Using Indefinite Pronouns

By Verda McGraw, M.Ed.

Expected Outcome: The person will speak using indefinite pronouns correctly to take the place of an unnamed or unknown person or thing.

Purpose: To teach the meaning of indefinite pronouns and give practice using them in spoken and written language.

Target Vocabulary:

1. anyone
2. anything
3. anywhere
4. everyone
5. everywhere
6. no one
7. something
8. somewhere

Target Language Skill: Using indefinite pronouns

Suggested Objectives:

1. The person will say "anyone" correctly to refer to any unnamed person.
2. The person will say "anything" correctly to refer to any unnamed thing.
3. The person will say "anywhere" correctly to refer to any unknown place.
4. The person will say "everyone" correctly to refer to a group of all unnamed people.
5. The person will say "everywhere" correctly to refer to every place.
6. The person will say "no one" correctly to refer to no person.
7. The person will say "something" correctly to refer to some unnamed thing.
8. The person will say "somewhere" correctly to refer to some unnamed or unknown place.

Teaching Activities:

A. Speaking

1. Model and teach the target words. Explain that indefinite pronouns take the place of someone or something that is not named.
2. Say some example sentences to the person. Then ask him or her to say the indefinite pronoun in the sentence, for example, "No one was home when he got there."
3. Encourage the person to make up sentences using each one of the indefinite pronouns in the target vocabulary.
4. Help the person recognize examples of indefinite pronouns in other places, for example in homework assignments for other subjects, in spoken language that the hear others using, or in speech on radio or television.

B. Reading

1. Download the supplemental materials for this lesson, using the link at the end of the lesson. Read the jokes together, or ask the person to read them independently (according to the person's reading ability). Encourage the person to say the target words in the jokes.
2. Identify and read indefinite pronouns in other reading assignments.

C. Writing

1. Connect the device to a computer with a SUB cable or blue Tooth module. Let the person practice wiring the target words into a word document.
2. Read the jokes again, and have the person write the indefinite pronouns when you come to them.
3. Ask the person to make up a joke or a story using indefinite pronouns.

D. Generalization

1. Find and say the other indefinite pronouns that are in the device vocabulary.
2. Read example sentences that use the words "anyone" and "someone". Discuss when to use "anyone" and when to use "someone".
3. Ask the person to make up sentences, jokes, or stories using the other indefinite pronouns that are not used in this lesson.
4. Store some jokes in the device.

Smart Charts

Supplemental Material

Let's hear some jokes to teach indefinite pronouns