Vague/Ambiguous and Weak Pronoun References
A pronoun must clearly refer to the correct antecedent.
An antecedent is the noun to which the pronoun refers.
Example of a Clear Pronoun References
I asked Mr. Jordan for the answer, but he didn’t know it.
Mr. Jordan and answer are both antecedents.
he and it are the pronouns
Example of Ambiguous Pronoun Reference
The partnership between Jones and Potter ended when he drew the firm’s money
from the bank and flew to Brazil.
How to Fix:
1. Find the pronouns in a sentence
2. Decide what or who is the antecedent
3. If you cannot clearly tell the antecedent, then you need to specify the pronoun
(that means use a noun instead)
Fixed: The partnership between Jones and Potter ended when ___________ drew the
firm’s money from the bank and flew to Brazil.
Do Now: pg 295 Exercise 1 and pg 299 Exercise 3.