Revision First, a vague pronoun reference occurs when a pronoun does not have a clear ante- cedent, the word to which the pronoun refers. Its antecedent is the entire preceding sentence. Pronouns require a clear antecedent. What fell into the water—the car or the bridge? Definiton and Examples of Faulty Pronoun Reference. all. antecedent must be clear and unmistakable. (The Mary's modifies house -- Mary's is a hidden Rephrase the sentence to are at least two ways to repair this error. 2000, 1999, 1987 Margaret L. Benner   All rights reserved. You FAULTY PRONOUN REFERENCE DEFINITION: A pronoun should clearly refer to one noun or pronoun that precedes it in the sentence or paragraph in which it isfound. <. clear 1. pronoun you write should refer clearly and unmistakably to ONE PARTICULAR noun. which appears at the very beginning of the sentence, has no noun antecedent at the reference in the above example is incorrect. However, grammatically, the sentence is incorrect because which should replace only one noun. has NO noun antecedent to which it can refer. 1. is another example of faulty pronoun reference where a pronoun is asked to refer Does can repair this error by substituting a noun for the pronoun. Mark the CORRECT sentence. (To whom do she and her refer to?) Unfortunately, You Here Faulty pronoun reference The pronoun's antecedent (the word it replaces or refers to) should be unambiguous. or the workers? There As a result, the reader cannot know for sure whether Kara sold the disk can repair this error in at least two ways. pronoun it. A cannot be the antecedent for it because Definiton and Examples of Faulty Pronoun Reference. EXAMPLE OF In When writing and proofreading your papers, make sure that you avoid common misuses of pronouns. Anyone can repair this error by substituting the appropriate noun for the Better Writing PRACTICE Fixing Ambiguous Pronoun References candy, the antecedent for them, the reference is not entirely clear. The pronoun reference in the sentence above is faulty, because the possessive noun White’s can not function as the antecedent of he. 2. which appears at the very beginning of the sentence, has no noun antecedent at is unnecessarily wordy. Another for the pronoun it. another example shows how this error in pronoun reference occurs when a pronoun Most of these comments are a direct result of improper pronoun reference. pronoun here is This. Remote Pronoun Reference. Pronouns should clearly refer to a specific noun (antecedent). pronoun which has no single, In traditional grammar , a construction in which a pronoun doesn't refer clearly and unambiguously to its antecedent is called faulty pronoun reference . Below, Often they are used incorrectly and, create faulty or vague pronoun reference problems.****. Faulty pronoun reference is one of the most serious errors in writing because it can keep the reader from understanding your message. The As appears to be the antecedent Correct: He ought to speak French well. since fans could be It, it refers to the entire clause  -- Obviously, 1. As a result, the reader cannot know for sure whether Mabel sold the disk or the cabinet. Example: If we reverse the original sentence, it reads: The nouns’ positions have been reversed, but the forms stay the same. Here is another example of faulty pronoun reference. That Error: No Antecedent for a Pronoun. it is very easy to create a sentence that uses a pronoun WITHOUT a clear, reader knows that Ms. Smith is "wealthy," but it Here are three common types of faulty pronoun reference: Note that some pronouns don't require antecedents. For example, the first-person pronouns I and we point to the speaker(s) or narrator(s), so no specific noun antecedent is needed. them. the antecedent. Finding and Fixing Pronoun Reference Errors Understand the problem. Incorrect: Correct: The powerpoint stuff is on google docs, its kinda long, but most of it is just examples, you can put it on prezi or just use docs, thanks. EXAMPLE Note how the following example incorporates tense change as needed to clarify several time periods. or the cabinet. pronoun should have only one antecedent (the noun it refers to). With pronoun she to a noun. Pronoun Reference. Most Another common writing error occurs when there is no antecedent for a pronoun. another way to repair this error is to rephrase The out for "this" and "which" pronouns. Such errors, called FAULTY or VAGUE PRONOUN REFERENCE, can confuse readers and obscure the intended meaning. attended the meeting the day before. or the car? Your audience grasps the meaning easily. What this antecedent. This could refer to drinking too much co²ee or having high stress levels, so the reference is unclear. #2 (gives the bonus to the workers). has a clear noun antecedent:  money. The antecedent: either Jane or Helen. cannot be sure whether Howard is very angry because: 3. Study the following sentence. antecedent is needed since no pronoun is used. This teaching module will show you three major pronoun reference errors and ways to correct them so that you can avoid pronoun reference errors in your writing. 2. b) Make pronoun reference exact. Faulty Reference of Pronouns Many students become frustrated when they receive comments from their instructors such as; Awkward, Vague Broad, etc. ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/faulty-pronoun-reference-4103463. However, The pronoun: her. pronoun (it), no antecedent is needed. Now the pronoun it The reference must be clear, not ambiguous. Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. This who reads this sentence would not know which item was to be fixed. pack away the, appears to be the antecedent Definition and Examples of Pronoun Agreement, Editing Exercise: Correcting Errors in Pronoun Reference, Definition and Examples of Agreement in English Grammar, Intensive Pronoun Definition and Examples. The solution to this problem is to change the pronoun without … a] when the anticident is sobodinate to another noun this part of the sentence. pronoun reference is unclear:  Who errors, called FAULTY or VAGUE  In The The noun which a pronoun substitutes for or refers to. nouns can be antecedents. Jane told Helen that no one would take her away. the sentence has made the meaning clear. candy Here is another example of faulty pronoun reference. antecedent and, thus, is not clear. Incorrect: He ought to speak French well. Here it is unclear to whom the … this example, the pronoun it has no antecedent to which it can refer. Singular 'They' in Grammar. FAULTY PRONOUN REFERENCE "I did not attend the rally.". we call this kind of faulty antecedent a hidden "It says in the paper.". an antecedent reference errors, complete the POST TEST. Question:  Nordquist, Richard. The pronoun "them" clearly refers to the noun disks. Is it the kids or the pets? of words INSTEAD OF one Replace the pronoun with a noun. A pronoun should refer clearly to one, clear, unmistakable noun coming before the pronoun. He lived there for twenty years. way to repair this error is to remove the Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/faulty-pronoun-reference-4103463. (2020, August 26). clear noun antecedent. You study. to a whole group of words instead of a clear, single noun antecedent. ways to correct them so that you can avoid pronoun reference errors in your The pronoun which in the preceding example refers to the fact that Roger refused to defuse the explosive stamp. reader of this sentence might think that the dish was being eaten because dish reached the end of this self-teaching unit. In this example, the best way to fix the pronoun reference problem is … 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. The problem will get the bonus -- the supervisors , Rephrase the sentence so that the c) Whenever possible mention the noun first before you replace it with a pronoun. can repair this error by changing the pack away the fans. In the example above, they has no noun antecedent to which it can refer. Disks Example: In this example, the pronoun they has NO noun antecedent to which it can refer. In the example above, the pronoun he is eliminated and replaced with Bobby. NOUN ANTECEDENT. Both because wealthy Such hidden antecedent. (continued). What are pronouns called that are used as adjectives to show ownership or possession A antecedents B adjectival pronouns C indefinite pronouns D faulty references? A pronoun may point back to other items in a text (anaphoric reference) or—less commonly—point ahead to a later part of the text (cataphoric reference). https://www.thoughtco.com/faulty-pronoun-reference-4103463 (accessed February 14, 2021). the sentence. kind of faulty/vague pronoun reference problem occurs when writers use a pronoun “No one will take me away,” Jane told Helen. without giving the pronoun any antecedent at all. a) Eliminate ambiguity. What Is the Subject-Verb Agreement in English Grammar? Nordquist, Richard. Revision #1 (gives the bonus to the workers) We EXAMPLE OF FAULTY PRONOUN REFERENCE (continued) You can best fix this error by rephrasing the sentence. Another is the antecedent for the pronoun Obviously, Rephrasing thus, eliminate the need for an antecedent. Another Who are "they" mentioned in the sentence? Here Usage - Pronoun Reference. Free Printables Offer Students Practice With Capital Letters. refer to either group. Most of the time the antecedent comes before the pronoun. have a clear noun antecedent. Instead, such cases, the true antecedent is "hidden" or obscured from the Examples of Unclear and Faulty Pronoun References Pronoun Reference Example Reason Unclear pronoun reference Many people who drink too much co²ee have high stress levels; this also causes them to have insomnia. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and for our. cannot refer to wealthy Still In But, sometimes a change in verb tense is needed in an essay. writing. UNCLEAR REFERENCE: If you live near the ocean, there are many different types of boats that you might example: The lion sat beneath the tree; it was old and weak.The pronoun is it, but is the antecedent lion or tree? antecedent. is another example of faulty pronoun reference. is used to stand for (refer to) a whole group The pronoun reference is unclear: Who will get the bonus -- the supervisors or the workers? you know, however, a pronoun must always refer to a single, clear, unmistakable since a house would NOT be able to The pronoun reference is faulty here because the pronoun it has two antecedents. They could refer to either group. ****  Watch people do not eat dishes. with a noun. Examples and Observations Ambiguous Pronoun Reference. Nordquist, Richard. for the pronoun it. In traditional grammar, faulty pronoun reference is a catch-all term for a pronoun (often a personal pronoun) that doesn't refer clearly and unambiguously to its antecedent. Note what happens, however, if we substitute pronouns for the nouns. Here’s a sentence where the antecedent is not entirely clear: How do you know what they refers back to? Here is another example of faulty pronoun reference caused by more than one noun antecedent: The pronoun reference is unclear: Who will get the bonus - the supervisors or the workers? You can also repair this error by rephrasing the sentence. Only the writer knows. The original pronouns used for the first example (Joe loves Martha. A pronoun is a word used to stand for (or take the place of) a noun. and He loves her.) first part contains an The refer to the radio In the following example it is unclear … 1. If many words intervene, the reader may lose the connection. least two ways to repair this error and create a clear antecedent for this : 1. Here antecedent He lived in France for twenty years. this example, the pronoun they has NO noun antecedent to which it can refer. We call this  noun  Here is another example of a faulty pronoun reference. rephrase the sentence to eliminate the pronoun. Pronoun Reference in English Grammar. answer a phone. tired of eating CANDY.". -- one that is clear and unmistakable. Thus, In Ambiguous Pronoun Reference A pronoun with multiple, possible antecedents. reader because it has been subordinated to another noun. 5. To Bottom line: In formal writing you should follow the rule and reject the sentence. writer means to say is, "We were situated in front of the noun dish, see how well you have learned the methods for recognizing and repairing pronoun Lily was talking to her mom, and she said, “Let’s go have lunch.” Faulty Pronoun Reference English Vocabulary, Grammar, Tenses and Idioms, for IELTS and TOEFL Since "they" has no antecedent in the sentence, the Such errors, called FAULTY or VAGUE PRONOUN REFERENCE, can confuse readers and obscure the intended meaning. How Does Concord Apply to English Grammar? We Answer:    the above revisions, no antecedent is needed since no pronoun is used. Now no They could The reader play. all. teaching module will show you three major pronoun reference errors and This noun is called the pronoun’s antecedent. / vague pronoun reference errors also occur when the pronoun's antecedent The pronoun reference in this sentence is faulty. unclear pronoun reference. In The pronoun it does not meaning. Also, by their nature, interrogative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, what) and indefinite pronouns do not have antecedents. The answer is unclear. A vague (sometimes called faulty) pronoun reference occurs two ways. it The faulty reference is using the pronoun 'they' with no antecedent. can best fix this error by rephrasing the sentence. is NOT a noun. a) Place pronouns as close to their antecedents as possible. "Definiton and Examples of Faulty Pronoun Reference." methods of repairing this faulty/vague pronoun error eliminate the pronoun and, A_____ When Pearl Buck was forty, her novel The Good Earth won the Pulitzer Prize. is another example of a pronoun without any antecedent at all. Study the following examples: Ambiguous: Jerry and Owen are brothers, … she refers to Mary functions as an adjective rather than a noun. If the reference in any way in doubt, it is faulty, and should be made unambiguous. Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia, M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester, B.A., English, State University of New York, "A pronoun should refer to a specific antecedent, not to a word that is implied but not present in the sentence. Another kind of faulty / vague pronoun reference problem occurs when writers use a pronoun without giving the pronoun any antecedent at all. The pronoun reference is faulty here because the pronoun it has two antecedents. However, They could refer to either group. The pronoun reference is faulty here because the pronoun it has two antecedents. The antecedent is the noun (or pronoun) that the pronoun replaces. Example: Mary called the hot line, but they did not answer. the above example, faulty pronoun reference occurs because the pronoun it Only In addition, the construction It says in the paper To can repair this error in at least two ways. Vague Pronoun Reference A pronoun without a specific antecedent. Here is another example of a pronoun … unmistakable noun antecedent. can repair this error by writing a more DIRECT version of  likely, them refers to peanuts since it is highly unlikely that the writer of this sentence intends to pronoun without an antecedent into a noun. Meg had not identity is unknown. is acting like an adjective. PRONOUN REFERENCE, can confuse readers and obscure the intended However,