Pronouns: numbat
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 word ‘numbat’, the pronoun ‘she’ 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) In pursuit of termites, the numbat scours the forest floor. She needs to collect 20,000 of these insects per day with her long, sticky tongue.
2) Slowly, the four numbat pups leave the safety of their tree fortress home. They want to explore the world around them.
3) Interestingly, numbats do not drink any water. This is because they obtain all the water they need from termites.
Did you know?
Unlike other marsupials, numbats do not have a proper pouch for carrying their young. However, mothers do have skinfolds that cover their babies when they are suckling.