What Are Vague Pronoun Problems?
by Kathleen M.
The main problem with most writing is clarity. And teachers will mark all sorts of things to help you try to clarify your meaning. One of the things they may have suggested you learn about is vague pronoun reference.
One of the problems with having to look up things that will aid in your writing is that the grammar terms might be confusing. In order to understand pronoun reference, you will encounter words like pronoun, antecedent, referents, and noun phrases. If you understand all of these, points to you; but if you don’t, let’s break it down!
Example:
Sam and Dave went to the UC information session, he thought it was helpful.
Revised:
Sam and Dave went to the UC information session, they thought it was helpful.
Or:
Sam and Dave went to the UC information session, Dave thought it was helpful but Sam disagreed.
You will see that when you mention two people and then use the pronoun “he,” it is unclear which person you are referring to. Even the revised version with “they” could still be confusing as we don’t know if either Sam or Dave claims that pronoun as a part of their identity, so the clearest revision is the third option above.
Here is another example:
The car was parked on the street, and it was damaged.
What was damaged? By using “it,” you are opening up possible confusion for the reader. Was the car or street damaged?
Remember that when you are writing personal essays, these kinds of confusion are especially to be avoided. You want to show readers who you are; you don’t want them to have a series of questions about what you meant to say.
If you are looking for a way to proofread for vague pronouns, you might try searching for “it” first. Then read each use and make sure what you want to say is clear. If you have time, also search for he, she, and they! You will find that the search function in word is helpful for proofreading in this way and will offer you an opportunity to clarify what you mean before submitting your writing.
Resources:
“On Pronouns and Their Referents”
