Here are three common types of faulty pronoun reference:
- Ambiguous reference occurs when a pronoun can refer to more than one antecedent.
- Remote reference occurs when a pronoun is so far away from its antecedent that the relationship is unclear.
- Vague reference occurs when a pronoun refers to a word that is only implied, not stated.
How do you correct a faulty pronoun reference?
This faulty pronoun reference can be easily corrected: When the daughter made a mess, the mother called her back to clean it up. Even with two pronouns, the references in this sentence are clear. Here is another example of a faulty pronoun reference.
What is a pronoun reference error?
Such errors, called FAULTYor VAGUE PRONOUN REFERENCE,can confuse readers and obscure the intended meaning. This teaching module will show you threemajor pronoun reference errors and ways to correct them so that you can avoid pronoun reference errors in your writing.
What happens if you make a bad pronoun reference?
A faulty pronoun reference will result in a muddled sentence and a confused reader. Here’s a tip: Want to make sure your writing always looks great? Grammarly can save you from misspellings, grammatical and punctuation mistakes, and other writing issues on all your favorite websites. Be the best writer in the office.
What are the different types of pronoun reference?
Examples and Observations 1 Ambiguous Pronoun Reference. "If a pronoun can refer to more than one antecedent, revise the sentence to make the meaning clear. ... 2 Remote Pronoun Reference. ... 3 Vague Pronoun Reference. ... 4 Broad Pronoun Reference 5 Pronoun reference. ... 6 The Lighter Side of Faulty Pronoun Reference. ...
What is pronoun reference error examples?
Here is another example of faulty pronoun reference caused by a hidden antecedent: Obviously, she refers to Mary since a house would NOT be able to answer a phone. However, Mary's modifies house - Mary's is a hidden antecedent and, thus, is not clear. Still another way to repair this error is to rephrase the sentence.
How do you know if a pronoun reference is faulty?
Rephrasing the sentence has made the meaning clear. Faulty / vague pronoun reference errors also occur when the pronoun's antecedent functions as an adjective rather than a noun. In such cases, the true antecedent is "hidden" or obscured from the reader because it has been subordinated to another noun.
What's a pronoun reference?
What is pronoun reference? Pronoun reference is the practice of making pronouns refer clearly to the words they replace. A pronoun takes the place of a noun; thus, the pronoun must agree with the noun it replaces in number and person. Also, it must be clear which noun the pronoun is substituting for.
What is an unclear pronoun reference?
An unclear pronoun reference occurs when it is not clear which noun a pronoun refers to. In the following example, the noun or nouns to which that pronoun might refer are in boldface, and the pronoun is in italics: Unclear: To keep birds from eating seeds, soak them in blue food coloring.
How do you fix a vague pronoun reference?
A pronoun is vague when it's unclear which noun the pronoun refers to. To correct a vague pronoun, replace the pronoun with its noun antecedent. Vague: As soon as Belinda saw Hannah, she waved hello. Corrected: As soon as Belinda saw Hannah, Belinda waved hello.
What is a pronoun Grammarly?
Grammarly. Pronouns are words that stand in for a noun in a sentence. Whenever pronouns are used, it should be unmistakably clear which noun the pronoun is standing in for. A faulty pronoun reference will result in a muddled sentence and a confused reader.
What is pronoun referent and give examples?
The definition of a pronoun is "a word used in the place of or as a substitute for a noun." The most common pronouns in English—and the ones which cause most problems in terms of their referents—are who/whom, he/him/his, she/her, it/its, or they/them/their. Here's an example where the referent of a pronoun is unclear.
What is a pronoun and give examples?
According to the Collins Dictionary, 'A pronoun is a word that you use to refer to someone or something when you do not need to use a noun, often because the person or thing has been mentioned earlier. Examples are 'it', 'she', 'something', and 'myself'.
What is an ambiguous pronoun reference?
What is a ambiguous pronoun reference? Ambiguous pronoun reference occurs when the antecedent of a pronoun is missing or unclear: John and Jim decided to go to the store after he finished work. Within this sentence, it is unclear whether "he" is referring to John or Jim.
What is a pronoun in grammar?
Grammarly. Grammar. Pronouns are words that stand in for a noun in a sentence. Whenever pronouns are used, it should be unmistakably clear which noun the pronoun is standing in for. A faulty pronoun reference will result in a muddled sentence and a confused reader.
What is a pronoun for "be the best writer in the office"?
Be the best writer in the office. A pronoun is like an actor’s double on a movie set: it is a simplified version of the noun it is standing in for. The mother called the daughter. The mother called her. Her is a pronoun representing the daughter in a simple construction that causes no confusion.
