Grammar Entry 44 / 1011 60-second read

Ambiguous Pronouns

Make sure it's clear what noun a pronoun refers to.

The comparisoni

✗ Wrong

Sarah told Jennifer she would help her. The teacher talked to the student about his performance.

✓ Correct

Sarah told Jennifer that she (Sarah) would help her (Jennifer). The teacher talked to the student about the student's performance.

The ruleii

Reword to clarify: use the name, or restructure to make the reference clear.

Readers can't tell who or what the pronoun refers to.

Memory aidiii

Remember it like this

Reword to clarify: use the name, or restructure to make the reference clear.

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