In the example above, “this” is a vague pronoun. Definition and Examples. Revision #1 (gives the bonus to the workers) In the example above, they is replaced by the operator. The laundry isn’t going to do itself. An antecedent is hidden if it serves as an adjective instead of a noun. In these sentences ‘mine’, ‘hers’ and ‘theirs’ are possessive pronouns, and ‘my’, ‘her’ and ‘their’ are possessive adjectives. Mary called the hot line, but they did not answer. It lowered his grade. It should be thrown with great force." The pronoun refers to its antecedent. 7 benefits of working from home; Jan. 26, 2021. Pronoun Reference Recognize the importance of pronoun reference. Personal pronouns stand for three persons: Personal pronoun of the first person stands for the person(s) speaking. This made David very angry. A plural pronoun may refer to more than one noun. A pronoun helps us avoid unnecessary repetition in our writing and speech.In other words, words that can be used instead of a noun are called pronouns. Another kind of faulty / vague pronoun reference problem occurs when writers use a pronoun without giving the pronoun any antecedent at all. This computer is. In other words, words that can be used instead of a noun are called pronouns. Demonstrative pronouns point out people or objects. Example: In this example, the pronoun they has NO noun antecedent to which it can refer. So, we may get confused at times. (You, thou, thee), Personal pronoun of the third person stands for the person(s) spoken of. Before moving on to other types of pronoun, it is very important to understand what antecedents are. EXAMPLE OF FAULTY PRONOUN REFERENCE (continued) You can best fix this error by rephrasing the sentence. In the example above, the pronoun he is eliminated and replaced with Bobby. I, She, he, her, him, me, you, we, us, it, they and them In most cases, these are the types of pronouns that really matter. Revise by repeating the noun. In the following examples, the pronouns are italicized. Error: Pronoun References a Possessive Noun. You can improve your writing a lot by taking care not to use vague pronoun references. Another option is to eliminate the pronoun. Personal pronouns are used to replace nouns or noun phrases. How and When to Introduce the Hero’s Core Wound. The rewritten sentence above makes the meaning clear. For example everybody, … Pronouns are chameleon words. 6. In the example above, they has no noun antecedent to which it can refer. There are four demonstrative pronouns. Look at Mike. I commend how the content is all made up, with the definitions and examples given, and used in sentences. Emphatic pronouns are pronouns used for highlighting, stressing or emphasizing the noun or pronoun that comes before it. Don’t tell me that you can’t go with us. There are three main reasons as to why vague pronouns are formed in the text. Now that we’ve explored that, let’s look at some of the most common vague pronoun errors I see in student writing: 1. An indefinite pronoun can stand for singular, plural or at times for both. Reflexive pronouns are pronouns where the subject and the object are the same person(s), i.e. Replace it with a noun or noun phrase: The student’s paper showed little revision between drafts, and the lack of effort resulted in a lower grade. In the example above, it should refer to the candy, not the wrapper; however, in the sentence above, candy’s functions as an adjective. Pronouns are frequently used in academic writing, but the use of ‘vague pronouns’ can be problematic. When they fail to do so, a vague pronoun results, meaning that the writer or speaker is not communicating effectively. Sometimes writers erroneously use a pronoun to refer to a group of words instead of one clear noun antecedent. A vague pronoun antecedent occurs when a pronoun refers to one or more groups of words and the reference is not clear. 7. Example: Jill phoned David last night to criticize his driving. 3. 2. Let’s look at some examples: Vague: The student’s paper showed little revision between drafts. I, you, he, she, we, they, me, you, him, her, us, them. Pronouns are some of the most useful words in the English language. Improve your skills with free problems in 'Identify vague pronoun references' and thousands of other practice lessons. We use certain vague expressions to make groups or categories. Improve your language arts knowledge with free questions in "Identify vague pronoun references" and thousands of other language arts skills. For example: In above sentences, ‘this’ and ‘these’ are demonstrative adjectives, and ‘that’ and ‘those’ are demonstrative adjectives, and ‘that’ and ‘those’ are demonstrative pronouns. They selected a sweeper for the job. The pronoun refers to its antecedent. We usually give examples of members of the group or category (underlined below) and then add a vague expression, e.g. We are going on vacation. Brent hit it. We ran into each other at the mall. Example: This website gives you a bird’s eye view of the Idioms used in Indian exam system since British times. Subscribe to our new updates in your email. The pronoun which in the example above has no clear antecedent. A pronoun should clearly refer to one specific antecedent. An indefinite pronoun refers to an indefinite or general person or thing. In the sentence above, it is not clear who screamed. The reader knows that Mrs. Smith … Error: Pronoun References an Entire Sentence. In White’s novel Charlotte’s Web, he tells the story of a pig’s friendship with a spider. By definition, pronouns, which take the place of a noun, cannot refer to an idea expressed in an entire sentence or statement; instead, a pronoun must refer back to a specific noun. Here, Brent is hitting something else, the pronoun “it.” Brent hit himself. Some writers like to use a possessive noun as the antecedent for a pronoun; however, a possessive noun functions as an adjective. The reader has to guess. Which sentence does not use a vague pronoun? They are used in the place of a noun to avoid it having to be named twice. The girl rode his bike. For example: Suzy threw the boomerang and it came back to her. Error: Pronoun References an Entire Sentence. Mike is good at skating. Determine the pronoun and the antecedent A pronoun refers to a noun. A possessive pronoun points towards the owner of something. When she removed the candy’s wrapper, it turned out to be chocolate.