CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.1d

ELA6th GradeConventions of Standard English

The Standard

Recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents).

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify the exact person, place, thing, or idea a pronoun refers to. They rewrite sentences when a pronoun has more than one possible referent or no clear referent.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can point to the exact noun each pronoun replaces. When a pronoun could refer to two nouns or none, they can revise the sentence without changing its meaning.
Common Misconceptions: Students may choose the nearest noun even when the sentence meaning points elsewhere. They may think readers will automatically know who “he,” “she,” “they,” or “it” means. Some replace a pronoun with another pronoun without making the reference clearer.
How to Assess It: Give this exit ticket: “When Luis met Jamal after practice, he was tired.” Ask students to identify the problem and write two clear revisions.

Lesson moves

Give pairs noun cards and pronoun cards, then have them match each pronoun to one clear noun and repair any unclear matches.
Discuss: “After Maya texted Zoe, she turned off the phone.” Students explain both possible meanings and write a clear version for each.
Play Pronoun Detective by having teams find and fix unclear pronouns in short sentences, earning one point for each accurate revision.
Students edit unclear pronouns in sample school announcements, directions, or text messages so every reader knows who or what is meant.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.1d, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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