Pronouns

Personal pronouns are a wonderful tool for avoiding the need to constantly repeat the name of a person or group. However, if one is not careful in their use, a reader will have trouble determining who is meant by “he,” “them,” or other pronouns used in the essay. Particularly problematic is placing the pronoun “this” at the beginning of a sentence without a clear indication of what “this” means.

Here are examples of sentences in which it is unclear what is meant by the pronouns “he,” “them,” and “this”:

Raj looked carefully at Edwin because he had never been this sad. (Who is sad—Raj or Edwin?)

Jelena raised rabbits with her parents, and her teacher asked if she would bring them to school one day. (Who does “them” refer to—her parents or her rabbits?) 

When parents try to ignore inappropriate attempts to gain their attention, children often escalate to more extreme tactics. This prompts considerable anxiety. (What prompts the anxiety—trying to ignore the children or the children’s extreme tactics?)