Question

Which two pronouns in the paragraph have unclear antecedents?

Cleaning the Closet

Yesterday I cleaned my closet and dusted it thoroughly. I found receipts in a few of my jeans. I folded them neatly and put them in my drawer. I found an old box decorated with ribbons and a pink bow. It still looked pretty and new. In the bottom drawer, there was a bottle of perfume that Mom bought in Sweden. The perfume is old, but it still has a fresh, flowery scent. Next to the perfume there was an old postcard that Dad sent when he visited China.

Answer 1

Answer:

them: I folded them neatly and put them in my drawer.

It: It still looked pretty and new.

Explanation:

The pronoun them might refer to more than one antecedent:

"I found receipts in a few of my jeans. I folded them neatly and put them in my drawer." (The pronoun them might refer to receipts and jeans.)

The pronoun It also might refer to more than one antecedent:

"I found an old box decorated with ribbons and a pink bow. It still looked pretty and new." (The pronoun It might refer to a box and bow.)

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

them: I folded them neatly and put them in my drawer.

It: It still looked pretty and new.

Step-by-step explanation:

The pronoun them might refer to more than one antecedent:

"I found receipts in a few of my jeans. I folded them neatly and put them in my drawer." (The pronoun them might refer to receipts and jeans.)

The pronoun It also might refer to more than one antecedent:

"I found an old box decorated with ribbons and a pink bow. It still looked pretty and new." (The pronoun It might refer to a box and bow.)

So these two pronouns in the paragraph have unclear antecedents.