Did the teacher give her own notes to the student, or did she give the student's notes back?
Did Ben sell the car or the radio?
Unclear pronoun reference occurs when a pronoun (often "it," "this," "that," or "they") could refer to more than one antecendent in a sentence. An antecedent is simply the word (or words) that a pronoun refers to.
To avoid unclear pronoun reference, make sure that every pronoun you use refers clearly and unmistakably to ONE particular noun, or rewrite the sentence for increased clarity.
Here are two revised versions of the sentences above:
The teacher gave the student's notes to her. (It's clear that the notes belong to the student.)
After taking out the radio, Ben sold his car. (It's clear that Ben sold his car.)
Indefinite Reference: they, it, you
The pronouns "they," "it," and "you" should refer to a specific antecedent. Do not use these pronouns to refer to indefinite words or ideas.
Incorrect: If you arrive late to the play, they won't let you in. (Who are they?)
Correct: If you arrive late to the play, the ushers won't let you in.
Incorrect: On the internet it says that it might rain tomorrow. (What is it?)
Correct: The weather forecast on the internet says that it might rain tomorrow.
Incorrect: At the city park, you can rent paddle boats. ("You" is best used when directly addressing the reader.)
Correct: At the city park, guests can rent paddle boats.
This, That, and Which
Confirm that the pronouns this, that, and which have single, clear antecedents. If not, consider rewriting the sentence for increased clarity.
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!
Revised: When the bone popped out of his broken arm, that was disgusting!
Unclear: He was late and offered no apology, which annoyed me.
Revised: It annoyed me that he failed to apologize for being late.
License and Attribution
