Which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference?
Katie looks almost identical to her twin sister Abby, but she has pierced ears. Katie has pierced ears, but otherwise she looks almost identical to her twin sister Abby.
When writing, make sure to avoid vague pronoun references. A vague pronoun reference occurs when a pronoun could refer to more than one possible antecedent.
When Lisa and Kim finally landed, she breathed a sigh of relief.
The pronoun she could refer to either Lisa or Kim, so the meaning of the sentence is unclear.
Vague pronoun references can be corrected in one of two ways:
1. Replace the pronoun with its correct antecedent:
When Lisa and Kim finally landed, Lisa breathed a sigh of relief.
2. Rewrite the sentence:
Lisa breathed a sigh of relief when she and Kim finally landed.
A vague pronoun reference also occurs when they, them, their, theirs, it, or its is used without its antecedent.
They say that this nail polish dries in less than five minutes.
The pronoun they is used without its antecedent, so the meaning of the sentence is unclear.
This problem can be fixed by replacing the pronoun with its missing antecedent.
The advertisements say that this nail polish dries in less than five minutes.
The first answer choice contains a vague pronoun reference. The pronoun she could refer to Katie or Abby.
Katie looks almost identical to her twin sister Abby, but she has pierced ears.
The second answer choice shows a possible correction for the vague pronoun reference. The text has been rewritten so that the meaning is clear.
Katie has pierced ears, but otherwise she looks almost identical to her twin sister Abby.