AMBIGUOUS

PRONOUN
REFERENCES
NORMINA A. ESCAARTE
What is the meaning of ambiguous
pronoun?
◦ An ambiguous pronoun occurs when the antecedent of a
pronoun within a sentence is unclear. An antecedent is
the word to which the pronoun refers.
◦ Ambiguous pronouns can be a source of confusion
and miscommunication in writing. These
pronouns refer back to a noun or another
pronoun in a sentence, but their meaning is
unclear or can be interpreted in multiple ways.
What is an ambiguous pronoun
reference?
◦ Ambiguous pronoun reference occurs when the
antecedent of a pronoun is missing or unclear:
John and Jim decided to go to the store after he
finished work. Within this sentence, it is unclear
whether "he" is referring to John or Jim.
How do you fix an ambiguous
pronoun?
◦ There are a few ways to fix an ambiguous
pronoun. One way is to restructure the sentence
so the pronoun is closer to its antecedent. The
sentence can also be restructured in order to
remove the need for the pronoun
What is an example of an ambiguous
pronoun?
◦ An example of an ambiguous pronoun occurs in
the following sentence:
◦ When Jane dropped her bowling ball on the floor, it
cracked. What cracked - the ball or the floor?
Key Takeaways
• Ambiguous pronouns can lead to confusion and
misunderstanding in writing.
• It is important to use clear and specific
pronouns that clearly refer to their antecedents.
• Avoid using pronouns that can refer to multiple
nouns or entities in the same sentence.
• Proofread your writing to ensure that pronouns
are used correctly and unambiguously.
 Timeline Lorem Ipsum

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet

2015 2016 2017 2018

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet