How the pronoun reference became faulty?
1. Jake told his brother that he ought to get out and enjoy the fresh air.
2. Ted threw the plate through the window and broke it.
3. I knew nothing about economics which my instructor had not learned.
4. Heidi told her mother that she should learn to type.
5. He joined a commune because they share everything there.
6. After I heard Segovia play the guitar, I decided that that was what I wanted to do.
7. Wheat is one grain from which they make bread.
I’ll get you started.
1. Who is “he”? Jake or his brother?
2. What did Ted break? (What is "it"?) The plate or the window?
3. What had the instructor not learned? (What is "which" referring to?) Economics? Or that I knew nothing?
Now you go through the others and ask questions about them. Post your answers if you want them checked.
1. It became faulty when Jake referred to his brother as "he" instead of using his brother's name.
2. It became faulty when it was not clear whether Ted broke the plate or the window.
3. It became faulty when "which" did not have a clear antecedent, making it ambiguous.
4. It became faulty when Heidi referred to her mother as "she" without clarifying who "she" is.
5. It became faulty when it was not clear who "they" refers to in the commune.
6. It became faulty when the repeated use of "that" made it confusing as to what "that" actually refers to.
7. It became faulty when it was not clear who "they" refers to in the context of making bread from wheat grains.
The errors in pronoun reference arise when the pronoun does not clearly refer to a specific noun or when the referenced noun is ambiguous or unclear. Here are the faulty pronoun references in the given sentences:
1. The pronoun "he" in "that he ought to get out" is ambiguous. It is not clear whether "he" refers to Jake or his brother.
2. The pronoun "it" in "broke it" is unclear. It is not clear what "it" refers to. This type of pronoun reference issue is known as an unclarity reference.
3. The pronoun "which" in "which my instructor had not learned" is incorrectly used. "Which" is used for introducing nonrestrictive clauses, but in this sentence, a restrictive clause is needed.
4. The pronoun "she" in "that she should learn to type" is ambiguous. It is not clear whether "she" refers to Heidi or her mother.
5. The pronoun "they" in "because they share everything there" is unclear. It is not clear who "they" refers to - the commune members or someone else.
6. The pronoun "that" in "that was what I wanted to do" is unclear. It is not clear what "that" refers to.
7. The pronoun "they" in "from which they make bread" is unclear. It is not clear who "they" refers to - wheat farmers or someone else.
In each of these sentences, the pronoun reference becomes faulty when the pronoun is unclear or could refer to more than one possible antecedent. Let's go through each sentence one by one and explain how the pronoun reference became faulty:
1. Jake told his brother that he ought to get out and enjoy the fresh air.
In this sentence, the pronoun "he" could refer to either Jake or his brother, making the reference unclear.
2. Ted threw the plate through the window and broke it.
In this sentence, the pronoun "it" could refer to either the plate or the window, making the reference unclear.
3. I knew nothing about economics which my instructor had not learned.
In this sentence, the pronoun "which" is used to refer to "economics," but it is typically preferred to use "that" instead of "which" in restrictive clauses.
4. Heidi told her mother that she should learn to type.
In this sentence, the pronoun "she" could refer to either Heidi or her mother, making the reference unclear.
5. He joined a commune because they share everything there.
In this sentence, the pronoun "they" could refer to either "He" or the people in the commune, making the reference unclear.
6. After I heard Segovia play the guitar, I decided that that was what I wanted to do.
In this sentence, the repeated word "that" can make the second "that" unclear in reference.
7. Wheat is one grain from which they make bread.
In this sentence, the pronoun "they" could refer to either people in general or a specific group of people, making the reference unclear.
To fix these faulty pronoun references, you can clarify the antecedent or use more specific pronouns. For example:
1. Jake told his brother that his brother ought to get out and enjoy the fresh air.
2. Ted threw the plate through the window and broke the plate.
3. I knew nothing about economics that my instructor had not learned.
4. Heidi told her mother that her mother should learn to type.
5. He joined a commune because the people there share everything.
6. After I heard Segovia play the guitar, I decided that playing the guitar was what I wanted to do.
7. Wheat is one grain from which bakers make bread.