Pronoun Reference
Shorthand: 鈥減-ref鈥�
A definite pronoun must refer clearly to a specific antecedent.
Generally, you can avoid errors of pronoun reference by avoiding unclear pronouns, especially at the beginnings of sentences. It and this make for weak subjects.
-
She was popular with all the students, but fortunately it did not make her conceited.
To what does it refer? Change it to her popularity, or rewrite the second clause: but fortunately she did not become conceited. -
He removed the books from the shelves in order to clean them.
What did he clean, the books or the shelves?
Correction: After removing the books, he cleaned the shelves. Or: He cleaned each book after he removed it from its shelf. -
I spent all my money at the Nice ’N Easy, which meant I couldn’t afford to pay my phone bill.
The word which refers to the entire preceding clause (not just the Nice ’N Easy) and is therefore vague.
Re-subordinate this sentence: Because I spent all my money at the Nice ’N Easy, I couldn’t afford to pay my phone bill. -
She was intelligent and hard-working. This, to my surprise, did not help her grades.
The words intelligent and hard-working are not proper antecedents for the pronoun this
Try: These qualities, to my surprise, did not help her grades. -
In Milton’s Paradise Lost, he explains the purposes of evil in the world.
Since Milton’s is an adjective, the he has no antecedent.
Correction: In Paradise Lost, Milton explains...
See also Agreement (“agr”) and The Sixth Rule: Pronoun Problems.
Find Your Voice
What good is having a great idea if you can’t communicate it effectively? We’ll teach you how to express yourself through writing and speaking, of course, but also through digital communications and artistic expression — all of which will help you stand out no matter what path you choose after graduation.
