A pronoun always refers back to a noun called its antecedent.
📝 Example:
Samantha lost her book.
Antecedent of “her” → Samantha ✅
Multiple Possible Antecedents
Sometimes a pronoun could refer to more than one noun, which can confuse the reader.
📝 Example:
Jessica told Emily that she was late.
Who is “she”? Jessica or Emily?
Both are possible antecedents.
How to Identify All Possible Antecedents
Step 1: Look for nouns before the pronoun.
Step 2: Check which noun makes logical sense.
Step 3: If more than one noun works, all are possible antecedents.
📝 Example:
The dog chased the cat because it was scared.
Antecedents for “it” → the dog 🐶 or the cat 🐱
Both make sense; writer should clarify.
Tips to Avoid Confusion
Repeat the noun instead of using a pronoun:
❌ Alex told Brian he was tired.
✅ Alex told Brian, “Alex is tired.”
Rearrange the sentence for clarity:
❌ The teacher spoke to the students because they were noisy.
✅ Because the students were noisy, the teacher spoke to them.
Use specific names or nouns instead of pronouns like he, she, it, they, this, that.
Common Confusing Pronouns ⚠️
It – Could refer to any object or situation
This/That – Could refer to any previous idea or object
He/She – Could refer to any mentioned person
They/Them – Could refer to multiple people
Practice Example 💡
❌ Liam gave Noah his pencil because he needed it.
Antecedents for “he” → Liam or Noah? Both possible.
✅ Noah needed a pencil, so Liam gave him his pencil.
Remember:
When identifying antecedents, look carefully at the sentence to see all possible nouns a pronoun could refer to. ✅ Clear writing avoids confusion for your readers! ✨📚
