Pronouns Shifts and Vague Pronouns

Which sentence is written in the best way to avoid any vague pronouns?

• Archaeologists are not sure why the Ancestral Pueblo people moved into the cliffs.

• The Ancestral Pueblo people do not know why they moved into the cliffs.

• It is unknown to them why the Ancestral Pueblo moved into the cliffs.

• Why the Ancestral Puebloans moved into the cliffs, they do not know.

Which has a vague pronoun.

• Amanda took her mother and three couisins to a second hand store to nuy gifts.

• If you look carefully you can see when the magician puts the card up his sleeve.

• Will you take me to your leader?

• As Joe was talking to Sam, he started to cry.

Which has a vague pronoun.

• Amanda took her mother and three couisins to a second hand store to buy gifts.

• If you look carefully you can see when the magician puts the card up his sleeve.

• Will you take me to your leader?

• As Joe was talking to Sam, he started to cry.

Which contains a vague pronoun reference?

• Dad yelled at Rick, but he was just being silly.

•  Dad was just being silly when he yelled at Rick.

Miss Havisham lives with Estella in HER mansion. (This is vague. Who could "her" refer to in this sentence?)

• Miss Havisham

• Estella

• Miss Havisham and Estella

• mansion

The musicians asked me to help put instruments back on the buses, but I can't find THEM. (This is vague. Who could "them" refer to in this sentence?)

• musicians, instruments, and buses

• musicians

• musicians and instruments

• instruments and buses

Before Sally puts fondant flowers on wedding cakes, she sprinkles THEM with sugar. (This is vague. Who could "them" refer to in this sentence?)

• Sally and flowers

• Sally and flowers and cakes

• flowers and cakes

Some unknown artist had tried to capture Nefertiti's face in _____________ sculpture.

• his and hers

• its or his

• his or her

• its and hers

The pronoun is INCORRECT. Replace it with the correct pronoun.

The exhibit was on butterflies, and they included a film.

• hers

• it

• its

• he

Since my friends and I love fashion, the topic interested them.

• we

• ours

• us

• theirs