IXL | Identify all of the possible antecedents

The pronoun in bold is vague. Select all of its possible antecedents.

Elk are related to white-tailed deer, but they are much larger.

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question

The pronoun in bold is not vague. Select its one clear antecedent.

Have you heard of Theodor Seuss Geisel? You may be more familiar with his pen name, Dr. Seuss.

key idea

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.

solution

Look at the text.

Have you heard of Theodor Seuss Geisel? You may be more familiar with his pen name, Dr. Seuss.

The text does not contain a vague pronoun reference. The pronoun has one clear antecedent. The antecedent of his is Theodor Seuss Geisel.

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HH.3Identify vague pronoun references

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