Nambiguous pronoun reference pdf files

Personal pronouns and indefinite pronouns can be candidates for pronoun reference errors often called pronounantecedent agreement errors. Activities approximately 1 hour read the information, complete the activities that follow, and be prepared to discuss your answers when you meet with a tutor. The past participle of a verb conjugated with avoir and the past participle of a reflexive verb agree with. Forcoherence, a pronoun should be placed as close as possible to its antecedent. Every problem of pronoun reference upsets this clarity so that readers have problems deciding which of two or three earlier nouns a pronoun stands for or have difficulties finding any noun at all.

Unclear pronoun reference makes sentences confusing, vague, and difficult to. Faulty pronoun reference means the antecedent of your pronoun is not totally and immediately clear. A pronoun may point back to other items in a text anaphoric reference orless commonlypoint ahead to a later part of the text cataphoric reference. Unclear pronoun reference you want to write a sentence as clean as a bone. In one sentence, for example, the pronoun he might mean zippy the dog. The computer started up but then it crashed because it is old not the computer started up but then the computer crashed because the computer is old. Better writing avoiding vague and ambiguous pronoun references.

Sometimes, of course, writers want a text to be ambiguous, either for poetic reasons or to work a scam. Most often a reader will try to connect the pronoun. When my roommate paid her hers half of the rent, i. Unclear pronoun reference, along with a mismatch between the pronoun and its referent or antecedent, the word the pronoun is intended to replace, are issues that frequently cause students trouble. Ambiguous reference an ambiguous reference occurs when the pronoun could refer to two. The rule a pronoun must refer to a single noun, which acts as its antecedent. Pronoun reference 4 indefinite pronouns, generic nouns, and nonsexist language perhaps the most problematic area of pronoun reference these days revolves around generic nouns and indefinite pronouns. Gustavo slowed to the speed limit when he saw the police cruiser in the rearview mirror.

Also, it must be clear which noun the pronoun is substituting for. Pronoun reference every pronoun must have a clear reference. Many people a who buy a new puppy believe that the young dog should automatically behave as well as lassie, b who had years of obedience training and c which was a mature animal with control of her bladder. Some people dont feel like the most common gender pronouns sheher, hehim represent their gender identities or expressions because of how they are typically attributed to binary conceptions of sex malefemale and gender manwoman. Heres the full list a list of pronouns, plus definitions for each type of pronoun. A pronoun s reference will be unclear if it is ambiguous, implied, vague or indefinite. Terms in this set 4 avoid ambiguous or remote pronoun reference. Ambiguous pronoun reference a pronoun with multiple, possible antecedents. If the antecedent is in third person, the pronoun must be in third person. An ambiguous pronoun reference can be corrected or avoided in several ways. Subject pronouns i first person singular subject pronoun you second person singular subject pronoun he third person singular subject. Refer back to chapter three for an indepth discussion of the seven types of pronouns. A list english pronouns list below is a list of english pronouns.

Generic nouns are those that make reference to hypothetical individualsa doctor, a teacherin statements such as a doctor must always. An antecedent is the noun or pronoun for which a pronoun stands. That is, a pronoun is misused when the real noun to which it refers has not actually been mentioned. Best trick for pronoun reference in english grammar short cut english 2nd paper tips by wadud sir duration. Pronoun reference recognize pronoun reference when you see it. Using pronouns correctly eliminates unnecessary noun repetition in your writing. The free dictionary blog english grammar and spelling master these 10 most common writing tasks and youre set for life there are more than 100 pronouns. When i travelled to new york, i realized that you needed to pack your warmer clothes. Just as a chameleon changes its color to coordinate with its. If she borrows your yours coat, then you should be able to borrow her i hers. Then answer the questions, and check your answers at the end. Pronouns usually refer to other words, called their antecedents because they should come before the pronoun.

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence he, she, them, it. If the antecedent of the pronoun is unclear, then the. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Here is another example of faulty pronoun reference where a pronoun is asked to refer to a whole group of words instead of a clear, single noun antecedent. Whenever you use a personal pronoun like she, it, or they, you first have to have an antecedent, the word that the pronoun is replacing. Nicks hair is so long that this young man really needs to visit a barber before his interview at the bank. A pronouns antecedent may be either a noun or another pronoun, but in either case, it must be clear what the antecedent is. An antecedent is the noun to which the pronoun refers. Making pronoun references clear flashcards quizlet.

Pronoun agreement and reference a pronoun must agree with the word it refers to the antecedent. The majority of the most common indefinite pronounadjectives are in the lists below, but not all. Avoid most pronoun reference problems by following these rules. Understanding pronouns a pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun.

Making pronoun references clear memorial university. If an antecedent is singular, its pronoun must be singular, too. The pronoun finder will help you check your writing for these kinds of errors. Pronouns a pronoun is a word that replaces a noun or noun phrase. Case applies in different ways to pronouns and to nouns. A pronoun s antecedent is the word to which the pronoun refers. Itis easier to catch a faulty reference of pronouns if you read your rough draft aloud. Nick used to love water skiing and swimming in florida lakes, but now he worries. Which methods may be used to correct ambiguous pronoun. A for romanian farmers, rain dances called paparudas are an important ritual b for romanian farmers, a rain dance called paparudas are an important ritual c for a romanian farmer, rain. Vague pronoun reference sometimes faulty pronoun reference occurs, not because there are too many nouns possibly being referred to, but because there is none. Her is a pronoun representing the daughter in a simple construction that causes no confusion. There is no single rule for making pronoun reference clear in all cases. This noun is called the pronouns antecedent unfortunately, it is very easy to create a sentence that uses a pronoun without a clear, unmistakable noun antecedent.

Here youll first learn all about clear pronoun referenceand ways in which unclear pronoun reference can occur in your writing and speech. Pronoun reference is the practice of making pronouns refer clearly to the words they replace. Vague pronoun reference and pronoun antecedent disagreement definition. The word a pronoun refers to is called its antecedent. Making pronoun references clear pronouns substitute for nouns. When gloria set the pitcher on the glass table, it broke the pitcher broke when gloria set it on the glass table. Singular pronouns are used with singular antecedents, and plural pronouns are used with plural antecedents. A pronoun should agree in number with the noun it refers to. Heres the full list there are more than 100 pronouns. In traditional grammar, a construction in which a pronoun doesnt refer clearly and unambiguously to its antecedent is called faulty pronoun reference.

Avoiding vague and ambiguous pronoun references vocabulary antecedent the noun which a pronoun substitutes for or refers to. A pronoun takes the place of a noun, but a pronoun must always refer clearly to its antecedent, which is the noun that the pronoun replaces. Using pronouns pronouns are words that replace nouns so that you dont need to repeat the same noun several times in a text e. This is the picture which that caused such a sensation. The reader cannot be sure whether howard is very angry because. For romanian farmers, rain dances called paparudas are an important ritual, used to invoke rain and guarantee a successful harvest. Since the legal profession is highly valued by the public, they are very well paid. After braiding janees hair, andrea decorated them no word to which this pronoun refers with beads. Do not use a pronoun in such a way that it might refer to either of two antecedents. A pronoun is a word used to stand for or take the place of a noun a pronoun should refer clearly to one, clear, unmistakable noun coming before the pronoun. A pronoun takes the place of a noun, but a pronoun has always to refer clearly to its antecedent, which is the noun that the pronoun replaces. Students plural noun and their plural pronoun a plural pronoun is used to refer to words joined by bothand or two words joined by and. Case and reference pronoun case 9a what does case mean. Pronoun reference check every pronoun in your sentence to make sure that it has a word to which it refers.

A pronouns reference will be unclear if it is ambiguous, implied, vague or indefinite. Transgender, genderqueer, and other gender nonconforming people. If there is any possibilityof doubt, revise the sentence to remove the ambiguity. Actually, the term pronoun reference refers to the fact that the meaning of a pronoun comes from its antecedent, the noun or pronoun to which it refers. Make pronouns agree in person and number with their antecedents. As you know, pronouns must match in person and number with their antecedents. Ambiguous reference sometimes called double reference occurs when there are two possible antecedents for a single pronoun. Mary and mike invited their theirs parents to see their theirs new apartment. Vague pronoun reference a pronoun without a specific antecedent. Which methods may be used to correct ambiguous pronoun references. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website.