Which sentence has a unclear pronoun reference?
Unclear: She doesn’t even pay rent and yelled at us for making too much noise. This blew our minds! Revised: It blew our minds that she yelled at us for making too much noise when she doesn’t even pay rent! Unclear: When he broke his arm and the bone popped out, that was disgusting!
What is a pronoun reference example?
Pronouns are words that refer to “something else” – usually a noun – earlier in the sentence or in a previous sentence. Jill watched her favorite movie. In this example, “her” refers to Jill. Pat walked his dog.
What is a vague pronoun reference examples?
A vague pronoun reference occurs when a pronoun could refer to more than one possible antecedent. When Lisa and Kim finally landed, she breathed a sigh of relief. The pronoun she could refer to either Lisa or Kim, so the meaning of the sentence is unclear.
What is a pronoun reference error example?
Example: The pronoun it does not have a clear noun antecedent. As a result, the reader cannot know for sure whether Mabel sold the disk or the cabinet. The pronoun reference is faulty here because the pronoun it has two antecedents.
What is an example of an unclear antecedent?
The folder was on the bus, but now it’s gone. This sentence provides a classic example of an unclear antecedent because the reader can’t be certain what “it” the writer means. Is he or she referring to the folder? Or the bus? (Or, perhaps, both?)
How do you fix a vague pronoun reference?
A pronoun is vague when it’s unclear which noun the pronoun refers to. To correct a vague pronoun, replace the pronoun with its noun antecedent. Vague: As soon as Belinda saw Hannah, she waved hello.
How do you identify a pronoun reference?
Pronouns are words that stand in for a noun in a sentence. Whenever pronouns are used, it should be unmistakably clear which noun the pronoun is standing in for. A faulty pronoun reference will result in a muddled sentence and a confused reader.
What are the rules for pronoun reference?
Pronoun reference is the practice of making pronouns refer clearly to the words they replace. A pronoun takes the place of a noun; thus, the pronoun must agree with the noun it replaces in number and person. Also, it must be clear which noun the pronoun is substituting for.
How do you find a vague pronoun?
A pronoun can be considered vague if it doesn’t clearly refer to a specific person or thing in the sentence (the antecedent). Using demonstrative pronouns, such as ‘it’ or ‘those,’ without a clear antecedent can cause confusion.
What is vague reference?
Vague reference is a common problem in sentences where “this,” “it,” “which” or other such words don’t refer back to any one specific word or phrase, but a whole situation.
How many types of pronoun errors are there?
7 types of pronouns + Pronoun Errors.
How do you fix an unclear sentence?
There are many strategies for improving the clarity of your sentences and your papers.
- Go from old to new information.
- Be careful about placement of subordinate clauses.
- Use active voice.
- Use parallel constructions.
- Avoid noun strings.
- Avoid overusing noun forms of verbs.
- Avoid multiple negatives.
How do you identify an antecedent of a pronoun?
The noun or noun substitute that a pronoun refers to is called its antecedent. For example, in the sentence: Chelsey finished her presentation, “Chelsey” is the antecedent and “her” is the pronoun. Pronouns should agree in number, person, and gender with their antecedents.
What does a vague pronoun reference mean?
What is a Vague Pronoun? A pronoun can be considered vague if it doesn’t clearly refer to a specific person or thing in the sentence (the antecedent). Using demonstrative pronouns, such as ‘it’ or ‘those,’ without a clear antecedent can cause confusion.
What is the meaning of vague pronoun?
What is ambiguous pronoun reference?
What is a ambiguous pronoun reference? Ambiguous pronoun reference occurs when the antecedent of a pronoun is missing or unclear: John and Jim decided to go to the store after he finished work. Within this sentence, it is unclear whether “he” is referring to John or Jim.
What is a pronoun in reference to a person?
First person pronouns are all those that can refer to the speaker(s): I, me, we, us. Second person pronouns refer to the person(s) spoken to: you. And third person pronouns refer to what is spoken of: he, him, she, her, it, they, them. Some of these pronouns are singular-I, me, you, he, him, she, her, it.
How can you know if a sentence has a vague pronoun?
What is an ambiguous pronoun reference?
How do you identify a pronoun error?
Pronoun-antecedent errors happen when a pronoun does not agree with its antecedent, which can create confusion in your writing. Pronouns are generic noun replacements such as him, her, it, and them.
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Pronoun-Antecedent Errors
- It = chair.
- He= Jim.
- She = Kellie.
- They = Stanley and Susie.
- They = the student.
- Me = Michelle.
How do you fix a pronoun error?
You can best fix this error by rephrasing the sentence. Rephrasing the sentence has made the meaning clear. Faulty / vague pronoun reference errors also occur when the pronoun’s antecedent functions as an adjective rather than a noun.
What makes a sentence unclear?
The first is due to the modifying word or phrase being placed too far from the word or group of words it’s meant to modify. The second happens when the sentence doesn’t include a logical subject to modify. In both situations, dangling modifiers make the meaning of a sentence unclear — confusing the reader.
How do you make a clear sentence?
Writing Concisely
- Eliminate unnecessary phrases and redundancies.
- Use clear and straightforward language.
- Write in active voice.
- Shorten wordy phrases.
- Avoid starting sentences with “there is”, “there are”, or “it is”.
- Eliminate extra nouns.
- Eliminate filler words such as “that”, “of”, or “up”.
What is an unclear antecedent example?
Let me give you an example: The folder was on the bus, but now it’s gone. This sentence provides a classic example of an unclear antecedent because the reader can’t be certain what “it” the writer means. Is he or she referring to the folder?
How do you fix unclear antecedents?
If you do find unclear antecedents due to multiple possible antecedents, there are two easy ways to fix the problem: (1) replace the pronoun with its antecedent, or (2) rewrite the sentence.