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A vague pronoun is a pronoun for which it's not clear which noun is its antecedent. In other words, you can't tell which word the pronoun is replacing.
Example 1:
When the car hit a tree, it made a terrible noise. Did the car make the noise or did the tree make the noise? The sentence is worded in a way that it's not clear.
A better form of this sentences is:
The car made a terrible noise when it hit the tree. Here you can tell that the pronoun 'it' is referring to the antecedent 'car'.
Example 2:
*The literal reference in the above example is neither the car nor the tree: it is the action of the car hitting the tree. There is no real vague pronoun. However, there is in:
Bill went with John to his father's store. (vague)
To rewrite it:
Bill went to his father's store with John.
Bill and John went to the store owned by Bill's father.
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoAn unclear pronoun reference occurs when it's not clear which noun a pronoun is replacing. Example:
Jack and Jake stopped by his father's office. (Whose father's office was it, Jack's or Jake's?)
Now, if Jack and Jake are brothers, it would say:
'Jack and Jake stopped by their father's office.'
If it was Jack's father, you could say:
'Jack stopped by his father's office with Jake.' (or conversely, if it was Jake's father)
Anonymous
When Emily saw her mom, she smiled.
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What is the vague pronoun in this sentence Stewart told his dad that his bike had a flat tire?
The pronoun his is a vague pronoun because it's not clear whose bike had the flat, Stewart's or his dad's.
What is the vague pronoun in the sentence my girlfriend hates my sister but she's really nice.?
The vague pronoun is she.We can't tell if the girlfriend or the sister is really nice.
Does the sentence Whenever the Patterns visit Florida they see their relatives have a vague pronoun?
No, there is no vague pronoun. The only antecedent for the personal pronoun 'they' and the possessive adjective 'their' is the noun 'Patterns'. A vague pronoun reference means that more than one noun could be the antecedent, it is not clear which noun is the antecedent. Example: Jane and her friend June visited her relatives in Florida. Whose relatives, Jane's or June's?
Vague pronouns The car made a terrible noise as it crashed into a tree?
There are no vague (indefinite) pronouns in the sentence. There is only one pronoun in the sentence, it, which is a personal pronoun, representing the noun antecedent car.
How do you fix the sentence '' even though the car backed in the wall it was not damaged '' into a vague pronoun?
A vague pronoun is a pronoun that lacks a clear antecedent.In the sentence, "Even though the car backed in the wall it was not damaged.", it's not clear which noun the pronoun 'it' represents. The car was not damaged or the wall was not damaged. The pronoun 'it' is the vague pronoun.The sentence must be revised to show which noun the pronoun 'it' replaces. Examples:The car was not damaged even though it backed into the wall.The wall was not damaged even though the car backed into it.
What is the vague pronoun in this sentence Stewart told his dad that his bike had a flat tire?
The pronoun his is a vague pronoun because it's not clear whose bike had the flat, Stewart's or his dad's.
What is the vague pronoun in the sentence my girlfriend hates my sister but she's really nice.?
The vague pronoun is she.We can't tell if the girlfriend or the sister is really nice.
Does the sentence Whenever the Patterns visit Florida they see their relatives have a vague pronoun?
No, there is no vague pronoun. The only antecedent for the personal pronoun 'they' and the possessive adjective 'their' is the noun 'Patterns'. A vague pronoun reference means that more than one noun could be the antecedent, it is not clear which noun is the antecedent. Example: Jane and her friend June visited her relatives in Florida. Whose relatives, Jane's or June's?
What is the vague pronoun in the sentence Both girls enjoyed studying plants which was a big surprise to their teachers?
There is no vague pronoun reference in that sentence.The pronouns in the sentence are:which - a relative pronoun that introduces the relative clause;their - a possessive adjective 'their' refers back to 'girls'.
Vague pronouns The car made a terrible noise as it crashed into a tree?
There are no vague (indefinite) pronouns in the sentence. There is only one pronoun in the sentence, it, which is a personal pronoun, representing the noun antecedent car.
How do you fix the sentence '' even though the car backed in the wall it was not damaged '' into a vague pronoun?
A vague pronoun is a pronoun that lacks a clear antecedent.In the sentence, "Even though the car backed in the wall it was not damaged.", it's not clear which noun the pronoun 'it' represents. The car was not damaged or the wall was not damaged. The pronoun 'it' is the vague pronoun.The sentence must be revised to show which noun the pronoun 'it' replaces. Examples:The car was not damaged even though it backed into the wall.The wall was not damaged even though the car backed into it.
Correct the vague pronoun reference. John took the toner from the photocopier and threw it away?
The vague pronoun reference: does the pronoun 'it' refer to the photocopier or the toner.Examples of rewording the sentence:From the photocopier, John took the toner and threw it away.John took the photocopier toner and threw it away.
Is this a vague pronoun sentence Air pollution normally increases along with population growth This increasing pollution is a big problem for many cities?
No, there is no vague pronoun reference in those sentences.There is no pronoun in the sentences.Note: The word 'this' can be a demonstrative pronoun when it takes the place of a noun. However, in the given sentence, the word 'this' is functioning as an adjective, describing the noun 'pollution'.
Is his a vague pronoun?
No, the pronoun 'his' is a possessive pronoun and a possessive adjective.A possessive pronoun takes the place of a noun for something belonging to someone or something.A possessive adjective is placed before a noun to show that the noun belongs to someone or something.Example functions: James lives on this street. The house on the corner is his. (possessive pronoun)James lives on this street. His house is on the corner. (possessive adjective)A vague pronoun is when you can't tell which noun the pronoun replaces.Example: James and Paul visited his father's office.Did they visit the office of James's father or Paul's father?The sentence must be rewritten to make the vague pronoun reference clear. Examples:James went to his father's office with Paul.Paul went to his father's office with James.
How do you write this sentence without vague pronoun reference Most online classes are asynchronous That is a problem for students who desire immediate feedback?
The pronouns in the sentence are: most, that, and who.None of these have a vague pronoun reference. The reference for each of these pronouns are:most - an indefinite pronoun that takes the place of a noun for an exact number of students.that - a demonstrative pronoun which refers to 'classes' that are asynchronous.who - a relative pronoun that introduces a relative clause that gives information about its antecedent 'students'.
What is the best way to correct a vague pronoun reference?
The best way to correct a vague pronoun reference is to clearly identify the noun that the pronoun is referring to. You can do this by rephrasing the sentence to include the specific noun or by adding more context to clarify the reference. Additionally, using specific pronouns like "it," "he," or "she" instead of generic ones like "this," "that," or "it" can help eliminate ambiguity.
Would this sentence be a vague pronoun. That is how part of the writing process is used throughout the internet?
No, the pronoun in the sentence is that, a demonstrative pronoun.A demonstrative pronoun takes the place of a noun, indicating near or far in place or time.The demonstrative pronouns are: this, that, these, those.
