Clarifying Vague Pronoun References

What is a pronoun?

• A descriptive adjective

• A punctuation mark

• A type of verb

• A word that replaces a noun

What does an antecedent refer to in a sentence?

• The verb being described

• The noun to which a pronoun refers

• The main subject

• The concluding statement

What makes a pronoun 'vague'?

• It is not necessary

• It refers to multiple nouns

• Its antecedent is not clear

• It is used too frequently

Which sentence element can cause confusion if not clear?

• Comma

• Antecedent

• Conjunction

• Adverb

How can you identify a vague pronoun in a document?

• By checking the punctuation

• By finding the longest sentence

• By counting the number of nouns

• By scanning for pronouns and their antecedents

What should you do if the antecedent is missing?

• Ignore the pronoun

• Remove the pronoun

• Rewrite the sentence to include a clear antecedent

• Change the topic

What can be added to clarify a vague pronoun 'this'?

• A noun or noun phrase after 'this'

• A verb

• An adjective

• A new paragraph

In the practice example, what was 'it' replaced with to enhance clarity?

• The object

• The feline

• The subject

• The animal

What should you ask yourself to ensure pronoun clarity?

• Are there any adjectives near the pronoun?

• Is the connection between the pronoun and antecedent easy to draw?

• Is the pronoun at the beginning of the sentence?

• Does the sentence contain more than one pronoun?

Where can you find more tips and tricks to improve your academic writing?

• The Riu Writing Center website

• Any novel

• A general web search

• A grammar textbook