case (subject, object, or possessive) in a sentence; will identify and fix a pronoun that could refer to more than one noun; will identify and correct an inappropriate shift in verb tense or pronoun person partway through a sentence; and will use commas, parentheses, or dashes to set off nonessential information.
- I can choose the correct pronoun case for a sentence, including when there are two subjects or objects.
- I can find a pronoun that could point to more than one noun and rewrite the sentence to make it clear.
- I can find and fix a sentence that switches tense or pronoun person without a reason to.
- I can use a comma, parentheses, or a dash to set off extra information that is not essential to the sentence.
Standards this unit teaches
- L.6.1Common Core (US)Grammar and usage
Use pronouns in the proper case, recognize and correct vague pronoun references, and fix inappropriate shifts in verb tense or pronoun person within a sentence.
- L.6.2Common Core (US)Punctuation for nonessential elements
Use commas, parentheses, and dashes to set off nonessential (extra, non-defining) information within a sentence.
Prior knowledge
This unit builds on skills students should already have met. Revisit any that are shaky first.
- Adjectives and adverbs (Grade 4)identifying a word's job in a sentence is the same underlying skill this unit applies to pronouns
- Prefixes and suffixes (Grade 4)careful attention to small word parts carries over to careful attention to small words like pronouns
- Keep the Tense the Same worksheetsthe tense-shift half of this unit's practice set
- All grammar worksheetsmore editing practice across every grade
Words to teach and display
- Pronoun case
- whether a pronoun is a subject (I, he, they), an object (me, him, them), or possessive (my, his, their)
- Vague pronoun reference
- a pronoun that could point to more than one noun in a sentence, leaving the reader unsure who or what it means
- Inappropriate shift
- a sentence that switches verb tense or pronoun person partway through without a reason to
- Nonessential element
- extra information in a sentence that adds detail but is not required to identify who or what is being talked about
Teach it: model, guided practice, independent
The lesson moves from a teacher model of finding and fixing an error in a sentence, to guided practice correcting sentences together, to students editing a short passage on their own. Every example is a real sentence a student could plausibly write, so editing is practiced on realistic text rather than a made-up rule.
1. Pronoun case, especially with two subjects or objects
Model the classic trap: a sentence with two subjects or two objects, where one pronoun quietly gets the wrong case. Teach the drop-the-other-one test to catch it every time.
The test: remove the other person from the sentence and say it alone. 'Me went to the store' sounds obviously wrong, which reveals that 'Me and him went to the store' needs subject pronouns: 'He and I went to the store.'
The same test catches object pronoun errors: 'Give the ball to Sam and I' fails the drop test ('give the ball to I' sounds wrong), so it should be 'Give the ball to Sam and me.'
Fix the pronoun case: 'Me and my sister are going to the game, and the coach gave the tickets to my sister and I.'
- Drop the other person from the first clause: 'Me are going' sounds wrong, so the subject pronoun is needed: 'My sister and I are going.'
- Drop the other person from the second clause: 'gave the tickets to I' sounds wrong, so the object pronoun is needed: 'to my sister and me.'
- Combine the corrections into the full sentence.
Answer: My sister and I are going to the game, and the coach gave the tickets to my sister and me.
- What is the drop-the-other-one test, and why does it work?
- When does a sentence need a subject pronoun instead of an object pronoun?
2. Vague pronoun references
Teach students to ask 'could this pronoun point to more than one noun?' every time a sentence has two people or things it could refer to.
The fix is usually to replace the pronoun with the specific noun, or to restructure the sentence so only one noun could be the antecedent.
Fix the vague pronoun reference: 'Sam told his brother he had won the contest.'
- Identify the pronoun in question: 'he'.
- Check whether it could point to more than one noun: it could mean Sam won, or it could mean the brother won. Both are possible.
- Rewrite so only one meaning is possible.
Answer: One clear fix: 'Sam told his brother that Sam had won the contest.' (Or, if the brother won: 'Sam told his brother that the brother had won the contest.') Either way, naming the specific person removes the ambiguity.
- What question should you ask to test whether a pronoun reference is vague?
- What are the two ways to fix a vague pronoun reference?
3. Inappropriate shifts in tense or person
Model reading a sentence straight through and listening for a switch in tense (past to present) or person (I to you) that has no reason behind it.
Contrast an inappropriate shift with a deliberate one. 'I walked to school yesterday, and today I walk a different way' is a fine, intentional shift because it describes two different days. 'I walked to school and see my friend' shifts for no reason within one continuous event.
Fix the inappropriate shift: 'When you finish your homework, I checked it before dinner.'
- Read the sentence straight through: it shifts from 'you' to 'I' and from present ('finish') to past ('checked') without a reason.
- Decide on one consistent tense and person for the whole sentence.
- Rewrite consistently.
Answer: One consistent fix: 'When you finish your homework, I check it before dinner.' (Present tense and consistent people throughout, describing a routine.)
- What is the difference between a deliberate tense shift and an inappropriate one?
- What should you listen for when reading a sentence straight through to check for shifts?
4. Commas, parentheses and dashes for nonessential information
Teach that commas, a pair of parentheses, or a pair of dashes can all set off extra, nonessential information, information the sentence's core meaning does not depend on.
Test whether information is nonessential by removing it: if the sentence still clearly identifies who or what is being talked about, the removed part was nonessential and should be set off.
Commas are the most common and neutral choice; parentheses tend to signal an aside; dashes tend to add emphasis. All three do the same basic job of marking information as extra.
Set off the nonessential information: 'My uncle who lives in Denver visits every summer.' (Assume the writer has only one uncle.)
- Test: remove 'who lives in Denver'. The sentence still identifies who is meant, since there is only one uncle, so the phrase is nonessential.
- Choose a way to set it off; commas are the most neutral choice here.
- Punctuate: place a comma before and after the nonessential phrase.
Answer: My uncle, who lives in Denver, visits every summer. (Parentheses or dashes would also work: 'My uncle (who lives in Denver) visits every summer.')
- How can you test whether information in a sentence is essential or nonessential?
- What is the difference in tone between using commas, parentheses, and dashes for the same information?
Common misconceptions and how to address them
Misconception'Me and my friend' is always fine because it sounds normal in casual speech.
Why it happens: Students hear the pattern constantly in spoken language and do not apply the drop-the-other-one test to written case.
How to address it: Practice the drop test explicitly until it becomes automatic: remove the other person and listen for whether the pronoun alone still sounds right.
MisconceptionAs long as a pronoun refers to someone in the sentence, it is fine, even if it could mean two different people.
Why it happens: Students focus on whether a pronoun has an antecedent at all, not whether that antecedent is the only possible one.
How to address it: Ask directly: could this pronoun mean either person? If yes, the sentence needs a specific noun instead, even though the pronoun technically refers to someone.
MisconceptionEvery shift in tense within a paragraph is automatically wrong.
Why it happens: Students overcorrect after learning about shifts and start flagging every tense change, even reasonable ones.
How to address it: Teach the difference between a deliberate shift (describing genuinely different times) and an inappropriate one (switching mid-thought for no reason), and practice sorting examples of each.
MisconceptionNonessential information does not need any punctuation around it at all.
Why it happens: Students correctly identify the extra information but forget it must be set off on both sides, not just one.
How to address it: Model the 'remove it and check' test, then remind students that most nonessential elements need punctuation both before and after, not just a single comma.
Guided practice (with answers)
1. Fix the pronoun case: 'Her and me are partners for the project.'
Answer: She and I are partners for the project. (Drop test: 'Her is a partner' and 'Me is a partner' both sound wrong; the subject pronouns are 'she' and 'I'.)
2. Fix the vague pronoun reference: 'When the plate touched the table, it broke.'
Answer: One fix: 'The plate broke when it touched the table.' Naming which noun 'it' refers to removes the chance the reader thinks the table broke.
3. Fix the inappropriate shift: 'She opens the door and walked inside.'
Answer: Choose one consistent tense: 'She opened the door and walked inside' (past), or 'She opens the door and walks inside' (present).
4. Add punctuation to set off the nonessential information: 'The book which won an award last year is my favorite.' (Assume there is only one book being discussed.)
Answer: The book, which won an award last year, is my favorite.
Independent practice worksheets
Set the matching ChalkBee Grade 6 grammar worksheets for independent practice, having students find and fix one pronoun-case, one vague-reference, one tense-shift, and one punctuation error in a short passage of their own or a provided one.
Differentiation
- Provide the drop-the-other-one test written on a card students can use each time they check pronoun case.
- Underline the ambiguous pronoun in advance and ask students only to choose between the two possible meanings, before asking them to spot vague references unaided.
- Give sentences with only one error type at a time before mixing all four skills in one passage.
- Color-code commas, parentheses, and dashes when modeling, so students see all three doing the same job before choosing their own.
- Write a short paragraph that deliberately breaks all four rules, then trade with a partner to find and fix every error.
- Compare the tone difference between the same sentence punctuated with commas, then parentheses, then dashes.
- Find a real vague pronoun reference in a piece of their own recent writing and rewrite it.
- Explain, in their own words, why 'me and him' is common in speech but avoided in formal writing.
Assessment: exit ticket
A four-question exit ticket on a slip, sampling each of the unit's four skills in one sentence each.
1. Fix the pronoun case: 'Him and me finished first.'
Answer: He and I finished first.
2. Fix the vague pronoun reference: 'Maria called her mom while she was at the store.'
Answer: One fix: 'While Maria was at the store, she called her mom.' Naming who was at the store removes the ambiguity about who 'she' means.
3. Fix the inappropriate shift: 'Yesterday I finish my homework and watched a movie.'
Answer: Yesterday I finished my homework and watched a movie.
4. Punctuate to set off the nonessential information: 'My best friend who moved last year still calls me every week.' (Assume there is only one best friend.)
Answer: My best friend, who moved last year, still calls me every week.
Teacher notes and timings
- Rough timing across three lessons: Lesson 1 pronoun case (section 1), Lesson 2 vague references and inappropriate shifts (sections 2 and 3), Lesson 3 nonessential punctuation plus the exit ticket (section 4 and assessment).
- Language to keep saying: drop the other one, could this mean either person, is this shift deliberate, remove it and check. These four phrases cover the unit's four skills and its main misconceptions.
- Curriculum note: L.6.1 groups three related usage skills (pronoun case, vague references, inappropriate shifts) under one standard; L.6.2 is taught alongside it here since both are commonly assessed together as Grade 6 language conventions, even though they cover different mechanics.
- Keep every example a plausible student sentence, not an invented 'grammar textbook' sentence, so the editing skill transfers directly to students' own writing.
- Present mode and print both work: use the Print button for a clean editing worksheet, or project the example sentences to fix live as a class.