vague reference

8/4/2019 Vague Reference

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I. Faulty Pronoun ReferenceEvery pronoun you write should refer clearly and

unmistakably to ONE PARTICULAR noun. We callthis noun the antecedent.

Look at the following example:

>>After buying some disks, Mabel put them in thecabinet.

The pronoun "them" clearly refers to the noun disks.Disks is the antecedent for the pronoun them.


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Unfortunately, it is very easy to create a sentence that uses a

pronoun WITHOUT a clear, unmistakable noun antecedent.

Look at this example:>>After putting the diskin the cabinet, Mabel sold it.

The pronoun it does not have a clear noun antecedent.

As a result, the reader cannot know for sure whether Kara soldthe disk or the cabinet. The pronoun reference is faulty herebecause the pronoun it has two antecedents.

Such errors, called FAULTYor VAGUE PRONOUNREFERENCE, can confuse readers and obscure the intendedmeaning.


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The Three Major PronounReference Errors


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Error # 1: Too many antecedentsA pronoun should have only one antecedent (the noun it

refers to).

That antecedent must be clearand unmistakable.

Look at this sentence.

>> Take the radio out of the carand fix it.

Anyone who reads this sentence would not know which itemwas to be fixed.

Does itrefer to the radio or the car? The answer is unclear.


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In the above example, faulty pronoun reference occursbecause the pronoun it has two possible nounantecedents: radio and car.

You can repair this error by substituting a noun for thepronoun.

>>Take the radio out of the car and fix the radio.

or

>>Take the radio out of the car and fix the car.

REPHRASING the sentence made the meaning clear.


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Error # 2: Hidden AntecedentsFaulty / vague pronoun reference errors also occur when

the pronoun's antecedent functions asan adjective rather than a noun.

In such cases, the true antecedent is "hidden" orobscured from the reader because it has beensubordinated to another noun.

Thus, we call this kind of faulty antecedent a hidden

antecedent.Look at this sentence.

>>The candy dishwas empty, but we weretired of eating it anyway.


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The reader of this sentence might think thatthe dish was being eaten because dish appears to be

the antecedent for the pronoun it.

Obviously, people do not eat dishes. What this writermeans to say is, "We were tired of eating CANDY."

However, candycannot be the antecedentfor itbecause candy, situated in front of thenoun dish, is acting like an adjective. Only nouns canbe antecedents.

You can repair this error by substituting theappropriate noun for the pronoun it.

>> The candy dish was empty but we were tired ofeating candy anyway.


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Error # 3: No Antecedent at AllAnother kind of faulty/vague pronoun reference

problem occurs when writers use a pronoun withoutgiving the pronoun any antecedent at all.

Look at the following example.

>>The witness called the television station but theydidnt answer.

Question: Who are "they" mentioned in the sentence?

Answer: Since "they" has no antecedent in thesentence, the identity is unknown.


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In this example, the pronoun they has NO nounantecedent to which it can refer.

We can repair this error bychanging the pronounwithout an antecedent into a noun.

Example:

>> The witness called the television station, but thereportersdidnt answer.

Another way to repair this error isto create an antecedent -- one that is clear and

unmistakable.Example:

>> The witness called the television reporters,but theydidnt answer.


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Another example shows how this error in pronounreference occurs when a pronoun is used to stand for

(refer to) a wholegroup of words INSTEAD OF oneclear noun antecedent.

Look at this example.

>> I did not attend the rally,which was veryunpatriotic.

The pronounwhich has no single, clearantecedent.Instead, it refers to the entire clause -- "I did not

attend the rally."


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As you know, however, a pronoun must always refer to

a single, clear, unmistakable NOUN ANTECEDENT.

Thus, the reference in the above example is incorrect.

We can repair this error in at least two ways.

1. Replace the pronounwhich with a noun.

>> I did not attend the rally, my actionswere

very unpatriotic.

Now no antecedent is needed since no pronoun is used.


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2. Rephrase the sentence to eliminate the pronoun.

>>By not attending the rally, I was veryunpatriotic.

OR

>>Because I did not attend the rally, I was veyunpatriotic.

OR

>>My not attending the rally was very

unpatriotic.OR

>>Not attending the rally was very unpatriotic ofme.


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Watch out for "this" and "which"pronouns. Often they are usedincorrectly and create faulty or

vague pronoun reference

problems.


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THE END

--JhEd

vague reference

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