If an antecedent is singular, its pronoun must besingular, too. Her is a pronoun representing the daughter in a simple construction that causes no confusion. The problem of unclear pronoun reference is particularly notable when the pronoun starts a. Ixl identify vague pronoun references grade 12 english. Building your brain for success with legendary neuroscientist v. The rule a pronoun must refer to a single noun, which acts as its antecedent. Most often a reader will try to connect the pronoun with the subject of a previous clause or sentence. Such errors, called faulty or vague pronoun reference, can confuse readers and obscure the intended meaning. It, this, and which are pronouns, and they need to refer back to a specific noun, not to the whole idea of a previous statement. The pronoun in the example sentence neither refers to a noun in physical space or time. The demonstrative pronoun points to a noun or a pronoun, which is a lot like the personal pronoun. This noun is called the pronouns antecedent unfortunately, it is very easy to create a sentence that uses a pronoun without a clear, unmistakable noun antecedent.
Choose from 147 different sets of vague pronoun reference flashcards on quizlet. Even though they rarely visit aunt michelle, penelope looks forward to sandquist, amy l. A student who was satisfied with her or his performance on the pretest took the posttest. This noun is called the pronoun s antecedent unfortunately, it is very easy to create a sentence that uses a pronoun without a clear, unmistakable noun antecedent.
As a result, the reader cannot know for sure whether mabel sold the disk or the cabinet. Unclear pronoun references tutorials, quizzes, and help. Avoiding vague pronoun references macmillanmcgrawhill. The following are the most common mistakes involving pronoun reference. The pronoun reference is faulty here because the pronoun it has two antecedents. Ixl identify vague pronoun references grade 8 english. Pronoun reference recognize pronoun reference when you see it. Grammar my illinois state illinois state university. End slide includes an activity to practice correcting sentences containing vague pronouns. A vague pronoun antecedent occurs when a pronoun refers to one or more groups of words and the reference is not clear. Bobs hands were so cramped from typing a 2,000word essay that a the poor boy. Every pronoun, except the indefinite pronoun, must have clear reference to a specific antecedent, a noun or noun phrase. Make pronouns agree in person and number with their antecedents. When pronouns like it, this, that, and which are referred to a concept that implied or word rather than a certain following noun.
A pronoun is a part of speech that can replace a noun. If a pronoun seems to refer to more than one antecedent, either reword the sentence to make the antecedent clear or eliminate the pronoun. Unclear pronoun reference you want to write a sentence as clean as a bone. If the pronoun takes the place of a singular noun, you have to use a singular pronoun. Last year vince played on the college lacrosse team, but this year he is too busy to play. You can improve your writing a lot by taking care not to use vague pronoun references. Churchill, roosevelt, and stalin take another meeting. Two common problems are ambiguous reference, in which a pronoun may refer to one of two or more antecedent nouns, and vague reference, in which a pronoun, usually it or this, refers to the content of a phrase, a whole sentence, or even a paragraph, but the connection. As a result, the reader cannot know for sure whether kara sold the disk or the cabinet. In one sentence, for example, the pronoun he might mean zippy the dog. A vague pronoun reference is not as complicated as the words sound. Singular pronouns are used with singular antecedents, and plural pronouns are used with plural antecedents. Pronoun reference every pronoun must have a clear reference.
If the reference is not obvious, however, readers may hesitate and go back over the previous sentence to understand what an author is trying to say. Avoid vague pronoun references how might you address the pronoun reference problems that occur throughout your essay. According to the menu, the pasta sauce is homemade. Vague pronoun reference vague pronoun reference occurs in two situations. It just proves theres someone for everyone a match made in writers heaven read the following passage and summarize what it says. It says on the bathroom wall that joe will sell the answers to the pronoun reference quiz for five dollars. Also, it must be clear which noun the pronoun is substituting for. Omitting words from a direct quotation using footnotes apa shorten the title of. Apr 14, 2016 cate hoppes and maverick wagley present vague pronoun references and a guide on how to revise them. A pronoun should refer clearly to the noun it is replacing. Ixl identify vague pronoun references year 8 english. We explain unclear pronoun references with video tutorials and quizzes, using our many waystm approach from multiple teachers. Making pronoun references clear memorial university. Avoiding vague and ambiguous pronoun references vocabulary antecedent the noun which a pronoun substitutes for or refers to.
Alternate male and female examples and expressions. Pronouns must agree in number and gender with the nouns they are replacing. Replace the masculine pronoun with one, you, or sparingly he or she, as appropriate. In fact, the pronoun thisin the example sentence refers to the entire idea of the previous statement. The government should not be permitted to regulate gay or lesbian marriage because it is discrimination. A pronoun should clearly refer to one specific antecedent. Vague pronoun reference and pronounantecedent disagreement definition. Vague reference is a common problem in sentences where this, it, which or other such words dont refer back to any one specific word or phrase, but a whole situation. Cate hoppes and maverick wagley present vague pronoun references and a guide on how to revise them. In these three sentences, the pronouns refer to the idea that harry was always late, but they cant logically refer back to. Better writing avoiding vague and ambiguous pronoun references. Here are some examples of correct pronoun reference using indefinite pronouns neither, each, and some. An antecedent is the noun to which the pronoun refers.
This is a demonstrative pronoun and should refer to a noun close in physical space or time. In fact, several official citation resources including the the associated press and the chicago manual of style now include guidance on this kind of usage. If the student was satisfied with his performance on the pretest, he took the posttest. That is, a pronoun is misused when the real noun to which it refers has not actually been mentioned.
Every problem of pronoun reference upsets this clarity so that readers have. Ixl identify vague pronoun references primary 6 english. Improve your knowledge of pronouns so that they have clear antecedents. Ambiguous pronoun reference a pronoun with multiple, possible antecedents. Faulty pronoun reference means the antecedent of your pronoun is not totally and immediately clear. In these three sentences, the pronouns refer to the idea that harry was always late, but they cant logically refer back to either of the two nouns, harry or class. Pronouns must be boiled down to a specific, individual nounword. It just proves theres someone for everyonea match made in writers heaven read the following passage and summarize what it says. Exercise on vague or unclear pronoun reference in the following pairs of sentences, one sentence is correct, and the other sentence contains a vague or ambiguous pronoun reference. Better writing avoiding vague and ambiguous pronoun. A pronouns reference will be unclear if it is ambiguous, implied, vague or indefinite. I told uncle richard, aunt gretchen, and then dad, which infuriated gary.
Revise the following sentences by eliminating the ambiguous pronoun reference. Pronoun reference sentence errors the nature of writing. A vague pronoun reference might include words such as it, that, this, and which, and can leave the reader wondering what or to whom the pronoun refers. Improve your english language arts knowledge with free questions in identify vague pronoun references and thousands of other english language arts skills. Learn vague pronoun reference with free interactive flashcards. The apa publication manual does not provide further details. Nicks hair is so long that this young man really needs to visit a barber before his interview at the bank.
Pronoun reference is the practice of making pronouns refer clearly to the words they replace. This and these refers to nouns or pronouns which are close in physical space or time. Ixl identify vague pronoun references grade 11 english. Ambiguous reference an ambiguous reference occurs when the pronoun could refer to two. If the noun is singular, the pronoun should be singular. There are also some expressions where the pronoun does not need to have an antecedent e. The word a pronoun refers to is called its antecedent. While vague pronoun reference can be annoying, so is being obsessive about it.
May 19, 2016 vague reference is a common problem in sentences where this, it, which or other such words dont refer back to any one specific word or phrase, but a whole situation. Vague pronoun reference and pronounantecedent disagreement. Making pronoun references clear pronouns substitute for nouns. Read your sentences carefully to make sure that all pronoun references are clear. There is no single rule for making pronoun reference clear in all cases.
But no pronoun may refer to a whole sentence or a whole paragraph. D mario gave his little brother a toy that he played with constantly. If you use they, their, or them, make sure the noun is also plural. More subtle errors occur when you use a pronoun reference that is too general or indefinite or one that only you know. I hitchhiked back to town, got picked up by an alien spacecraft and was subjected to humiliating medical experiments, which is why i didnt get my paper. Mla style manual and guide to scholarly publishing, 3rd ed. Vague pronoun reference a pronoun without a specific antecedent. To avoid a vague pronoun reference, make sure that a pronoun cannot possibly refer to more than one antecedent. Unclear pronoun reference, along with a mismatch between the pronoun and its referent or antecedent, the word the pronoun is intended to replace, are issues that frequently cause students trouble. Avoid most pronoun reference problems by following these rules.
No fair scratching your head as you try to figure the passage out. Because a pronoun refers to a noun or takes the place of that noun, you have to use the correct pronoun so that your reader clearly understands which noun your pronoun is referring to. Ixl identify vague pronoun references 9th grade language arts. Note that in most cases, more than one correct answer is possible. What happens when you have a vague pronoun reference is the noun of representation is not clear.
Unclear pronoun reference makes sentences confusing, vague, and difficult to. A pronouns antecedent is theword to which the pronoun refers. That and those refers to nouns or pronouns that are farther away in physical. However, demonstrative pronouns are words that you may not necessarily think of as pronouns. Improve your language arts knowledge with free questions in identify vague pronoun references and thousands of other language arts skills.
The pronoun it does not have a clear noun antecedent. This lesson goes over how to identify and correct an unclear pronoun reference. A pronouns antecedent is the word to which the pronoun refers. A pronoun must refer to a single noun, which acts as its antecedent. When pronouns are used, it should be clear which noun the pronoun is standing in for. Write the letter v next to the sentence that has a vague pronoun reference. Vague pronoun reference and pronounantecedent disagreementdefinition. Avoiding vague pronoun references practice write your answers on the lines and then print this page. The highlighted words represent vague pronouns because a reader. Improve your skills with free problems in identify vague pronoun references and thousands of other practice lessons. Exercise on vague or unclear pronoun reference with answer.