Pronoun Reference Exercise 3 worksheet featuring six sentences with underlined pronoun errors for students to fix.

Let's go through each sentence in Pronoun Reference – Exercise 3 and fix the underlined pronoun errors. The goal is to ensure that each pronoun clearly refers to a specific antecedent (the noun it replaces) and avoids ambiguity or incorrect reference.

---

1.

Original:
*In the last seconds of the game, Leroy passed the basketball to Marc, and then he tripped over an untied shoelace and broke his arm.*

Problem:
The pronoun "he" could refer to either Leroy or Marc, creating ambiguity.

Fix:
We need to clarify who tripped. Since it’s more logical that Marc (the receiver) might trip after getting the ball, we can specify:

✔ Revised:
*In the last seconds of the game, Leroy passed the basketball to Marc, and then Marc tripped over an untied shoelace and broke his arm.*

> ✔ Explanation: "He" was ambiguous. We replace it with the clear noun "Marc" to avoid confusion.

---

2.

Original:
*The computer geek's biggest dream was to hack his way into the Defense Department’s mainframe. Was he ever surprised when the FBI burst into his apartment.*

Problem:
The pronouns "his" and "he" refer to "the computer geek", but the subject is a noun phrase ("the computer geek's biggest dream"), not a person. So using "his" and "he" incorrectly implies that the dream has a gender or identity.

Fix:
We should rephrase to make the antecedent clear.

✔ Revised:
*The computer geek’s biggest dream was to hack his way into the Defense Department’s mainframe. Was the geek ever surprised when the FBI burst into his apartment?*

> ✔ Explanation: The original sentence uses "his" and "he" as if the dream were the subject, which is illogical. We revise to refer back to the computer geek as the person.

---

3.

Original:
*While terrifying, hungry space aliens were holding the class hostage, Mr. Parker announced that the research essays were due early—on Friday, not Monday. This really distressed the poor students.*

Problem:
The pronoun "this" is vague. What does it refer to? Is it the announcement? The fact that essays are due early? Or the alien situation?

Fix:
Clarify what caused distress.

✔ Revised:
*While terrifying, hungry space aliens were holding the class hostage, Mr. Parker announced that the research essays were due early—on Friday, not Monday. The announcement really distressed the poor students.*

> ✔ Explanation: "This" is too vague. Replacing it with "The announcement" makes the cause of distress clear.

---

4.

Original:
*Lori surprised everyone when, at age nineteen, she saved enough money to make a down payment on her own home. And they say that young people don’t understand financial responsibility!*

Problem:
The pronoun "they" is vague — who says this? It’s unclear and sounds like a generalization without a clear source.

Fix:
Replace "they" with a specific group or rephrase for clarity.

✔ Revised:
*Lori surprised everyone when, at age nineteen, she saved enough money to make a down payment on her own home. And some people say that young people don’t understand financial responsibility!*

> ✔ Explanation: "They" is an indefinite pronoun that lacks a clear antecedent. Replace with a clearer noun like "some people" or "others."

---

5.

Original:
*It says in the syllabus that Prof. Duncan won't tolerate tardiness, but we were not surprised to see Will peeking through the classroom window, hoping that he could enter late once again.*

Problem:
The pronoun "he" refers to Will, which is correct, but the sentence structure makes it seem like "it" (the syllabus) is doing something. However, "it" is used correctly here as a dummy subject ("It says...").

But the real issue is "he" — it’s clear that Will is the one hoping to enter late. So no error in pronoun reference here.

Wait — let's double-check:

- "It says in the syllabus..." → correct use of "it"
- "we were not surprised to see Will peeking..."
- "...hoping that he could enter late..." → "he" = Will → correct

✔ No error. This sentence is actually correct as written.

> ✔ Explanation: "He" clearly refers to Will, and "it" is properly used as a dummy subject. No pronoun error.

---

6.

Original:
*Jenny found a hungry, lost kitten in the mall parking lot. She brought it home to live with her twenty-three other cats. Cat food and litter get expensive if you have such a kind heart!*

Problem:
The pronoun "you" is vague. Who does "you" refer to? It seems to refer to Jenny, but it’s impersonal and awkward.

Fix:
Make it personal and clear by referring directly to Jenny.

✔ Revised:
*Jenny found a hungry, lost kitten in the mall parking lot. She brought it home to live with her twenty-three other cats. Cat food and litter get expensive if someone has such a kind heart!*

OR better yet:

✔ *Cat food and litter get expensive if you're someone like Jenny!*

But since the exercise wants us to fix the underlined error, and "you" is underlined, we should change it to match the context.

Best revision:

✔ Revised:
*Cat food and litter get expensive if you have a heart like Jenny's!*

> ✔ Explanation: "You" is impersonal and doesn't clearly refer to anyone. Changing it to reflect Jenny’s character makes the sentence meaningful and grammatically sound.

---

✔ Final Answers (Fixed Sentences):

1. Marc tripped over an untied shoelace and broke his arm.
2. Was the geek ever surprised when the FBI burst into his apartment?
3. The announcement really distressed the poor students.
4. And some people say that young people don’t understand financial responsibility!
5. ✔ No error — sentence is correct.
6. Cat food and litter get expensive if you have a heart like Jenny's!

---

Summary of Errors:

| Sentence | Error Type | Fix |
|--------|------------|-----|
| 1 | Ambiguous pronoun "he" | Replace with "Marc" |
| 2 | Incorrect antecedent for "his"/"he" | Change to "the geek" |
| 3 | Vague pronoun "this" | Replace with "The announcement" |
| 4 | Vague pronoun "they" | Replace with "some people" |
| 5 | ✘ No error | Leave as is |
| 6 | Impersonal "you" | Replace with "you have a heart like Jenny's" |

Let me know if you'd like a printable version or explanation for students!