Pronouns: spider monkey
The Grammar Bit!
Read the three scintillating sentences opposite. They contain a variety of nouns and pronouns
- A noun is a person, animal, object or place.
- A pronoun is a word used to replace a noun e.g. he, she, it, they etc.
Look at the first sentence. You’ll notice that instead of repeating the words ‘spider monkeys’, the pronoun ‘they’ is used.
Using a pronoun in this way avoids repetition (saying or writing something over and over again). Why might we want to avoid repetition in our writing?
With your talk partner, read the second and third sentences. Can you identify the pronouns that have been used and the nouns that they replace?
Scintillating Sentences
1) High up among the branches of the tallest trees, spider monkeys swing from branch to branch. They move nimbly through the canopy.
2) A male spider monkey lounges in the leafy branches. He is looking after his young daughter.
3) A curious, young spider monkey begins to quickly climb. Giving into temptation, she slips away while her father is distracted.
Did you know?
Unusually, spider monkeys don’t have thumbs! The absence of thumbs gives the spider monkey a more hook-like hand with long slender fingers.