Year 4 English · Key Stage 2 · Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation – English Appendix 2

Year 4 paragraphs, pronouns and punctuating direct speech

By Year 4, children are expected to write in paragraphs built around a theme, to choose between a noun and a pronoun so that writing flows without repeating itself, and to punctuate direct speech accurately, with inverted commas, a comma after the reporting clause and end punctuation inside the closing marks. They also learn the terms pronoun and possessive pronoun.

Paragraphs, pronouns and direct speech, explained

In Year 3, children are introduced to paragraphs as groups of related sentences. In Year 4 the focus moves to organising ideas around a theme. A paragraph is about one thing: one stage of the story, one group of facts, one reason in an argument. A good opening sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about, and the next sentences build on it. A new paragraph usually starts when the time, place, topic or person changes, and in stories a new speaker normally starts a new line or paragraph.

Cohesion is the way a text hangs together. One tool for it is the pronoun, a word such as he, she, it, we or they that takes the place of a noun. Compare “Tom picked up the bucket. Tom carried the bucket to the sea” with “Tom picked up the bucket. He carried it to the sea.” Children choose a noun to introduce someone or something, then a pronoun to carry on. But a noun is better when a pronoun would be unclear, or when a new paragraph begins and the reader needs reminding who is being discussed.

Possessive pronouns show who owns something: mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs, as in “That bucket is mine and the spade is hers.” Words such as my, your and their, which come before a noun, do a similar job, and different schools and books describe them in slightly different ways, so follow the term your child’s teacher uses. There is never an apostrophe in a possessive pronoun, which is a very common slip: it is hers, not her’s.

Direct speech needs more punctuation than children met in Year 3. Inverted commas go around the spoken words, which begin with a capital letter. When the reporting clause (such as “said Sam”) comes first, it is followed by a comma: The conductor shouted, “Sit down!” The punctuation at the end of the spoken words goes inside the closing marks. When the reporting clause comes second, a comma, question mark or exclamation mark ends the speech: “I’m tired,” said Sam. “Are we nearly there?” asked Lily. Notice that a full stop turns into a comma in that position.

Putting these skills together is the real work of Year 4. Teachers model a paragraph on the board, show where the pronouns could be used and where a name is clearer, and then ask children to edit a passage with the three questions in mind: is it organised, is it clear, and is the speech correct? Reading aloud is a good test. If the writing sounds repetitive or confusing, something needs changing.

Words your child will hear

Paragraph: A group of sentences organised around one theme or idea, starting on a new line when the theme changes.
Pronoun: A word that takes the place of a noun, such as he, she, it, we or they.
Possessive pronoun: A word that shows who owns something, such as mine, yours, hers, ours or theirs.
Cohesion: How a piece of writing links together so that it reads smoothly, helped by pronouns and well-chosen paragraphs.
Reporting clause: The words that tell us who is speaking, such as “said Sam” or “the conductor shouted”.
Direct speech: The exact words someone says, written inside inverted commas.
Inverted commas: The marks around spoken words. Also called speech marks.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Year 4 says:

Pupils should be taught use of paragraphs to organise ideas around a theme
Pupils should be taught appropriate choice of pronoun or noun within and across sentences to aid cohesion and avoid repetition
Pupils should be taught use of inverted commas and other punctuation to indicate direct speech
Pupils should be taught to recognise and use the grammatical terminology: pronoun, possessive pronoun

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: editing a passage

Improve this passage: “Tom went to the beach with Tom’s sister Priya. Tom carried the bucket and Priya carried the spade. The bucket was Tom’s and the spade was Priya’s. Priya said can we build a castle. Tom said yes lets start by the rocks.”

Spot the repetition. The names are repeated in every sentence. Tom and Priya are a boy and a girl, so he and she will be clear: “Tom went to the beach with his sister Priya. He carried the bucket and she carried the spade.”
Use a possessive pronoun for ownership: “The bucket was his and the spade was hers.” There is no apostrophe in either word.
Organise into paragraphs. The first three sentences are about arriving at the beach and what each child carried. The speech starts a new part of the story, so it begins a new paragraph, and each new speaker then starts a new line.
Punctuate Priya’s speech. Her spoken words are “Can we build a castle?” They begin with a capital letter, end with a question mark inside the closing marks, and the reporting clause follows: “Can we build a castle?” asked Priya.
Punctuate Tom’s speech. Put the reporting clause first this time, followed by a comma: Tom replied, “Yes, let’s start by the rocks.” Check the apostrophe in let’s and the full stop inside the closing marks. Tom is a new speaker, so his words go on a new line, below Priya’s.

First paragraph: Tom went to the beach with his sister Priya. He carried the bucket and she carried the spade. The bucket was his and the spade was hers. New paragraph: “Can we build a castle?” asked Priya. New line for the new speaker: Tom replied, “Yes, let’s start by the rocks.”

Common mistakes and how to help

Using a pronoun when the reader can’t tell who it refers to: “Tom told Ben he had won”

Children know who they mean, so the sentence seems clear to them. They have to imagine the reader, who has only the words on the page.

What helps: Ask “Who is he?” If it could be more than one person, use the name: “Tom told Ben that Ben had won.” Or rewrite so the meaning is clear.

Adding an apostrophe to a possessive pronoun: her’s, our’s, their’s

Children have just learned that apostrophes show belonging in words such as the girl’s, so they carry the habit over to pronouns.

What helps: Possessive pronouns already show belonging, so they never need an apostrophe. Compare it with a name: Priya’s spade, but hers.

Faulty punctuation of speech: “I’m tired.” said Sam, or “I’m tired,” Said Sam

Children treat the spoken words as a complete sentence with a full stop, and may capitalise the reporting clause because it follows a sentence.

What helps: When the speech comes first and the reporting clause follows, use a comma (or ? or !) inside the marks, and keep the reporting clause in lower case unless it starts with a name.

Starting a new paragraph for every sentence, or running several themes together

A paragraph can feel like a new line of text, so children break whenever they feel like it. Others write one block because everything feels connected.

What helps: Before writing, plan the themes. Ask “What is this paragraph about?” and check each sentence belongs. Begin a new one when the time, place, topic or speaker changes.

How to help at home

Who is “they”? Read a paragraph from a story and ask your child to pick out every pronoun and say what it stands for. Then try to find one that could confuse a reader.
Rewrite without names. Take a short piece of your child’s writing and ask them to read it aloud. Where a name or a noun appears too often, try a pronoun. Where a pronoun could be unclear, change it back.
Speech detective. Choose a page of dialogue in a story. Ask your child to find the spoken words, the reporting clause and the comma, and to notice where the end punctuation sits in relation to the closing marks.
Plan then write. Before writing a letter or a story about a day out, ask your child to list three themes on paper. Each theme becomes one paragraph, with an opening sentence that signals what is coming.
Mine, yours, hers, theirs. Sort out things at home by owner and say it aloud: “The red coat is mine and the blue one is yours.” Write two or three sentences and check there is no apostrophe in the possessive pronouns.

Updated 20 October 2026.