Teaching object pronouns to ESL (English as a Second Language) students is a pivotal step in their language learning journey. Object pronouns, serving as replacements for nouns that receive the action of a verb, are fundamental in crafting clear and concise sentences. Understanding and mastering object pronouns enable learners to navigate English grammar proficiently, enhancing their ability to communicate effectively and express ideas more fluently. In this instructional guide, we’ll explore engaging methodologies and activities designed to introduce and reinforce the concept of object pronouns, empowering ESL students to employ these linguistic tools confidently in their everyday communication. In this resource, we review how to teach object pronouns to ESL students (and other students too!).

View all of our Pronoun Worksheets

Start By Using What Your Students Already Know

Before you start introducing pronouns, talk to your students about what they already know. To measure what they understand, you can ask your students to give examples of nouns and verbs. Pronouns should only be introduced after your students can grasp the idea of the verb “to be” and other simple sentences have been learned.

Object Pronoun Exercise

One of the best ways to introduce the idea of object pronouns is by looking at the placement of verbs in simple sentences. This exercise is a great way to teach object pronouns:

1) On a board or on a piece of paper, write down 4 columns with labels “Sentence, Subject Pronouns, Verb, Object Pronouns”: Have them break down the sentences and place each part in the respective columns. A few tips:

• You can explain that a general rule of thumb is that object pronouns generally follow after verbs
• Subject pronouns typically start sentences

Your board or piece of paper should look like this (you can use our sentences or write your own):

2) Next, ask your students which words have been replaced and which pronouns replaced them. Below are some examples that are filled in:

3) Finally, Provide your students with blank charts, like the above two. Have them fill in each respective column and discuss / correct as a class. Your charts will look like this, but feel free to change the sentences from the examples you shared above.

Final Thoughts on How to Teach Object Pronouns

We hope this resource was useful for you to effectively teach object pronouns to your students. For your students, learning object pronouns is an essential beginner level lesson on their road to becoming fluent in English. For English teachers, simplifying lesson plans such as the above object pronouns exercise will greatly help your students learn quickly and effectively.

EnglishLearningByPro helps English teachers around the world better serve their students. Our English worksheets (Editable, Fillable, Printable PDFs) are perfect for English students (ESL, ESOL, ELL, and more) and teachers (TESOL, TESL, TEFL, and more). Our English worksheets can be downloaded and used for proficient English learning, giving you or your students the ability to fill them out on a digital device or print them out. If you have an English teaching business, add your listing free to let potential students find you. Thank you for supporting EnglishLearningByPro!

View all of our Pronoun Worksheets

Author: anthonybart

My name is Anthony Bart and I am the owner of englishlearningbypro.com, a community built specifically for English teachers around the world trying to make a living teaching English. I am passionate about making English teaching and learning easier.