Time:
45:00

What You Know

Today we're learning how to use reflexive pronouns, indefinite pronouns, and one/ones substitution so you can speak and write more naturally by avoiding repetition.

Let's Start

Have a go at these without looking anything up. Write what comes to mind — don't worry about mistakes.

1. Complete this sentence:

I look after ________ when I'm stressed.

2. What's the difference between these two?

A) Someone told me about the project.
B) Anyone can help with this task.

3. How would you avoid repeating "my phone" here?

I broke my phone yesterday. Do you know where I can fix my phone?

Reflexive Pronouns

What Are They?

A reflexive pronoun is when the subject and object are the SAME person. The action comes back to the doer.

When to use: "I enjoyed myself" — the action (enjoyed) comes back to the subject (I).

Subject = Object I → myself You → yourself He → himself She → herself It → itself We → ourselves They → themselves

Examples in Context

Daily life

I made myself a coffee this morning.

Reflexive + preposition

She's talking to herself about the problem.

Emphasis

He himself decided to leave early. (= he personally)

I Do — Watch & Listen

I'll think aloud as I work through an example:

Complete: "After the interview, I needed to relax, so I ___ by going for a walk."

My thinking: Who relaxes? I relax. So the subject and object are the same. I need a reflexive pronoun. The pronoun for "I" is "myself". Answer: myself

"After the interview, I needed to relax, so I treated myself by going for a walk."

We Do — Let's Build It Together

Collaborate

I'll give you the sentence. You tell me: who does the action? Does it come back to them?

"She taught how to code."

What's your answer? And explain WHY you chose it.

You Do — Independent Practice

Complete Independently

Fill in the reflexive pronoun. Say your answers aloud as you write.

1. They organized the event ________ — no help from anyone.
2. I reminded ________ to lock the door before leaving.
3. Do you ever talk to ________ when you're thinking?

Indefinite Pronouns

What Are They?

Indefinite pronouns refer to people or things without naming them specifically.

Key groups:

  • Someone/anyone/no one: people
  • Something/anything/nothing: things
  • Everyone/everything: all people/all things
POSITIVE: someone, something everyone, everything QUESTION/NEGATIVE: anyone, anything no one, nothing

When to Use Each

Type Example Context
Someone/something Someone called you. Positive statement — an unspecified person/thing exists
Anyone/anything Does anyone know? Questions or negatives — "it doesn't matter who"
No one/nothing No one answered. Negative — emphasizes absence
Everyone/everything Everyone knows that. All people/things included

I Do — Watch & Listen

Fill in: "I called ___ to ask for help, but ___ picked up."

My thinking: First blank: I need a positive indefinite pronoun for "a person" — someone. Second blank: The sentence is negative (they didn't answer), so I use "no one" instead of "anyone". Answer: someone and no one

"I called someone to ask for help, but no one picked up."

We Do — Collaborate

Discuss Together

Look at this sentence and tell me: Is it positive, negative, or a question? Which pronoun fits?

"Does want to go to the cinema tonight?"

Say why you chose your answer.

You Do — Independent Practice

Complete Independently

Fill in the indefinite pronoun. Say your answers aloud.

1. ________ told me a funny story yesterday. I laughed so hard!
2. Does ________ know where the train station is?
3. I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find ________ to eat.

One/Ones Substitution

What Is It?

Use one (singular) or ones (plural) to avoid repeating a noun you've already mentioned.

Pattern: "I like the red one" instead of "I like the red shoe"

NOUN + Adjective vs. Adjective + one/ones Red shoe → the red one Old ideas → the old ones

Why Use It?

Repetition sounds unnatural. Listen to the difference:

Without substitution (repetitive)

"I have two phones. My new phone is better than my old phone."

With one/ones (natural)

"I have two phones. My new one is better than my old one."

Patterns to Know

Pattern Example
Adjective + one/ones Which jacket do you want? The blue one or the green one?
Possessive + one/ones Is this your notebook? No, it's his.
Article + adjective + one/ones Do you like the big ones or the small ones?
This/that + one/ones This one works better than that one.

I Do — Watch & Listen

Rewrite to avoid repetition: "I borrowed a book from her. The book was interesting, but the book was also very long."

My thinking: "Book" is mentioned three times. After the first mention, I can use "one" to replace "the book". So: "The book was interesting, but..." → "The one was interesting, but..."

"I borrowed a book from her. The one was interesting, but it was also very long."

We Do — Collaborate

Discuss Together

Here's a sentence with repetition. Tell me: Where can you use "one" instead? And say the new version aloud.

"I have many hobbies. My favorite hobby is reading. My least favorite hobby is sports."

You Do — Independent Practice

Rewrite to Avoid Repetition

Replace the repeated noun with "one" or "ones". Say your answer aloud.

1. "Do you prefer the coffee or the coffee with sugar?"
Rewrite:
2. "The old chairs are broken, but the new chairs are comfortable."
Rewrite:
3. "These shoes are expensive. Those shoes are cheaper."
Rewrite:

Putting It Together

Now you'll work with all three types in real sentences. These are mixed, so you need to decide WHICH pronoun type to use.

Mixed Practice

Complete each sentence with the correct pronoun. Say your answer aloud.

1. "I really enjoyed ________ at the concert last night. The music was amazing."
Hint: reflexive
2. "Did ________ bring snacks to the party? I forgot to buy some."
Hint: indefinite
3. "I have two options: the expensive plan and the cheap plan. I think I'll choose the ________ because it's more affordable."
Hint: one/ones
4. "________ can do this task. It's not difficult."
Hint: indefinite
5. "He promised ________ he would finish the project by Friday."
Hint: reflexive

Elaboration — Explain Your Choices

Speak Aloud

Pick ONE sentence from above. Explain WHY you chose that pronoun. Use this pattern:

"In sentence , I chose because..."

Real-World Speaking

You'll now speak naturally, using all three pronoun types as they come up in real conversation.

Speak Task 1: Describing Your Day

Tell me about your day. Speak for 2-3 minutes. Try to use:

  • At least one reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, himself, etc.)
  • At least one indefinite pronoun (someone, anyone, everyone, etc.)
  • At least one one/ones substitution to avoid repetition

Examples: "I treated myself to coffee..." / "Someone called me..." / "I have two plans, and I prefer the cheaper one..."

Speak Task 2: Giving Advice

Imagine your friend is asking you for advice about something (a job, a relationship, learning English — anything). Give advice for 1-2 minutes.

Try to naturally include the pronoun types. Example: "Everyone makes mistakes..." / "You should remind yourself..." / "The expensive option vs. the cheaper one..."

Speak Task 3: Opinion Exchange

I'll give you three options. Pick one and explain why. Speak for 1-2 minutes.

Options:

  • Remote work vs. office work — which one do you prefer?
  • Learning from books vs. learning online — which one is better for you?
  • Travel alone vs. travel with others — which one is more enjoyable?

Consolidate: What You Can Do Now

Recall — Memory Test

Without looking at the previous tabs, answer these from memory:

Recall Questions

1. When do you use a reflexive pronoun? Give an example.
2. What's the difference between "someone" and "anyone"? Give an example of each.
3. Rewrite this sentence using "one" or "ones" to avoid repetition: "The new laptop is faster than the old laptop."

How Did You Learn Today?

Reflect

Think about what helped you learn these pronouns. Which strategy worked best for you?

One more thing: We said you'd be able to use reflexive pronouns, indefinite pronouns, and one/ones substitution in your speech. Can you? What got you there?