If you want to use English effectively, then you need to know how to use each of the 8 parts of speech that make up the language. One part that causes a lot of confusion is pronouns. These little words (such as “he” and “she”) often seem easy… but they can actually be quite tricky!

In this lesson, I am going to show you how to use pronouns accurately and effectively in order to improve your English skills. I’ll show you how to use them for different kinds of referencing, with a strong emphasis on providing clarity.

What Are Pronouns?

Before jumping into the specifics of effective pronoun usage, let’s briefly revisit what pronouns are. Pronouns are words used to replace nouns in sentences, aiding in the flow and coherence of language. Examples include “he,” “she,” “it,” “we,” “they,” “who,” “whose,” “whom,” etc.

As you can see from the list above, they can seem complicated when we look at the detailed rules about their use, but essentially these are familiar words that fulfil common and important purposes in English. They can be subjects or objects, for example.

• I gave it to him.

In this sentence, we have three pronouns. One is the subject and two are objects.

However, I want to focus a little on the more advanced uses of pronouns and that means we need to delve into referencing. Namely, we are going to look at anaphoric and cataphoric referencing. Don’t worry if you don’t know these terms; the concepts are actually quite simple.

Anaphoric Referencing (Looking Back)

Anaphoric referencing involves using a pronoun to refer back to a noun (or noun phrase) that has already been mentioned. The noun that the pronoun refers back to is called the “antecedent.”

Examples and Rules

1. Simple Anaphora
   • Original: “David said that David would come by around 3 PM.”
   • Improved: “David said that he would come by around 3 PM.”
     • Here, “he” refers back to “David,” making the sentence less repetitive. Remember that it’s very important to avoid repetition in English.

Additional Examples:

2. Simple Anaphora with Multiple Subjects:

• Original: “Sandra and Mike went to the store because Sandra and Mike needed groceries.”
• Improved: “Sandra and Mike went to the store because they needed groceries.”
  • Here, “they” refers back to “Sandra and Mike,” streamlining the sentence.

3. Simple Anaphora in a Narrative:

• Original: “Maria enjoys painting. Maria finds it to be a relaxing activity.”
• Improved: “Maria enjoys painting; she finds it to be a relaxing activity.”
  • In this case, “she” replaces the second mention of “Maria,” making the narrative flow better.

4. Simple Anaphora in Academic Writing:

• Original: “The study concludes by confirming the study’s initial hypothesis.”
• Improved: “The study concludes by confirming its initial hypothesis.”
  • Here, “its” refers back to “the study,” avoiding unnecessary repetition.

5. Simple Anaphora in Descriptions:

• Original: “The cake is delicious. The cake is also visually appealing.”
• Improved: “The cake is delicious and it is also visually appealing.”
  • Here, we can use “it” to replace “the cake.”

These examples show how using anaphoric references can make your sentences clearer and less repetitive.

2. Complex Sentences
   • Original: “If the students don’t understand the lesson, the students should ask for clarification.”
   • Improved: “If the students don’t understand the lesson, they should ask for clarification.”
     • “They” serves as the anaphoric reference to “the students.”

Additional Examples:

1. Complex Sentences in Formal Writing:

• Original: “If the committee approves the proposal, the committee can move on to the next agenda item.”
• Improved: “If the committee approves the proposal, they can move on to the next agenda item.”
  • Here, “they” serves as an anaphoric reference to “the committee,” making the sentence less cumbersome.

2. Complex Sentences in Conversations:

• Original: “If John doesn’t get enough sleep, John gets irritable.”
• Improved: “If John doesn’t get enough sleep, he gets irritable.”
  • In this example, “he” serves as an anaphoric reference to “John,” simplifying the sentence.

3. Complex Sentences in Scientific Writing:

• Original: “When the reaction reaches equilibrium, the reaction is considered complete.”
• Improved: “When the reaction reaches equilibrium, it is considered complete.”
  • The word “it” refers back to “the reaction,” avoiding repetition.

4. Complex Sentences with Conditionals:

• Original: “If you don’t water the plants, the plants will die.”
• Improved: “If you don’t water the plants, they will die.”
  • Here, “they” serves as the anaphoric reference to “the plants,” making the sentence smoother.

5. Complex Sentences in Instructions:

• Original: “If customers are not satisfied with the service, customers can request a refund.”
• Improved: “If customers are not satisfied with the service, they can request a refund.”
  • “They” serves as the anaphoric reference to “customers,” making the instruction more straightforward.

These examples highlight how anaphoric references can enhance the readability and coherence of complex sentences in various contexts.

3. Pronoun Consistency
   • Incorrect: “When a child cries, they should give them a toy.”
   • Correct: “When a child cries, you should give him or her a toy.”
     • The antecedent and pronoun should agree in number.

Additional Examples:

1. Academic Writing:

• Incorrect: “If a student wants to succeed, he should spend his weekends studying.”
• Correct: “If a student wants to succeed, they should spend their weekend studying.”
  • The antecedent “a student” is replaced by “they.” Note that “he or she” is also possible but nowadays people tend to use “they.” This can be either singular or plural. We typically avoid saying “he” as this is a sexist assumption.

2. Business Context:

• Incorrect: “If an employee is late, he is required to submit his excuses in writing.”
• Correct: “If an employee is late, they are required to submit an excuse in writing.”
  • The term “an employee” is replaced by “they.” Again, “he or she” is also possible. Do not assume the person’s gender.

3. Medical Guidelines:

• Incorrect: “When a patient arrives, make sure he fills out his paperwork.”
• Correct: “When a patient arrives, make sure he or she fills out the paperwork.”
  • The word “a patient” is singular, so “he or she” should be used. We can also use “they.”

4. Daily Life:

• Incorrect: “If someone loves you, he will never let you down.”
• Correct: “If someone loves you, they will never let you down.”
  • Again, this is a hypothetical and so we should use “they.” It is fine to say “he or she.”

5. Legal Writing:

• Incorrect: “If the defendant pleads guilty, he will be sentenced on the same day.”
• Correct: “If the defendant pleads guilty, they will be sentenced on the same day.”
  • If you do not know the person’s gender, you can say “they” or “he or she.”

Ensuring pronoun consistency by maintaining agreement in number between the antecedent and the pronoun not only eliminates ambiguity but also enhances the clarity and professionalism of your writing.

Cataphoric Referencing (Looking Forward)

Unlike anaphoric referencing, cataphoric referencing uses a pronoun to refer to a noun that has not yet been mentioned but will be clarified later in the text. This is rarer and also more challenging.

Examples and Rules

1. Simple Cataphora
   • Example: “When he arrived, John made sure to greet everyone.”
     • Here, “he” is clarified later as “John.”

When using this sort of language, it must be extremely clear to what or whom you are referring. Otherwise, your reader will be quite confused.

Additional Examples:

1. Family Gathering:

• Example: “Before she even entered, Maria was greeted with a loud cheer.”
  • Here, “she” precedes its antecedent, “Maria.”

2. Workplace Scenario:

• Example: “If they approve, the managers will implement the new policy next month.”
  • In this case, “they” is clarified later as “the managers.”

3. School Context:

• Example: “When she calls, tell Mrs. Johnson I’ll be a little late.”
  • Here, “she” refers to “Mrs. Johnson,” who is mentioned later.

4. Sports:

• Example: “If he scores, Ronaldo will break the record.”
  • “He” is clarified later as “Ronaldo.”

5. Social Setting:

• Example: “Though he was hesitant at first, Kevin finally joined the party.”
  • Here, “he” is clarified as “Kevin” later in the sentence.

Cataphoric reference serves to create a sense of suspense or focus the reader’s attention on a particular subject that will be elaborated upon later in the text. Understanding this technique can improve both your comprehension and your own writing skills.

Note: It is great to use personal pronouns in some types of writing but in academic writing we typically avoid them. You can learn about that here.

2. In Narrative
   • Example: “If you see her, tell Sarah I said hello.”
     • The pronoun “her” precedes its noun “Sarah” but is clarified immediately after.

Additional Examples:

1. In Mystery:

• Example: “Before he revealed himself, the masked man had already stolen the treasure.”
  • Here, “he” precedes its antecedent “the masked man,” which is clarified later in the sentence.

2. In Romance:

• Example: “If you meet her, give Emily this letter.”
  • In this case, “her” is clarified later as “Emily.”

3. In Adventure:

• Example: “As it roared, the dragon emerged from its lair.”
  • “It” is clarified later as “the dragon.”

4. In Comedy:

• Example: “If you run into him, tell Bob his joke was a hit.”
  • Here, “him” is clarified as “Bob” later in the sentence.

5. In Historical Fiction:

• Example: “Before they signed it, the leaders debated the treaty for hours.”
  • “They” is clarified later as “the leaders.”

These examples demonstrate how cataphora can be effectively used in various types of narratives to either generate suspense, direct focus, or simply for stylistic purposes.

3. Avoiding Confusion
   • Incorrect: “He said that John was going.”
   • Correct: “John said that he was going.”
     • It’s essential to place the antecedent as close as possible to avoid ambiguity.

Additional Examples:

1. Ambiguous: “When she spoke to Emily, she seemed upset.”
   • Correct: “When Maria spoke to Emily, she seemed upset.”
   • In the corrected version, it’s clear that “she” refers to Maria.
2. Ambiguous: “He told his father that he needed some space.”
   • Correct: “Jack told his father that he needed some space.”
   • Now it’s clear that “he” refers to Jack needing space, not the father.
3. Ambiguous: “She told her mother she was tired.”
   • Correct: “Alice told her mother she was tired.”
   • The antecedent “Alice” makes it clear who is tired.
4. Ambiguous: “He gave Mike his book.”
   • Correct: “John gave Mike his book.”
   • By adding “John,” we clarify who the book belongs to.
5. Ambiguous: “When talking to the teacher, she was reluctant.”
   • Correct: “When talking to the teacher, Sarah was reluctant.”
   • Here, “Sarah” clearly identifies who was reluctant.

By placing the antecedent close to its pronoun, these examples demonstrate how to avoid ambiguity and make the sentence’s meaning crystal clear.

Further Issues with Pronouns

When it comes to using pronouns, the most important things to know are:

1. Make sure that your pronoun matches the noun in terms of number. For example, replace “chairs” with “they” and not “it.”
2. Be careful when it comes to gender. Refer to a woman as “she” and a man as “he.” Objects are “it” or “they,” and animals can be “he,” “she,” or “it/they.”
3. If you do not know someone’s gender (i.e. you are talking about people in general), then use “they.” It is also acceptable to say “he or she.”

Make sure that your pronoun use is clear. If you use various pronouns in one sentence, it can be confusing. Don’t assume that your reader will magically know to what you are referring.

Note: All of this is extremely important for IELTS because it will affect your score for Coherence and Cohesion.

Conclusion

To sum up, the effective use of pronouns serves to make your communication—whether spoken or written—clearer and easier to understand. Proper use of anaphoric and cataphoric references is key to achieving this clarity. By following the guidelines and examples presented in this article, you can take significant steps toward enhancing both the clarity and flow of your language.