What are Pronouns?

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun to avoid repetition.

• Repetition: John said that John was going to the store.
• Better: John said that he was going to the store.

Pronouns must match the noun they replace in number (singular vs. plural) and person (first, second, or third person):

Errors in Pronoun Usage

• Incorrect Number: Students are required to bring his laptops to Monday’s class. (“Students” is plural, while "his" is singular)
• Correct: Students are required to bring their laptops to Monday’s class. 

NOTE: It is becoming increasingly acceptable to use a third person plural pronoun to refer to a singular subject (e.g., Each student [singular] must bring their [plural] laptop to Monday’s class). When in doubt, however, please double check with your professor. 

• Incorrect Person: If Sarah wants to pass her exam, you should study hard. (“Sarah” is third person, while “you” is second person)
• Correct: If Sarah wants to pass her exam, she should study hard. (“Sarah” and “she” both agree in the third person)

Vague Pronouns

Along with agreeing in number and person, pronouns should refer to a specific noun, called an antecedent. An antecedent is the technical term for the noun to which the pronoun refers. When a pronoun does not refer to a specific antecedent, the pronoun becomes vague and can confuse readers. Here are three examples of vague pronoun use:

1. Multiple Antecedents - The pronoun could refer to multiple nouns.
   1. The dog chased the cat until he was tired (Who was tired? The dog or the cat?)
2. Missing Antecedent - The pronoun never mentions a noun.
   1. They said it’s going to rain tomorrow. (Who is “they”?)
3. Unnecessary Pronoun - Using a pronoun when a noun is required.
   1. She failed the test, which made her upset. This was unexpected. (What was unexpected? That she failed the test? Or that she was upset because of failing?)

How to Fix Vague Pronouns

There are a few different ways that you can fix vague pronoun usage. Here are the same examples from Section 2, and how to do them.

Multiple Antecedents - Replace the pronoun with the noun it is referring to.

• Vague: The dog chased the cat until he was tired
• Better: The dog chased the cat until the cat became tired.

Missing Antecedent - Clearly state the noun you are referring to.

• Vague: They said it’s going to rain tomorrow.
• Better: The Weather Network said it’s going to rain tomorrow.

Unnecessary Pronoun - Add a noun after “this.”

• Vague: She failed the test, which made her upset. This was unexpected.
• Better: She failed the test, which made her upset. This failure was unexpected.

Unnecessary Pronoun Alternative: Add a noun before “which.”

• Vague: She wrote an essay about climate change, which was confusing.
• Better: She wrote an essay about climate change, a topic which can be confusing.

Rephrasing as an Alternative Solution

Restructuring your sentence is an alternative way to avoid vague pronoun use. This may involve adding, removing, or combining details to improve clarity. For example:

Vague: After removing the stereo from my car, I sold it (did I sell the stereo or my car?)

• Better: After removing the stereo from my car, I sold the stereo.
• Rephrase by Adding: I wanted to sell the stereo from my car, and so I removed it from my car and then sold it. (This clarifies your intention of wanting to sell the stereo, not the car)
• Rephrase by Removing: I sold my car’s stereo. (Simplifying provides clarity)
• Rephrase by Combining: I sold my stereo after removing it from my car. (Combining the content into one phrase can add clarity)

Remember, just because you (the writer) know what noun your pronoun is referring to, this doesn’t mean it’s clear to the reader. One goal of mature writing is to cultivate a writing style that prioritizes clarity. Vague pronoun use detracts from the momentum of your paper and confuses your reader.