The problem stems from the difference between how we use. Avoiding vague and ambiguous pronoun references vocabulary antecedent the noun which a pronoun substitutes for or refers to. Pronouns should not refer to possessive nouns or to adjectives. It says on the bathroom wall that joe will sell the answers to the pronoun reference quiz for five dollars. Cliffsnotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what youre studying, cliffsnotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams.
Collect some of your graded work that identifies faulty pronoun antecedent agreement. Pronoun reference errors can be avoided by following these principles. If its antecedent is a pronoun that can be either singular or plural, underline twice the word that indicates its number in the sentence. A like their counterparts in hamlet, rosencrantz and guildenstern are powerless against their fate. Faulty pronoun references implied pronoun reference sometimes, a sentence is incorrectly written when the pronoun refers to an implied noun that isnt explicitly stated.
Vague reference pronoun noun free 30day trial scribd. Most often a reader will try to connect the pronoun with the subject of a previous clause or sentence. This article helps you learn the most common pronoun errors people make. Is this ok, or does it have a vague pronoun reference. For romanian farmers, rain dances called paparudas are an important ritual, used to invoke rain and guarantee a successful harvest. The researcher collected stories from the survivors and then put them into a book.
The antecedent of a pronoun cannot be an adjective, a possessive noun, a clause, or a phrase. Utah valley university uvu does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation. Bobs hands were so cramped from typing a 2,000word essay that a the poor boy. Sep 12, 2016 faulty pronoun reference is one of the most serious errors in writing because it can keep the reader from understanding your message. Locate five sentences that demonstrate correct or incorrect pronoun agreement, and write the sentences below. Since the legal profession is highly valued by the public, they are very well paid. How to correct vague, ambiguous, and unclear pronoun reference duration.
Note that in most cases, more than one correct answer is possible. Correct all marked errors and look for others to correct as well. Ambiguous antecedent a pronouns antecedent must be unambiguous. Pronouns are words that stand in for a noun in a sentence.
Vague pronoun reference a pronoun without a specific antecedent. Pronounantecedent agreement lewispalmer high school. A pronoun depends on a noun called the pronoun s antecedent for meaning. To change one prepositional object to a pronoun, follow the same procedure you did with other compound elements in this unit. Displaying all worksheets related to pronoun reference. Fix your common grammatical mistakes in pronouns with exercise. Make sure the antecedent and its pronoun are in the same sentence. In one sentence, for example, the pronoun he might mean zippy the dog. Faulty pronoun reference is one of the most serious errors in writing because it can keep the reader from understanding your message. Agreement in number if the antecedent is singular, use a singular pronoun. 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.
A faulty pronoun reference will result in a muddled sentence and a confused reader. Try out the html to pdf api 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. Pronounantecedent agreement a pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number, gender, and person. Pronoun reference recognize pronoun reference when you see it. Nicks hair is so long that this young man really needs to visit a barber before his interview at the bank. Pronoun case and perspective lesson this lesson is for students who already have a basic knowledge of pronouns. Last year vince played on the college lacrosse team, but this year he is too busy to play. If a pronoun references more than one antecedent, the sentence. An antecedent is the noun to which the pronoun refers. Faulty co reference may also occur with adverbs that do not replace an adverbial expression or pronouns that do not replace nouns. Pronoun errors in use 1 he called at mine house yesterday.
Ambiguous antecedent a pronoun s antecedent must be unambiguous. Better writing avoiding vague and ambiguous pronoun. The results of the survey on the political atmosphere in this country is frightening subjectverb agreement the results. Faulty reference of pronouns many students become frustrated when they receive comments from their instructors such as. An antecedent is the noun or pronoun for which a pronoun stands. Complete the packet of agreement and reference errors and be ready for an unannounced quiz that is, ironically, announced here. Language evolves and it has been proposed that usage may change pronouns like everyone from singular to plural in the near future. Refer back to chapter three for an indepth discussion of the seven types of pronouns. How to avoid faulty pronoun references write something you love.
Faulty pronoun references plague the manuscripts of many writers. When you are finished, click on the check my work button at the bottom of the page to check your answers. A pronoun depends on a noun called the pronouns antecedent for meaning. In traditional grammar, faulty pronoun reference is a catchall term for a pronoun often a personal pronoun that doesnt refer clearly and. Definiton and examples of faulty pronoun reference thoughtco. Just as a chameleon changes its color to coordinate with its environment, a pronoun alters. Misuse of this, which, that and it worksheet is suitable for 5th 7th grade. Singular pronouns are used with singular antecedents, and plural pronouns are used with plural antecedents. We run into problems with pronoun agreement because we hear. Faulty pronoun reference means the antecedent of your pronoun is not totally and immediately clear. As a result, the reader cannot know for sure whether mabel sold the disk or the cabinet. According to the menu, the pasta sauce is homemade. Better writing avoiding vague and ambiguous pronoun references. The nouns positions have been reversed, but the forms stay the same.
Exercise on vague or unclear pronoun reference with answer. Ambiguous pronoun reference a pronoun with multiple, possible antecedents. The basketball team is having their best season this year pronoun antecedent agreement. Jan 29, 2018 here are answers to the editing exercise. When writing and proofreading your papers, make sure that you avoid common misuses of pronouns. Unclear pronoun reference makes sentences confusing, vague, and difficult to understand. Vague pronoun reference and pronounantecedent disagreement. A pronouns antecedent is the word to which the pronoun refers. 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 dances called. This document should only be used as a reference and should not replace assignment guidelines. Anderson high school is a high school in austin, texas serving grades 912. Rewrite each sentence to correct the faulty pronoun reference.
Faulty pronoun reference 6, 10 misplaced modifier 5, 17 faulty pronoun case 18, 21. The fans booed and jeered at the referee because he had called it unfairly. Unclear pronoun references tutorials, quizzes, and help. That is, a pronoun is misused when the real noun to which it refers has not actually been mentioned. The wise writer makes certain that each pronoun he writes refers clearly to one noun, known as the antecedent. Do not use a pronoun in such a way that it might refer to either of two antecedents. Make pronouns agree in person and number with their antecedents. Ensure clarity in your writing by making pronoun antecedents absolutely clear and obvious. An antecedent is the noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers to or replaces. Your reader should connect your pronoun with its antecedent at once. Pronoun reference is the practice of making pronouns refer clearly to the words they replace. If an antecedent is singular, its pronoun must be singular, too. Displaying all worksheets related to vague pronouns.
As a result, the reader cannot know for sure whether kara sold the disk or the cabinet. Grammar common pronoun errors with uses and examples in pdf. Worksheets are pronoun reference exercise 5, exercise on vague or unclear pronoun reference with answer, pronoun agreement reference, work for clear pronoun reference, using pronouns correctly pronoun reference, a grammar help handout created by abbie potter henry, pronoun and antecedent agreement, pronoun antecedent. Note what happens, however, if we substitute pronouns for the nouns. Most of these comments are a direct result of improper pronoun reference. We explain unclear pronoun references with video tutorials and quizzes, using our many waystm approach from multiple teachers. How to avoid faulty pronoun references write something. The pronoun reference is faulty here because the pronoun it has two antecedents. Such errors, called faulty or vague pronoun reference, can confuse readers and obscure the intended meaning. Vague pronoun reference sometimes faulty pronoun reference occurs, not because there are too many nouns possibly being referred to, but because there is none. The original pronouns used for the first example joe loves. The rule a pronoun must refer to a single noun, which acts as its antecedent. When pronouns are used, it should be clear which noun the pronoun is standing in for. Common pronoun errors with uses and examples in pdf.
Faulty pronoun usage especially vague use of pronouns without specific references and incorrect subjectverb agreement vague use of pronouns without specific references vague pronoun reference occurs when you use a pronoun i, she, its, they, that to refer to a noun but the reference back to the original noun is vague or unclear. Vague pronoun reference and pronounantecedent disagreement definition. Faulty coreference may also occur with adverbs that do not replace an adverbial expression or pronouns that do not replace nouns. The pronoun it does not have a clear noun antecedent. Jan 29, 2017 faulty pronoun references plague the manuscripts of many writers. Whenever pronouns are used, it should be unmistakably clear which noun the pronoun is standing in for. Choose the pronoun that sounds correct for the remaining o.
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