English Language Arts · 7th Grade

Active learning ideas

Intensive and Reflexive Pronouns

Active learning helps students distinguish intensive and reflexive pronouns because these small but powerful words require hands-on practice to master. When students manipulate sentences, test their effects, and construct their own examples, they move from memorizing forms to recognizing genuine grammatical functions.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1.a

• 12–20 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Pronoun Removal Test

Present sentences containing "-self" pronouns. Students apply the removal test: read the sentence without the pronoun and decide whether meaning is lost. If the sentence still makes sense, the pronoun is intensive; if meaning changes, it is reflexive. Pairs compare results and justify their decisions.

How does an intensive pronoun emphasize a noun or pronoun?

Facilitation Tip

During the Think-Pair-Share, circulate and listen for the moment pairs realize a pronoun is removable but not replaceable.

What to look for

Provide students with a list of 10 sentences. Ask them to underline reflexive pronouns and circle intensive pronouns. Include sentences with correct usage and common errors for them to identify.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 20 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Sentence Construction Challenge

Post eight sentence frames around the room, each requiring either an intensive or reflexive pronoun. Students circulate, complete each frame, and add a brief explanation of their choice. Review answers as a class and address any disagreements.

Differentiate between the function of a reflexive pronoun and an intensive pronoun.

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk, post sentences at student height and provide sticky notes so peers can add corrections or emphatic rewrites.

What to look for

Give students two prompts: 1. Write one sentence using a reflexive pronoun correctly. 2. Write one sentence using an intensive pronoun correctly. Collect these to check for understanding of both functions.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Trading Cards
• 15 min · Small Groups

Sorting Activity: Intensive or Reflexive?

Groups receive a set of sentence cards and sort them by pronoun function. They must also identify the noun or pronoun the "-self" form refers to. Groups then swap sets and check each other's sorting decisions.

Construct sentences that correctly use both intensive and reflexive pronouns.

Facilitation Tip

In the Sorting Activity, give each pair a single sentence at a time to prevent rushing and encourage close reading.

What to look for

Students write two sentences, one with a reflexive pronoun and one with an intensive pronoun. They then exchange papers with a partner. Each partner must identify which sentence uses a reflexive pronoun and which uses an intensive pronoun, and explain why.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Trading Cards
• 12 min · Individual

Quick Write: Original Sentences

Students write four original sentences -- two using intensive pronouns correctly and two using reflexive pronouns correctly. They then exchange papers with a partner who checks each sentence using the removal test and gives brief written feedback.

How does an intensive pronoun emphasize a noun or pronoun?

What to look for

Provide students with a list of 10 sentences. Ask them to underline reflexive pronouns and circle intensive pronouns. Include sentences with correct usage and common errors for them to identify.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start by modeling the removal test aloud so students hear how reflexive pronouns keep sentences complete while intensive pronouns do not. Avoid teaching these pronouns as a list; instead, focus on the reasoning behind each use. Research shows that students benefit from repeated exposure to authentic sentences rather than isolated drills.

Students will confidently label, construct, and explain sentences that use intensive and reflexive pronouns correctly. They will also self-correct common errors and justify their choices with evidence from sentence structure and meaning.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Sorting Activity, watch for students who label all '-self' pronouns as reflexive.

  Have them read each sentence aloud after removing the pronoun—if the sentence breaks, it is reflexive; if it still makes sense, it is intensive. Direct them to mark removal outcomes on the sorting sheet.

• During the Quick Write, watch for students who use 'myself' in place of 'I' or 'me' for politeness.

  Prompt them to read their sentences aloud with 'I' or 'me'—if it sounds natural, they should revise. Provide a mini-chart of correct subject/object pronoun pairs to reference.

• During the Think-Pair-Share, watch for students who assume intensive pronouns always follow the subject.

  Give them a sentence like 'The president herself gave the award to the team itself,' and ask them to identify which nouns are being emphasized. Have them highlight the emphasized words and link them to the intensive pronouns.

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Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share
• Gallery Walk
• Trading Cards