Passive Practice. Look at these sentences. Identify the passives (if there are any). Determine if they are “awkward.” If so, restate them.
In Christopher Boone’s school, those who have learning difficulties or mental illnesses are taught.
The hostages were handed over to a delegation from Venezuela.
They were fit to travel,
Other Types of Pronouns
Demonstrative Pronouns (which show relative distance from the speaker):
This/
That
These/
Those
Wh-pronouns/forms (which substitute for some whole part of a clause):
PRONOUNS
The dog that I own is over there. The dog is over there. I own the dog.
The book, which is not very interesting, is on the shelf. (The book is on the shelf. The book is not very interesting.)
PROFORMS
Who told you that? (Someone told you that)
Where is the child? (The child is Somewhere)
Making Pronoun References Clear (Adapted from: http://www.mun.ca/writingcentre/pronouns.shtml)
Pronouns are a great source of trouble for English writers. The biggest problem has to do with the relationship between a pronoun and its antecedent (what the pronoun refers to). As a result, English editors have developed a whole slew of possible ways to refer to pronoun problems:
Vague
Reference
We will look at some of these problems here. Remember that what you read here are general guidelines for good writing – not hard and fast rules of grammar.
A. Ambiguous Reference
An ambiguous reference occurs when the pronoun could refer to two possible antecedents.
• The client told James that he had to come to therapy.
(Who has to come to therapy--the client or James?)
The following revision eliminates the ambiguity.
• The client told James, “You have to come to therapy.”
B. Implied Reference
A pronoun must refer to a specific antecedent, not to a word that is implied but not present in the sentence.
• After braiding Ann’s hair, Sue decorated them with ribbons.
The pronoun them refers to Ann’s braids (implied by the term braiding), but the word braids did not appear in the sentence.
• After braiding Ann’s hair, Sue decorated the braids with ribbons.
Generally, possessive forms should not serve as antecedents.
• In Nikki’s case file, she describes how Ms. Jones abuses substances.
The pronoun she does not refer to Nikki but refers to Nikki’s case file.
• In Nikki’s case file, Nikki describes how Ms. Jones abuses substances.
C. Vague Reference: this, that, which
The pronouns this, that and which should not refer vaguely to earlier word groups or ideas. These pronouns should refer to specific antecedents.
When a pronoun’s reference is too vague, replace the pronoun with a noun.
• More and more often, especially in large cities, we are finding ourselves victims of serious crimes. We learn to accept this with minor complaints.
• More and more often, especially in large cities, we are finding ourselves victims of serious crimes. We learn to accept our fate with minor complaints.
(The pronoun this is replaced by the noun fate.)
OR
When a pronoun’s reference is too vague, supply an antecedent to which the pronoun clearly refers.
• Sue and Patsy were both too young to have acquired much wisdom, which accounts for their rash actions.
• Sue and Patsy were both too young to have acquired much wisdom, a fact which accounts for their rash decisions.
OR
Sue and Patsy were both too young to have acquired much wisdom. Their youth accounts for their rash decisions.
(The pronoun which clearly refers to the supplied antecedent, fact.)
D. Indefinite Reference: they, it, you
The pronouns they, it, and you, should not refer to indefinite word groups or ideas.
The pronoun they should refer to a specific antecedent. Do not use they to refer indefinitely to persons who have not been specifically mentioned.
• A list of ways to help a rape survivor is included with the orientation kit. For example, they suggest speaking to the survivor in calm tones.
• A list of ways to help a rape survivor is included with the orientation kit. For example, the St. John’s Rape Crisis Centre suggests speaking to the survivor in calm tones.
The word it should not be used this way in sentence construction.
• “In the file report it says that...”
• The file report points out that ...
THE BOTTOM LINE: If the object of the prepositional phrase before a subject could serve as the subject of the verb phrase, it probably should.
The pronoun you is appropriate when the writer is addressing the reader directly. Usually in formal contexts, the indefinite you (meaning “anyone in general”) is inappropriate.
• In Newfoundland, you don’t have to look far to find long waiting lists for counselling.
• In Newfoundland, one doesn’t have to look far to find long waiting lists for counselling.
OR
If the pronoun one seems stilted, the writer might recast the sentence:
• Newfoundlanders do not have to look far to find long waiting lists for counselling.
Exercise on Vague or Unclear Pronoun Reference (adapted from http://www.methodist.edu and www.towson.edu)
Some of these sentences are correct; some are not. If a sentence has a pronoun, identify the antecedent. If there is more than one possible antecedent, write “reference?” next to the pronoun. If the antecedent is implied, but not actually stated, write “vague” next to the pronoun. Then fix the sentence!
1. When she was forty, Pearl Buck’s novel The Good Earth won the Pulitzer
Prize.
2 Buck received much critical praise and earned over $7 million, but she was
very modest about it.
3. Bill bought a Norwegian canoe because he had heard that Norwegians make
the best canoes.
4. Katie was an only child, and it was hard.
5. Dipping the spoon into the pot of simmering soup, Jean felt it slip out of her
hand.
7. At a local restaurant, they provide each table with a bucket of peanuts.
8. Mary and Tom left their bags at the ticket counter, but then they weren’t sure
if they were safe.
9. The boat bumped the edge of the dock, but the dock didn’t need many repairs.
10. Although Mike was a real sports fan, his brother never became interested in
them.
11. It says on the bottle label that the chemical will kill weeds.
12. A visitor to Italy immediately notices how friendly Italians are.
13. The democrats controlled the senate, which resulted in much liberal legislation.
14. People who have been heavy smokers for years often gain weight when they give it up.
15. My brother has been unemployed for three months because of illness. This makes him depressed.
16. In 19th century England, they put people in jail for debt.
17. It said on the evening news that a hurricane was heading this way.
18. Eric said that he would remain in Minnesota for at least one month. This explains his nervousness.