It's a Mystery! Unclear Pronoun Antecedents

I found the following instructions to obtain a refund on a website recently:

Be sure to verify the name and mailing address and then click on “Request payment”. We’ll process it and mail it to you. It usually takes 4-8 business days to arrive.

Reading these instructions reminded me of how important having clear antecedents for your pronouns is and of making sure your pronouns refer to clear antecedents

What is an 'antecedent'? Simply put, the antecedent is the word or phrase that precedes the pronoun and that the pronoun refers to. When you use "it" or "this," a reader can become easily confused by what your pronouns are referring to.

But remember too that there are other pronouns, like 'her' or 'he' that may also lack clear anteceents

Consider this sentence.

He told his brother that his car had broken down.

The reader does not know whose car broke down. Was it the 'He' that is the subject of the sentence. Or was it the 'brother'? (Technically speaking, the phrase "his car" 'refers back to 'his brother' and not to the 'He' that is the subject, but my point is that the reader is not clear.)

Let clarity always be your guide, even if it means you must rewrite or re-structure a sentence to make it clearer So, for example:

He told his brother, "Your car has broken down."

or

He told his brother, "My car has broken down."

Charles Dickens began A Tale of Two Cities with the following famous opening:

It was the best of times It was the worst of times.

OK, it's Charles Dickens and there must be a few exceptions to the rule. Besides, his first name was 'Charles' also!

Still confused? Check out my website at http://www.facebook.com/CharlesConciergeTutoring and consider booking a lesson today.