Question

Which sentences contain vague pronouns? Check all that apply.

a)Bernardo reads both fiction and nonfiction, and he likes it a lot.
b)After the play, Henrique told Isadora that her solo was excellent.
c)Hiroto prepared so well for the debate that he crushed the competition.
d)Vivian met Laura at the coffee shop where she works after school.
e)When Mariana and Rahul studied with Lisa and Nico, it helped them.

Answer 1

The sentences that have vague pronouns are (a), (d), and (e), with 'it' and 'she' lacking clarity. To resolve vagueness, pronouns should clearly refer back to specific nouns in the sentence.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of the provided schoolwork question, the sentences that contain vague pronouns are as follows:

• a) Bernardo reads both fiction and nonfiction, and he likes it a lot. (The pronoun 'it' is vague because it is unclear whether 'it' refers to reading, fiction, nonfiction, or both genres.)
• d) Vivian met Laura at the coffee shop where she works after school. (The pronoun 'she' is vague because it could refer to either Vivian or Laura, making it unclear who works at the coffee shop.)
• e) When Mariana and Rahul studied with Lisa and Nico, it helped them. (The pronoun 'it' is vague because it does not specify what helped Mariana and Rahul.)

Vague pronouns can lead to confusion as they don't clearly specify the nouns to which they refer. Using more specific nouns or pronouns can clarify these sentences.

For example, "Bernardo enjoys reading both fiction and nonfiction" clarifies that Bernardo enjoys the activity of reading. "Vivian met Laura at the coffee shop where Laura works" specifies that Laura is the one who works at the coffee shop.

Lastly, "Studying with Lisa and Nico was beneficial for Mariana and Rahul" specifies what action was helpful.