What is a vague pronoun reference?

A vague pronoun reference is a pronoun that doesn’t have a clear antecedent (a noun or noun phrase that the pronoun represents). The following sentence has a vague pronoun reference: “Jeremy picked it up and carried it to the closet.”

To avoid this error, use the antecedent in the preceding sentence or earlier in the same sentence (e.g., “Jeremy picked up the package and carried it to the closet”).

In addition to naming the antecedent, pronoun-antecedent agreement is also important for clear writing. Each pronoun should agree with its antecedent in number (singular or plural).

QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid vague pronoun references.