Sometimes authors get into the habit of using the pronouns this, that, it, or which to refer to a noun or clause called an antecedent in the previous sentence. Harry was always late for class, and it drove his teacher crazy. And often, all of this must be done on the fly, while one is speaking. Harry was always late for class, and this drove his teacher crazy. English language arts standards language grade 6 1 d print this page. Pronoun reference is the practice of making pronouns refer clearly to the words they replace. After the teacher gave susan the paper, she walked away angrily. Get free clarifying vague pronouns plato answer clarifying vague pronouns plato answer. Vague pronouns confuse your reader incorrect pronoun. Avoiding vague pronoun references practice write your answers on the lines and then print this page.
Exercise on vague or unclear pronoun reference with answer. There are several types of pronouns in english grammar shown here. You may need to revise the sentence to give a bit more information. Worksheet for clear pronoun reference julian high school. While vague pronoun reference can be annoying, so is being obsessive about it.
Vague pronouns two writing lab revision module youtube. Relative clauses describe or give extra information about something. Using pronouns correctly eliminates unnecessary noun repetition in your writing. I have a mail mergebased word template which is currently using masculine pronouns as the default. Bernardo reads both fiction and nonfiction, and he likes it a lot. Choose the correct pronouns to complete the sentences. Whereas the personal pronouns proper do not combine with plural markers. Pronoun practice 2 revise thefollowing sentences byremoving vague or repetitious pronouns. When used by the merely clueless, vague words make an article confusing and possibly make readers misinterpret or even miss important information altogether. Pronouns a pronoun is a word that replaces a noun or noun phrase. A clear description of what a vague pronoun is in a sentence and th. Graham went to the table and he picked up the ruler. Circle the pronoun that agrees in number with its antecedent the noun to which it refers.
Introduction pronouns help writers to avoid repetition, but when a pronoun is. Mail merge changing pronoun according to gender problem. Because a pronoun refers to a noun or takes the place of that noun, you have to use the correct pronoun so that your reader clearly understands which noun your pronoun is referring to. Vivian met laura at the coffee shop where she works after school.
A list english pronouns list below is a list of english pronouns pronouns are words that are used as noun and noun phrase replacements. The first step is making sure students can locate and find their pronouns. Swbat locate vague words and pronouns, then replace them with more specific word choice. End slide includes an activity to practice correcting sentences containing vague pronouns. In this module, we discuss the importance of having clear antecedents for your pronouns, and we practice specific strategies for revising sentences with vague pronouns. Yeah, even many books are offered, this book can steal the reader heart therefore much. By using simple language he made his works more approachable for the readers while also making it more complicated and requiring complex analysis of characters and their behavior.
Ixl identify vague pronoun references 10th grade language. 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. Pronouns must avoid being vague in what they reference. Aug 01, 2015 in this module, we discuss the importance of having clear antecedents for your pronouns, and we practice specific strategies for revising sentences with vague pronouns.
Once the drafts are passed back, i ask all students to secure a highlighter and highlight all pronouns. Avoiding vague and ambiguous pronoun references vocabulary antecedent the noun which a pronoun substitutes for or refers to. A pronoun s reference will be unclear if it is ambiguous, implied, vague or indefinite. There are also some expressions where the pronoun does not need to have an antecedent e. In general, a pronoun should refer to a particular word in the preceding sentence.
Pronoun reference sentence errors the nature of writing. The noun that the pronoun is the substitute for is called the. In these three sentences, the pronouns refer to the idea that harry was always late, but they cant logically refer back to either of the two nouns, harry or class. Pdf this paper is an enquiry into the english pronouns and their usages. Write the letter v next to the sentence that has a vague pronoun reference. Pdf the english pronouns and thier usage researchgate. Learn vague pronoun reference with free interactive flashcards. John and jane are combining their money to purchase a larger gift for their. I have created many pronoun worksheets, resources, and activities over. I avoid sentences in which there are two possible antecedents for a pronoun. A vague pronoun reference means that more than one noun could be the antecedent, it is not clear which noun is the antecedent.
Improve your language arts knowledge with free questions in identify vague pronoun references and thousands of other language arts skills. Pronoun agreement and vague pronouns flashcards quizlet. Possible ways to fix vague pronouns replace it with a noun. Displaying top 8 worksheets found for vague pronouns grade 6. The other occurs when a pronoun used refers to a word that is implied but not specifically stated. In english grammar, pronouns are words used in place of a noun or another pronoun. That happens when the antecedent is missing or is vague. Combining sentences conjunctions and coordination discourse connectors. If the pronoun takes the place of a singular noun, you have to use a singular pronoun. Instead of saying graham went to the table and graham picked up the ruler.
I would like to make the document change it to female according to a gender match field e. Displaying all worksheets related to vague pronouns. Pronoun reference recognize pronoun reference when you see it. In sentence 3, however, it is unclear to which boy the singular pronoun he refers. Making pronoun references clear memorial university. Learn english with gill engvid recommended for you. Example they get a great deal of snow in vermont, revised. Some of the possessive pronouns are yours, his, hers. A pronouns antecedent is the word to which the pronoun refers.
To avoid a vague pronoun reference, make sure that a pronoun cannot possibly refer to more than one antecedent. One must learn to avoid using vague pronouns, or pronouns with unclear antecedents. Hemingway uses vague pronouns and simple language to. Subject pronouns i first person singular subject pronoun you second person singular subject pronoun he third person singular subject pronoun. Using these pronouns is not necessarily wrongas long as the reference is clear.
Which pronoun in the following sentence which pronoun in the following sentence verbs that dont show action. 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. A pronoun s antecedent is the word to which the pronoun refers. Bob spent the entire day fishing, but he didnt catch a single. Pronouns a pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. Use singular pronouns to refer to indefinite pronouns words like everybody. Pronouns are words that take the place of common and proper nouns in a sentence. When the little boy grabbed the lizard, tail broke off in hand. Use those same pronouns when you combine them as the subject of the following sentence. A pronouns reference will be unclear if it is ambiguous, implied, vague or indefinite. Pronouns are useful because they help avoid unnecessary repetition in both writing and speech. The legal writer problems with pronouns welcome to the oregon. Proofreading a paragraph for correct pronoun forms some of the sentences in the following paragraph contain pronouns that have been used incorrectly.
Indefinite pronouns this is the longest list of pronouns in english, many of the words can have many different grammatical functions singular. It, this, and which are pronouns, and they need to refer back to a specific noun, not to the whole idea of a previous statement. You have now reached the end of this selfteaching unit. Often they are used incorrectly and create faulty or vague pronoun reference problems. C sentence 3, outside of school, he is also an excellent student that excels in mathematics and science. Intuitively, what is meant by saying that an indefinite pronoun. Introduction pronouns help writers to avoid repetition, but when a pronoun is vague, or unclear, readers cant tell what or whom it refers to. The word a pronoun refers to is called its antecedent. They link the subject to word a pronoun with an antecedent that is not clear. Ambiguous pronoun reference a pronoun with multiple, possible antecedents. When there is 2 subjects in the sentence, and the pronoun is u the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. An easy grammar lesson on a challenging concept this is a great product for teaching students how to avoid using vague pronouns in sentences. Cate hoppes and maverick wagley present vague pronoun references and a guide on how to revise them.
Often, my feedback will say things like, make sure you listen carefully during todays lesson, you have a few paragraphs that feature vague pronouns. Pronouns need to agree in number, agree in person, and refer clearly to a specific noun. This short packets helps students learn and practice common core standard l6. Also, it must be clear which noun the pronoun is substituting for. Better writing avoiding vague and ambiguous pronoun. Choose from 147 different sets of vague pronoun reference flashcards on quizlet. An extremely common mistake made by college writers is using pronouns particularly the pronouns it, which, that, and thiswithout a clear antecedent. Feb 06, 2016 learn british accents and dialects cockney, rp, northern, and more. It contains an activity in which the language learners are asked to underline the best word possessives or object pronouns. Eliminate a vague pronoun reference by the following methods.
Take all the spoiled meat out of the refrigerator, and move it out of the house. Changing a vague pronoun to a noun is not always enough. We have used the pronoun he instead of the noun graham. One occurs when there is more than one noun that the pronoun could refer to. In one sentence, for example, the pronoun he might mean zippy the dog. Use the api to collect data from all tables and merge them. Vague expressions english grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. Faulty pronoun reference university of south florida. The rule a pronoun must refer to a single noun, which acts as its antecedent. This is the only possible option as it is the only object pronoun a pronoun that takes the action of the verb invite.
Ambiguous reference an ambiguous reference occurs when the pronoun could refer to two. The correct pronoun is her, which refers back to the singular each 1. Harry was always late for class, which drove his teacher crazy. Using pronouns pronouns are words that replace nouns so that you dont need to repeat the same noun several times in a text e. Dear subscriber, afterward you are hunting the clarifying vague pronouns plato answer buildup to entrance this day, this can be your referred book. Roy had scolded little sylvia, she regretted her rudeness. The only antecedent for the personal pronoun they and the possessive adjective their is the noun patterns. No matter how simple this seems, getting students to understand and be able to apply this knowledge is not always so easy.
Grammar name a sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. For one thing, in speech we tend to be more casual with pronouns. Pronoun worksheets and activities ereading worksheets. Richard nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and english at georgia southern university and the author of several universitylevel grammar and composition textbooks. Worksheets are vague pronouns, exercise on vague or unclear pronoun reference with answer, vague pronoun reference and pronoun antecedent, pronouns 2 vague or unclear pronoun references, better writing avoiding vague and ambiguous pronoun references, faulty pronoun reference. We use relative pronouns like which, that, who and where at the beginning of relative clauses. Pronoun and antecedent agreement lone star college. This exercise will give you practice in correcting errors in pronoun reference. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. Vague pronouns confuse your reader by brian smith one of the worst things you can do as a writer is confuse your reader. English language arts standards language grade 6 1 d.
Vague pronoun reference a pronoun without a specific antecedent. Him or her would also have worked, but not he, she or they. The pronoun it does not have a clear noun antecedent. Vague pronouns connors writing center dimond library 329. Grade 2, pronouns, nouns, common and proper nouns, printable first grade grammar worksheets, rewrite sentences created date. Vague pronoun reference and pronounantecedent disagreement definition. Make sure that your pronouns refer clearly to their antecedents or referents.
After the play, henrique told isadora that her solo was excellent. Avoiding vague pronoun references macmillanmcgrawhill. You could combine the two parts into a single statement. He used simple language and vague pronouns to convey complex meanings to his readers. The pronoun reference is faulty here because the pronoun it has two antecedents. If a pronoun seems to refer to more than one antecedent, either reword the sentence to make the antecedent clear or eliminate the pronoun.
As a result, the reader cannot know for sure whether kara sold the disk or the cabinet. When you begin a sentence with it, this, that, or which, make sure that your audience will understand the antecedent of these pronouns. If an antecedent is singular, its pronoun must be singular, too. Number 173 teaching pronouns in the classroom by suzie hill, m. To repair the faulty pronoun reference this rephrase the sentence to eliminate the pronoun. Hiroto prepared so well for the debate that he crushed the competition. Unclear pronoun reference you want to write a sentence as clean as a bone. In the hands of those with more sinister intents, vague words can be used to make articles that are readable enough impart wrong or biased information but confusing enough to prevent. It aligns with grade 6 english language arts literacy common core standards 6. The profits from the investment would be large, which i realized almost immediately. Ixl identify vague pronoun references 6th grade language arts. I want to be able to click on export pdf in the not hidden table and generate a pdf file with both tables. Each sentence below contains a vague pronoun reference a pronoun without a clear noun antecedent.
Unclear pronoun reference makes sentences confusing, vague, and difficult to. Making pronoun references clear pronouns substitute for nouns. As a result, the reader cannot know for sure whether mabel sold the disk or the cabinet. Vague pronouns worksheet by resources galore teachers. The pronoun, as we all know, is a word used in place of a noun. Example 1 to velma and i, dizzy dean is one of the greatest. Vague pronoun reference and pronounantecedent disagreement. One must learn to identify subjective, objective, and possessive cases. A sentence fragment does not express a complete thought. Such errors, called faulty or vague pronoun reference, can confuse readers and obscure the intended meaning. Here are a few fun ideas for teaching pronouns in the.
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