Vague Pronouns What is a vague pronoun? A vague pronoun might include words such as it, that, this, and which, and can leave the reader wondering what or to whom the pronoun refers.

Vague Pronouns To avoid a vague pronoun reference, make sure that a pronoun cannot possibly refer to more than one antecedent. If a pronoun seems to refer to more than one antecedent, either reword the sentence to make the antecedent clear or eliminate the pronoun.

Vague Pronouns Vague: When Lily saw her friend, she smiled. (Which word is the antecedent of she? Did Lily or her friend smile?) Clear: Lily smiled when she saw her friend. (In this reworded sentence, Lily is clearly the antecedent of she.) Clear: When Lily saw her friend, Lily smiled. (In this sentence, Lily replaced she; now it is clear who smiled.)

Vague Pronouns Vague pronoun references also occur when the pronouns it, you, and they are incorrectly used as indefinite pronouns. In these cases, change the pronoun to a noun that names the performer of the action.

Vague Pronouns Vague: On my street, they pick up the garbage on Mondays. Clear: On my street, trash collectors pick up the garbage on Mondays. Vague: In this magazine article, it recommends eating more vegetables. Clear: In this magazine article, the writer recommends eating more vegetables.

Vague Pronoun Activities Show what you’ve learned! Using this VAGUE PRONOUN PowerPoint, complete the vague pronoun packet. When you’re finished, turn it in and begin esparking! (All quests are due THIS FRIDAY!)