{"id":3383,"date":"2022-03-16T09:06:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-16T03:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/?p=3383"},"modified":"2022-11-30T12:33:04","modified_gmt":"2022-11-30T07:03:04","slug":"pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"Pronoun Usage &#8211; Myths and Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">A <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\">17<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">min read <\/span><\/span>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img src=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Pronouns_011.png\" alt=\"Pronouns usage GMAT - Debunking Myths\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 id=\"0-introduction\">Introduction:<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Before delving into the article, let us look at some sentences and test our knowledge of pronoun usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-container-1 wp-block-group\"><div class=\"ub_styled_list \" id=\"ub_styled_list-ba4815f2-b2fb-48a6-bf0d-23e5a62e11c9\"><ul class=\"fa-ul\"><li>The UV radiation emitted by the Sun is carcinogenic and hazardous in ozone-free areas.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"ub_styled_list \" id=\"ub_styled_list-cbbfffee-79da-417f-895f-b6bc1124dff5\"><ul class=\"fa-ul\"><li>The UV radiation emitted by the Sun is highly dangerous because <strong>it<\/strong> has a very low wavelength.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"ub_styled_list \" id=\"ub_styled_list-e9666450-d4eb-49b6-8be9-30b32275bcac\"><ul class=\"fa-ul\"><li>A solar flare emitted by the Sun can destroy a communication satellite because scientists estimated that <strong>its<\/strong> temperature is high enough to accelerate further damage.<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of pronoun usage, which of the above sentence(s) do you think is\/are incorrect?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read on for the answers. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents\" data-showtext=\"show\" data-hidetext=\"hide\" data-scrolltype=\"auto\" id=\"ub_table-of-contents-c52b14cd-51d4-41c3-9d4c-787e2d7750c5\" data-initiallyhideonmobile=\"false\"\n                    data-initiallyshow=\"true\"><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-header-container\"><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-header\">\n                    <div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-title\">Here is the outline of this article:<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-extra-container\"><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-container ub_table-of-contents-1-column \"><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#0-introduction\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Introduction:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#2-debunking-myths-about-pronouns\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Debunking myths about pronouns:<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#3-myth-1-a-pronoun-can-refer-only-to-the-nearest-noun\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Myth 1: A pronoun can refer only to the nearest noun.<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#4-simple-example-1-\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Simple Example 1:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#5-simple-example-2-\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Simple Example 2:&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#6-official-sentence-1-\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Official Sentence 1:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#7-official-sentence-2-\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Official Sentence 2:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#11-myth-2-a-pronoun-in-a-clause-cannot-refer-to-a-noun-in-another-clause\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Myth 2: A pronoun in a clause cannot refer to a noun in another clause.<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#12-simple-example-1-\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Simple example 1:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#13-simple-example-2-\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Simple example 2:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#14-official-sentence-1-\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Official Sentence 1:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#15-official-sentence-2-\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Official Sentence 2:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#19-myth-3-the-antecedent-of-a-pronoun-cannot-lie-in-a-prepositional-phrase\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Myth 3: The antecedent of a pronoun cannot lie in a prepositional phrase.<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#20-simple-example-1-\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Simple example 1:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#21-simple-example-2-\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Simple example 2:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#22-official-sentence-\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Official Sentence:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#25-myth-4-antecedent-should-always-appear-before-the-respective-pronoun\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Myth 4: Antecedent should always appear before the respective pronoun.<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#26-simple-example-1-\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Simple Example 1:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#27-simple-example-2-\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Simple Example 2:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#28-official-sentence-1\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Official Sentence 1:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#29-official-sentence-2\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Official Sentence 2:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#32-takeaways\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Takeaways:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#33-exercise\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Exercise:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Students usually falter with the usage of pronouns because of some existing myths regarding pronouns. The main aim of this article is to present four such myths and break them down once and for all. After reading this article, you\u2019ll have a much better understanding of correct pronoun usage and be able to identify pronoun errors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we go on to talk about myths, let me reinforce the underlying principle behind pronoun usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img src=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/02.png\" alt=\"Pronoun Usage Principle\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the only principle behind pronoun usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With this point in mind, let us now revisit the sentences in the above exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>The UV radiation emitted by the Sun is carcinogenic and hazardous in ozone-free areas.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>There isn\u2019t any pronoun used in this sentence, and the sentence is correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>The UV radiation emitted by the Sun is highly dangerous because <strong>it<\/strong> has a very low wavelength.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>There are three nouns in this sentence. \u201cUV radiation\u201d, \u201cSun\u201d and \u201cwavelength\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now keeping our above-mentioned principle in mind, let us see which one among these three can be a logical antecedent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Is \u201cUV radiation\u201d a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d in this sentence?<br>In other words, <strong>does the statement \u201cUV radiation has a very low wavelength\u201d make sense in this context?<\/strong><br>Yes. It does. It is perfectly logical to talk about the wavelength of radiation. The sentence \u201cUV radiation has a very low wavelength and so the UV emitted by the Sun is highly dangerous\u201d makes sense in this context. So \u201cUV radiation\u201d is the logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d.<\/li><li>Is \u201cSun\u201d a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d in this sentence?<br>Again, ask yourself the following.<br><strong>Does the statement \u201cSun has a very low wavelength\u201d make sense in this context?<br><\/strong>No. The statement isn\u2019t logical. The sentence \u201cSun has a very low wavelength\u201d doesn\u2019t make sense at all. So \u201cSun\u201d isn\u2019t a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d.<\/li><li>Is \u201cwavelength\u201d a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d in this sentence? To answer this question, ask yourself the following. <strong><br>Does the statement \u201cwavelength has a very low wavelength\u201d make sense in this context?<\/strong><br>No. It doesn\u2019t. It isn\u2019t logical at all.&nbsp; So \u201cwavelength\u201d isn\u2019t a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img src=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/03.png\" alt=\"Pronoun Usage image 3\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>So we have only one logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d in this sentence. So this sentence is correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, let us consider the third sentence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>A solar flare emitted by the Sun can destroy a communication satellite because scientists estimated that <strong>its<\/strong> temperature is high enough to accelerate further damage.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>There are four possible antecedents in this sentence. They are \u201csolar flare\u201d, \u201cSun\u201d, \u201ccommunication satellite\u201d and \u201ctemperature\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now following a similar approach as in the previous example<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><strong>Does the statement \u201cSolar flare\u2019s temperature is high enough to accelerate further damage to a communication satellite\u201d make sense in this context?<\/strong><br>Yes. It is perfectly logical. So \u201cSolar flare\u201d is a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d.<\/li><li><strong>Does the statement \u201cSun\u2019s temperature is high enough to accelerate further damage to a communication satellite\u201d make sense in this context?<\/strong><br>Yes! Therefore \u201cSun\u201d is a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d.<\/li><li><strong>Does the statement \u201cCommunication Satellite\u2019s temperature is high enough to accelerate further damage to a communication satellite\u201d make sense in this context?<\/strong><br>Yes. A satellite <strong>might<\/strong> have high temperature. It does make sense. So \u201cCommunication satellite\u201d is a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d.<\/li><li><strong>Does the statement \u201cTemperature\u2019s temperature is high enough to accelerate further damage to a communication satellite\u201d make sense in this context?<br><\/strong>NO! It is not at all logical to say so. Therefore \u201ctemperature\u201d is not a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img src=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/04.png\" alt=\"Pronoun Usage image 4\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The pronoun \u201cit\u201d in this sentence has more than one logical antecedent. So there <strong>is<\/strong> pronoun ambiguity in this sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Notice our thought process in the above examples.&nbsp; Wherever a pronoun is used, we replaced the pronoun with the possible antecedents and checked if the sentences made sense.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>If no antecedents make sense, we say there is no logical antecedent to the pronoun.<\/p><p>If more than one antecedent makes sense, we say that there is pronoun ambiguity in the sentence.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"1-in-the-context-of-gmat\">In the context of GMAT:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Pronoun errors are quite often tested on GMAT and GMAT continues to confuse students with these errors. Furthermore pronoun errors are not as deterministic as SV errors or Modifier errors are. &nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore, pronoun error should be used as a last reason to reject an option choice, only after all other deterministic errors have been used in the process of elimination. Such scenarios arise in quite a few difficult questions on the GMAT.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Pronouns are one the most widely tested concepts on the GMAT SC. We cover all the concepts required to ace the GMAT SC, starting with the foundations of GMAT grammar in the e-GMAT SC course. We also have 400+ GMAT level practice questions with detailed solutions. Begin your GMAT preparation with our <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.e-gmat.com\/sign-up-free-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener external\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">free trial<\/a> today!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"ub-buttons align-button-center\"  id=\"ub-button-3cf982c3-b428-423b-bc4d-7e37545c8e74\"><div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.e-gmat.com\/sign-up-free-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer external\" class=\"ub-button-block-main ub-button-medium\" role=\"button\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">\n    <div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\"><span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"height=\"30\", width=\"30\"viewBox=\"0, 0, 512, 512\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M256 0C114.6 0 0 114.6 0 256c0 141.4 114.6 256 256 256s256-114.6 256-256C512 114.6 397.4 0 256 0zM406.6 278.6l-103.1 103.1c-12.5 12.5-32.75 12.5-45.25 0s-12.5-32.75 0-45.25L306.8 288H128C110.3 288 96 273.7 96 256s14.31-32 32-32h178.8l-49.38-49.38c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.75 0-45.25s32.75-12.5 45.25 0l103.1 103.1C414.6 241.3 416 251.1 416 256C416 260.9 414.6 270.7 406.6 278.6z\"><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Start your free trial<\/span>\n    <\/div><\/a><\/div><div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.e-gmat.com\/take-sigma-x-mock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer external\" class=\"ub-button-block-main ub-button-medium\" role=\"button\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">\n    <div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\"><span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"height=\"30\", width=\"30\"viewBox=\"0, 0, 448, 512\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M246.6 233.4l-160-160c-12.5-12.5-32.75-12.5-45.25 0s-12.5 32.75 0 45.25L178.8 256l-137.4 137.4c-12.5 12.5-12.5 32.75 0 45.25C47.63 444.9 55.81 448 64 448s16.38-3.125 22.62-9.375l160-160C259.1 266.1 259.1 245.9 246.6 233.4zM438.6 233.4l-160-160c-12.5-12.5-32.75-12.5-45.25 0s-12.5 32.75 0 45.25L370.8 256l-137.4 137.4c-12.5 12.5-12.5 32.75 0 45.25C239.6 444.9 247.8 448 256 448s16.38-3.125 22.62-9.375l160-160C451.1 266.1 451.1 245.9 438.6 233.4z\"><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Take a free mock<\/span>\n    <\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:29px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 id=\"2-debunking-myths-about-pronouns\">Debunking myths about pronouns:<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>So now we will look at some of the myths students have regarding the usage of pronouns and will debunk them. Given below in the table are some of the most common myths surrounding pronoun usage and the actual facts associated with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Myth<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Fact<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>A pronoun can refer only to the nearest noun<\/strong><\/td><td>Long Distance Relationships can work! [Between antecedents and pronouns ;)]<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>A pronoun in a clause cannot refer to a noun in another clause<\/strong><\/td><td>Love [between antecedent and pronoun] knows no boundaries!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>The antecedent of a pronoun cannot lie in a prepositional phrase<\/strong><\/td><td>Prepositional Phrases are not black holes! Antecedents can come out of them!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Antecedent should always appear before the respective pronoun.<\/strong><\/td><td>At times the best need not appear first!<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:29px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"3-myth-1-a-pronoun-can-refer-only-to-the-nearest-noun\">Myth 1: A pronoun can refer only to the nearest noun.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source of this myth<\/strong>: This myth usually can arise when a student somehow confuses pronoun usage with modifier usage. (Modifiers usually tend to modify the nearest entity. Remember?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s debunk this myth<\/strong>: First I will present simple examples and then substantiate my point with Official examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"4-simple-example-1-\">Simple Example 1:<em> <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>Although the discovery of America was not intentional and Columbus actually believed that <strong>he<\/strong> discovered India, <strong>it<\/strong> is widely acclaimed as one of the major turning points in Modern History.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The pronoun \u201che\u201d unambiguously refers to the noun \u201cColumbus\u201d. So the usage of \u201che\u201d is correct.<br>What about the pronoun \u201cit\u201d? Is it used correctly or is there any error in its usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the sentence, what are the possible antecedents for the singular pronoun \u201cit\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDiscovery, America, India, Modern History\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now let us look at the following sentences and see which one of them makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><em>The discovery (of America) is widely acclaimed as one of the major turning points in Modern History.<\/em><\/li><li><em>America is widely acclaimed as one of the major turning points in Modern History.<\/em><\/li><li><em>India is widely acclaimed as one of the major turning points in Modern History.<\/em><\/li><li><em>Modern History is widely acclaimed as one of the major turning points in Modern History.<\/em><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Does the first sentence make sense in this context?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes. It absolutely does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The discovery (of America) is widely acclaimed as one of the major turning points in Modern History, even though it (the discovery) was unintentional<\/em>.This makes perfect sense. Therefore \u201cdiscovery\u201d is a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d even though the antecedent is far away from the pronoun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What about the second sentence? Does it make sense in this context?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all the sentence \u201c<em>America is widely acclaimed as one of the major turning points in Modern History<\/em>\u201d itself doesn\u2019t make sense! (How can a country be a turning point in History? Events, Actions etc. can be turning points in History, not Countries or other places.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So it isn\u2019t even logical to say \u201c<em>America is widely acclaimed as one of the major turning points in Modern History even though the discovery of America was unintentional\u201d!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore \u201cAmerica\u201d is not a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d in this sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can reject \u201cIndia\u201d too on similar reasoning. (Even though \u201cIndia\u201d is the nearest noun.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now what about the fourth sentence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sentence itself isn\u2019t logical. First of all History as a whole cannot be a turning point. The major events in a history are considered as its turning points. Moreover the sentence is same as saying \u201cA monkey is one of the most commonly found animal among monkeys\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore \u201cModern History\u201d is not a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d in this sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore the pronoun \u201cit\u201d has only one logical antecedent (discovery) and the sentence is correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1374\" height=\"198\" src=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/24.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4151\" title=\"2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/24.png 1374w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/24-300x43.png 300w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/24-1024x147.png 1024w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/24-624x89.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1374px) 100vw, 1374px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This sentence reiterates the fact that the distance between a pronoun and its antecedent doesn\u2019t matter as long as there is only one antecedent which is logical\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please note that this doesn\u2019t mean that pronoun cannot refer to a nearer noun. Consider the following example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"5-simple-example-2-\">Simple Example 2:&nbsp; <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>Even though there was a chance of attack for the lion, it walked away without harming the deer.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Here in this sentence, as you can see, the pronoun \u201cit\u201d can logically refer only to the noun \u201clion\u201d. Look at the following two sentences and see which one of them makes sense in this context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>The lion walked away without harming the deer, even though there was a chance of attack for the lion. (Perfect!!)<\/li><li>The deer walked away without harming the deer, even though there was a chance of attack for the lion. (Is this even logical?)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The first sentence makes perfect sense and therefore we can definitely say that \u201clion\u201d is a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, the second sentence isn\u2019t even logical. So \u201cdeer\u201d is not the logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore the pronoun \u201cit\u201d in this sentence has only one logical antecedent (lion) and it so happens in this case that the pronoun is referring to the nearest noun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1071\" height=\"129\" src=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/34.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4152\" title=\"3\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/34.png 1071w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/34-300x36.png 300w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/34-1024x123.png 1024w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/34-624x75.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1071px) 100vw, 1071px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that this need not always be the case as we have already seen in Example 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now let us look at a couple of official sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"6-official-sentence-1-\">Official Sentence 1: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>Although Napoleon&#8217;s army entered Russia with far more supplies than for any previous campaign, <strong>it<\/strong> had provisions for only twenty-four days.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, even though the noun \u201cNapoleon\u2019s army\u201d is very far from the pronoun&nbsp;\u201cit\u201d, there is no error in the usage. The pronoun \u201cit\u201d can logically refer only to the noun \u201cNapoleon\u2019s army\u201d and not \u201cRussia\u201d or \u201ccampaign\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is not logical to say that \u201cAlthough Napoleon\u2019s army entered Russia with more supplies, Russia had provisions for only twenty four days\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How do the supplies with Napoleon\u2019s army matter to Russia?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The amount of provisions with Russia are independent of what Napoleon\u2019s army has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, it is not logical to say that \u201cAlthough Napoleon\u2019s army entered Russia with more supplies, campaign had provisions for only twenty-four days.\u201d (A campaign cannot have provisions. Note that in the context of this sentence, a campaign is a military mission and provisions are supplies for survival.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, it is logical to say that \u201c\u2026Napoleon\u2019s army had provisions for only twenty-four days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1149\" height=\"206\" src=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/43.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4153\" title=\"4\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/43.png 1149w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/43-300x53.png 300w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/43-1024x183.png 1024w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/43-624x111.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1149px) 100vw, 1149px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore there is only one logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d in this sentence and the sentence is correct. (Even though the antecedent is far away from the pronoun).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"7-official-sentence-2-\">Official Sentence 2: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>Because an oversupply of computer chips has sent prices plunging, the manufacturer has announced that <strong>it<\/strong> will cut production by closing <strong>its<\/strong> factories for two days a month.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Here both the pronouns \u201cit\u201d and \u201cits\u201d can refer only to the noun \u201cmanufacturer\u201d, even though the noun \u201cproduction\u201d is nearer to the pronouns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1385\" height=\"213\" src=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/53.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4154\" title=\"5\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/53.png 1385w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/53-300x46.png 300w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/53-1024x157.png 1024w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/53-624x95.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1385px) 100vw, 1385px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>(Observe that except for \u201cmanufacturer\u201d, no other noun makes sense to be referred to by \u201cit\u201d or \u201cits\u201d in the context of the sentence.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 id=\"8-summary-\">Summary: <\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>To summarize, wherever a pronoun is used, we replaced the pronoun with the possible antecedents and checked if the sentences made sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If no antecedents make sense, we say there is no logical antecedent to the pronoun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If more than one antecedent makes sense, we say that there is pronoun ambiguity in the sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 id=\"9-fact-to-be-noted-\">Fact to be noted: <\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>We have now successfully debunked a myth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"734\" height=\"201\" src=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4156\" title=\"6\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/6.jpg 734w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/6-300x82.jpg 300w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/6-624x170.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"10-exercise-question-1-\">Exercise Question 1: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>Banana corp., which is aware of the fact that it has a high likelihood of producing faults, continues to use the new Flexi Mixie Screen.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, what about this sentence? Is the pronoun \u201cit\u201d correctly used in this sentence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The possible antecedents of the singular pronoun \u201cit\u201d are \u201cBanana corp., fact, likelihood, and Flexi Screen\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now look at the following sentences and think which one of them makes sense in this context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Banana corp. has a high likelihood of producing faults (when they use the Flexi Mixie Screen)<\/li><li>Fact has a high likelihood of producing faults.<\/li><li>Likelihood has a high likelihood of producing faults.<\/li><li>Flexi Screen has a high likelihood of producing faults. (when Banana corp uses it)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The sentence (a) makes perfect sense. Therefore \u201cBanana Corp.\u201d is a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sentences (b) and (c) aren\u2019t logical and don\u2019t make sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What about sentence (d)?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes. It does make sense in this context. \u201cit\u201d can refer to \u201cFlexi Screen\u201d giving the meaning \u201cBanana corp knows that the Flexi Screen has a high likelihood of producing faults but still uses the Screen\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a perfectly logical meaning and therefore \u201cFlexi Mixie Screen\u201d is a logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since we have more than one logical antecedent of the pronoun in this sentence, there is an error in pronoun usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because there is clear pronoun ambiguity in this sentence, placement of the possible noun antecedents does not even matter in such a situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:29px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"11-myth-2-a-pronoun-in-a-clause-cannot-refer-to-a-noun-in-another-clause\">Myth 2: A pronoun in a clause cannot refer to a noun in another clause.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source of this myth<\/strong>: This myth arises in which a pronoun lies in another Independent Clause (IC). Students usually tend to think that a pronoun of one IC cannot refer to a noun in another IC as a single IC can denote a complete idea by itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s debunk this myth<\/strong>: We need to keep in mind that an IC + IC construction is considered as one big IC. (Similarly an IC + DC construction is also a big IC). Therefore a pronoun can refer to a noun in a previous clause if the two are connected properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"12-simple-example-1-\">Simple example 1: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>The King of Atlantis is fond of <strong>his<\/strong> white tiger, but the citizens are afraid of <strong>it<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Look at the sentence structure below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>The King of Atlantis is fond of his white tiger,<\/em><\/li><li><em>but the citizens are afraid of it<\/em>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, the pronoun \u201cit\u201d unambiguously refers to \u201cwhite tiger\u201d even though the antecedent is in another clause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Observe that this sentence is an IC+IC construction joined by a \u201cComma + But\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe citizens are afraid of the white tiger\u201d makes perfect sense in this context and so \u201cwhite tiger\u201d is the logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d (even though both of them are different clauses)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that this doesn\u2019t mean that a pronoun always refers to a noun in a different clause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Observe that the pronoun \u201chis\u201d refers to \u201cKing of Atlantis\u201d and both of them are in the same clause).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider the following example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"13-simple-example-2-\">Simple example 2: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>The King of Atlantis takes care of <strong>his<\/strong> citizens; no wonder <strong>he<\/strong> is loved by <strong>them<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The structure of this sentence is follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>The King of Atlantis takes care of <strong>his<\/strong> citizens;<\/em><\/li><li><em>no wonder <strong>he<\/strong> is loved by <strong>them<\/strong>.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here in this sentence the pronouns \u201chis\u201d and \u201che\u201d can refer only to \u201cKing of Atlantis\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly the pronoun \u201cthem\u201d can refer only to \u201ccitizens\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are no other possible antecedents for these pronouns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover the pronoun usage makes perfect sense in this sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore there is no error in the pronoun usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The thing to be noted here in this sentence is that the pronoun \u201cthem\u201d and its antecedent \u201ccitizens \u201care in different clauses. Similarly the pronoun \u201che\u201d and its antecedent \u201cKing of Atlantis\u201d are in different clauses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the pronoun \u201chis\u201d and its antecedent \u201cKing of Atlantis\u201d are in the same clause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So this example should serve as proof to the fact that the pronoun and its antecedent can be same or different clauses. The position of the antecedent doesn\u2019t matter as long as it is logical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now let us look at a couple of official sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"14-official-sentence-1-\">Official Sentence 1: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>The budget for education reflects the administration&#8217;s demand that the money be controlled by local school districts, but <strong>it <\/strong>allows <strong>them<\/strong> to spend the money only on teachers, not on books, computers, or other materials or&nbsp;activities.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The structure of the sentence is as follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>The budget for education reflects the administration&#8217;s demand<\/em><ul><li><em>that the money be controlled by local school districts,<\/em><\/li><li><em>but <strong>it <\/strong>allows <strong>them<\/strong> to spend the money only on teachers, not on books, computers, or other materials or&nbsp;activities.<\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an officially correct sentence. (GMAT PREP)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is only one logical antecedent (local school districts) of the pronoun \u201cthem\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However there are four possible antecedents (budget, education, demand and money) for the pronoun \u201cit\u201d. Now consider the following sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Budget allows school districts to spend money only on teachers.<\/li><li>Education allows school districts to spend money only on teachers.<\/li><li>Demand allows school districts to spend money only on teachers.<\/li><li>Money allows school districts to spend money only on teachers.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, only sentence (a) makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hence there is only one logical antecedent (budget) for the pronoun \u201cit\u201d and the sentence is correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Observe that both the pronouns have their antecedents in another clause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let us look at another official sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"15-official-sentence-2-\">Official Sentence 2: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>The peaks of a mountain range, acting like rocks in a&nbsp;streambed, produce ripples in the air flowing over&nbsp;them; the resulting flow pattern, with&nbsp;crests and troughs that remain stationary&nbsp;although the air that forms <strong>them<\/strong> is moving&nbsp;rapidly, is&nbsp;known as&nbsp;&#8220;standing waves.&#8221;<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an officially correct sentence. (OG12 #95) The structure of the sentence is as follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>The peaks of a mountain range, acting like rocks in a&nbsp;streambed, produce ripples in the air flowing over&nbsp;them;<\/em><\/li><li><em>the resulting flow pattern, with&nbsp;crests and troughs<\/em><ul><li><em>that remain stationary&nbsp;<\/em><\/li><li><em>although the air<\/em><ul><li><em>that forms <strong>them<\/strong><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><em>is moving&nbsp;rapidly,<\/em><\/li><li><em>is&nbsp;known as&nbsp;&#8220;standing waves.&#8221;<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The pronoun \u201cthem\u201d is referring to \u201ccrests and troughs\u201d which is in a different clause altogether. (Note that the other possible nouns do not make logical sense as antecedents).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore we can again say that the positions of the antecedent and pronoun do not matter as long as the reference is unique and logical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 id=\"16-summary-\">Summary: <\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>To summarize, wherever a pronoun is used, we replaced the pronoun with the possible antecedents and checked if the sentences made sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If no antecedents make sense, we say there is no logical antecedent to the pronoun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If more than one antecedent makes sense, we say that there is pronoun ambiguity in the sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 id=\"17-fact-to-be-noted\">Fact to be noted:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"625\" height=\"244\" src=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4159\" title=\"7\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/7.jpg 625w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/7-300x117.jpg 300w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/7-624x243.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"18-exercise-question-1-\">Exercise Question 1: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>Every student must put more effort while studying <strong>it<\/strong> because if a student doesn\u2019t have a good grasp on the concept of fractions, <strong>they<\/strong> will face difficulty in understanding Algebra<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Let us look at the structure of this sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>Every student must put more effort while studying <strong>it<\/strong><\/em><ul><li><em>because if a student doesn\u2019t have a good grasp on the concept of fractions,<\/em><\/li><li><strong><em>they<\/em><\/strong><em> will face difficulty in understanding Algebra<\/em>.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Now what about this sentence? Are the pronouns \u201cit\u201d and \u201cthey\u201d correct in their usage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Observe that there are no logical antecedents of the pronoun \u201cthey\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sentence talks about individual students. So \u201cthey\u201d has no logical antecedents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore there is an error in the usage of the pronoun \u201cthey\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What about the pronoun \u201cit\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look at the following sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><em>Every student must put more effort while studying <strong>the concept of fractions<\/strong> because if a student doesn\u2019t have a good grasp on the concept of fractions, <strong>the student<\/strong> will face difficulty in understanding Algebra.<\/em><\/li><li><em>Every student must put more effort while studying <strong>Algebra<\/strong> because if a student doesn\u2019t have a good grasp on the concept of fractions, <strong>the student<\/strong> will face difficulty in understanding Algebra.<\/em><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Both of them make perfect sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first sentence is lays emphasis on the fact that students should put more effort in strengthening their basics (Concept of Fractions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second sentence says that students who are weak at basics must put more effort while studying advanced topics (Algebra).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have more than one logical antecedent of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d in this sentence and therefore there is an error in the usage of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d.&nbsp;&nbsp; Notice that it does not matter which clause the antecedent resides in.&nbsp; Both make logical sense and hence the ambiguity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Pronouns are one the most widely tested concepts on the GMAT SC. We cover all the concepts required to ace the GMAT SC, starting from the foundations of GMAT grammar in the e-GMAT SC course. We also have 400+ GMAT level practice questions with detailed solutions. Begin your GMAT preparation with our <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.e-gmat.com\/sign-up-free-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener external\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">free trial<\/a> today!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"ub-buttons align-button-center\"  id=\"ub-button-fec3714d-0403-4ccd-8da9-379ef1bc1659\"><div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.e-gmat.com\/sign-up-free-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer external\" class=\"ub-button-block-main ub-button-medium\" role=\"button\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">\n    <div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\"><span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"height=\"30\", width=\"30\"viewBox=\"0, 0, 512, 512\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M256 0C114.6 0 0 114.6 0 256c0 141.4 114.6 256 256 256s256-114.6 256-256C512 114.6 397.4 0 256 0zM406.6 278.6l-103.1 103.1c-12.5 12.5-32.75 12.5-45.25 0s-12.5-32.75 0-45.25L306.8 288H128C110.3 288 96 273.7 96 256s14.31-32 32-32h178.8l-49.38-49.38c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.75 0-45.25s32.75-12.5 45.25 0l103.1 103.1C414.6 241.3 416 251.1 416 256C416 260.9 414.6 270.7 406.6 278.6z\"><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Start your free trial<\/span>\n    <\/div><\/a><\/div><div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.e-gmat.com\/take-sigma-x-mock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer external\" class=\"ub-button-block-main ub-button-medium\" role=\"button\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">\n    <div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\"><span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"height=\"30\", width=\"30\"viewBox=\"0, 0, 448, 512\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M246.6 233.4l-160-160c-12.5-12.5-32.75-12.5-45.25 0s-12.5 32.75 0 45.25L178.8 256l-137.4 137.4c-12.5 12.5-12.5 32.75 0 45.25C47.63 444.9 55.81 448 64 448s16.38-3.125 22.62-9.375l160-160C259.1 266.1 259.1 245.9 246.6 233.4zM438.6 233.4l-160-160c-12.5-12.5-32.75-12.5-45.25 0s-12.5 32.75 0 45.25L370.8 256l-137.4 137.4c-12.5 12.5-12.5 32.75 0 45.25C239.6 444.9 247.8 448 256 448s16.38-3.125 22.62-9.375l160-160C451.1 266.1 451.1 245.9 438.6 233.4z\"><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Take a free mock<\/span>\n    <\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:29px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"19-myth-3-the-antecedent-of-a-pronoun-cannot-lie-in-a-prepositional-phrase\">Myth 3: The antecedent of a pronoun cannot lie in a prepositional phrase.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source of this myth<\/strong>: This myth seems to have its origins in the rule that the subject of a sentence cannot lie inside a prepositional phrase. &nbsp;&nbsp;Students mistakenly extend this rule to pronouns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s debunk this myth<\/strong>: We know that a subject cannot lie inside a prepositional phrase. However, a pronoun can refer to any noun in the sentence as long as the reference is unique and logical. Let us now look at some examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"20-simple-example-1-\">Simple example 1: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>King George is the ruler of the largest empire, <strong>its<\/strong> size as large as a continent.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, the pronoun \u201cits\u201d unambiguously refers to \u201cempire\u201d (The pronoun \u201cits\u201d cannot be used to refer to people.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Notice carefully that \u201cempire\u201d is in a prepositional phrase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"21-simple-example-2-\">Simple example 2: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>The tail of a monkey has more muscles in <strong>it<\/strong> than that of any other animal.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The pronoun \u201cit\u201d refers to \u201ctail\u201d and not \u201cmonkey\u201d (\u201cit\u201d cannot refer to \u201cmonkey\u201d because \u201cThe tail of a monkey has more muscles in monkey\u201d doesn\u2019t make sense.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Observe that in this case, the pronoun \u201cit\u201d refers to the head of the noun phrase and not the noun in the prepositional phrase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"22-official-sentence-\">Official Sentence: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>The intricate structure of the compound insect eye,&nbsp;with its hundreds of miniature eyes called ommatidia, helps explain why scientists have assumed that <strong>it<\/strong>&nbsp;evolved independently of the vertebrate eye.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an official sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The possible antecedents of the pronoun \u201cit\u201d are \u201cstructure, compound insect eye, and vertebrate eye\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now consider the following sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>The intricate structure of the compound insect eye helps explain why scientists have assumed that the intricate structure evolved independently of the vertebrate eye. (Something doesn\u2019t sound right here.)<\/li><li>The intricate structure of the compound insect eye helps explain why scientists have assumed that the compound insect eye evolved independently of the vertebrate eye. (This makes perfect sense).<\/li><li>The intricate structure of the compound insect eye helps explain why scientists have assumed that the vertebrate eye evolved independently of the vertebrate eye. (This is not even logical).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem with sentence (a) is similar to the problem in the below sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Monkeys explain why scientists assume that humans evolved from monkeys.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Now consider the below variation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The genetic features of monkeys explain why scientists assume that humans evolved from monkeys.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you see why sentence (i) sounds illogical now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sentence (a) above has a similar meaning error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So there is only one logical antecedent (compound insect eye) for the pronoun \u201cit\u201d in this sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore the sentence is correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once again, note that the pronoun refers to the noun (compound insect eye) inside a prepositional phrase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 id=\"23-summary-\">Summary: <\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>To summarize, wherever a pronoun is used, we replaced the pronoun with the possible antecedents and checked if the sentences made sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If no antecedents make sense, we say there is no logical antecedent to the pronoun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If more than one antecedent makes sense, we say that there is pronoun ambiguity in the sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 id=\"24-fact-to-be-noted\">Fact to be noted:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"544\" height=\"446\" src=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4160\" title=\"8\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/8.jpg 544w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/8-300x245.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 544px) 100vw, 544px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:29px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"25-myth-4-antecedent-should-always-appear-before-the-respective-pronoun\">Myth 4: Antecedent should always appear before the respective pronoun.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source of this myth<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> This could have emerged from a misinterpretation of the word \u201cantecedent\u201d (which literally means something that comes before).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s debunk this myth<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> Once again, we need to keep in mind that the only&nbsp;underlying principle behind pronoun usage is that \u201cThere should be a unique noun to which the pronoun can refer and the reference should be logical.\u201d The position of the noun doesn\u2019t matter. (Even though we call it an antecedent).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"26-simple-example-1-\">Simple Example 1: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>Although <strong>it<\/strong> is a big firm, ABC Corporation rarely recruits from top colleges.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The pronoun \u201cit\u201d unambiguously refers to \u201cABC Corporation\u201d. (Even though the pronoun \u201cit\u201d appears before the noun \u201cABC Corporation\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"27-simple-example-2-\">Simple Example 2: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>Despite the excitement in <strong>his<\/strong> life, Sherlock Holmes retired to the Sussex Downs to take up beekeeping.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Here the pronoun \u201chis\u201d refers to the noun \u201cSherlock Holmes\u201d and the sentence is grammatically correct. (Even though the pronoun \u201chis\u201d comes before the antecedent \u201cSherlock Holmes\u201d). This is because the only underlying principle (as we have seen already) in pronoun usage is \u201cA pronoun should have only one Logical Antecedent.\u201d The position of the antecedent is irrelevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"28-official-sentence-1\">Official Sentence 1:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><strong><em>His<\/em><\/strong><em> studies of ice-polished rocks in his Alpine homeland, far outside the range of present-day glaciers, led Louis Agassiz in 1837 to propose the concept of an age&nbsp;in which great ice sheets existed in what are now temperate areas.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an official sentence where the pronoun precedes the antecedent. The pronoun \u201chis\u201d properly and unambiguously refers to the noun \u201cLouis Agassiz\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This sentence once again reiterates that the placement of antecedent doesn\u2019t matter and that the underlying principle of pronoun usage is \u201cA pronoun should have only one Logical Antecedent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"29-official-sentence-2\">Official Sentence 2:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>As <strong>its<\/strong> sales of computer products have surpassed&nbsp;those of measuring instruments, the company has&nbsp;become increasingly willing to compete for the mass&nbsp;market sales&nbsp;<strong>it<\/strong> would in the past have conceded to rivals.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a correct official sentence. The pronoun \u201cits\u201d unambiguously refers to the noun \u201ccompany\u201d. Similarly the pronoun \u201cit\u201d can refer only to the noun \u201ccompany\u201d. (Observe that there are no other singular nouns in the sentence).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 id=\"30-summary\">Summary:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>To summarize, wherever a pronoun is used, we replaced the pronoun with the possible antecedents and checked if the sentences made sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If no antecedents make sense, we say there is no logical antecedent to the pronoun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If more than one antecedent makes sense, we say that there is pronoun ambiguity in the sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 id=\"31-fact-to-be-noted\">Fact to be noted:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"690\" height=\"443\" src=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4162\" title=\"9\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/9.jpg 690w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/9-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/9-624x400.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:29px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 id=\"32-takeaways\">Takeaways:<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"975\" height=\"570\" src=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/9.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4163\" title=\"9\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/9.png 975w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/9-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/9-624x364.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope this article helps you guys in understanding  the meaning of a sentence quickly and without any ambiguity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cheers!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>In our SC course, we cover all the concepts related to Pronouns in excruciating detail. We also have 400+ practice questions with detailed solutions that will help you achieve your dream GMAT score. Begin your GMAT preparation today with our<a href=\"https:\/\/resources.e-gmat.com\/sign-up-free-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener external\" data-wpel-link=\"external\"> free trial<\/a>!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div class=\"ub-buttons align-button-center\"  id=\"ub-button-a48beaa1-0c95-4ca2-9c61-a3e41bd14759\"><div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.e-gmat.com\/sign-up-free-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer external\" class=\"ub-button-block-main ub-button-medium\" role=\"button\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">\n    <div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\"><span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"height=\"30\", width=\"30\"viewBox=\"0, 0, 512, 512\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M256 0C114.6 0 0 114.6 0 256c0 141.4 114.6 256 256 256s256-114.6 256-256C512 114.6 397.4 0 256 0zM406.6 278.6l-103.1 103.1c-12.5 12.5-32.75 12.5-45.25 0s-12.5-32.75 0-45.25L306.8 288H128C110.3 288 96 273.7 96 256s14.31-32 32-32h178.8l-49.38-49.38c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.75 0-45.25s32.75-12.5 45.25 0l103.1 103.1C414.6 241.3 416 251.1 416 256C416 260.9 414.6 270.7 406.6 278.6z\"><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Start your free trial<\/span>\n    <\/div><\/a><\/div><div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.e-gmat.com\/take-sigma-x-mock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer external\" class=\"ub-button-block-main ub-button-medium\" role=\"button\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">\n    <div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\"><span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"height=\"30\", width=\"30\"viewBox=\"0, 0, 448, 512\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M246.6 233.4l-160-160c-12.5-12.5-32.75-12.5-45.25 0s-12.5 32.75 0 45.25L178.8 256l-137.4 137.4c-12.5 12.5-12.5 32.75 0 45.25C47.63 444.9 55.81 448 64 448s16.38-3.125 22.62-9.375l160-160C259.1 266.1 259.1 245.9 246.6 233.4zM438.6 233.4l-160-160c-12.5-12.5-32.75-12.5-45.25 0s-12.5 32.75 0 45.25L370.8 256l-137.4 137.4c-12.5 12.5-12.5 32.75 0 45.25C239.6 444.9 247.8 448 256 448s16.38-3.125 22.62-9.375l160-160C451.1 266.1 451.1 245.9 438.6 233.4z\"><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Take a free mock<\/span>\n    <\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:29px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 id=\"33-exercise\">Exercise:<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>In each of the following sentences, try to identify if the pronoun usage is correct and the possible logical antecedent(s) for each pronoun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><em>Once they had seen the report from the medical examiner, the investigators&nbsp;had no doubt that the body recovered from the&nbsp;river was that of&nbsp;the man who had attempted to escape from the state prison.<\/em><\/li><li><em>The gyrfalcon has survived a close brush with&nbsp;extinction; its numbers are now five times greater than&nbsp;when the use of DDT was sharply restricted in the 1970s<\/em><\/li><li><em>The White Tiger of the Snow Capped Everest Mountain prefers to stay inside caves because <strong>it<\/strong> has inadequate fur to protect itself from the freezing climate of the Himalayan region.<\/em><\/li><li><em>The White Tiger is nicknamed \u201cthe Lightning\u201d because <strong>it<\/strong> moves very quickly<\/em>.<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction: Before delving into the article, let us look at some sentences and test our knowledge of pronoun usage. In terms of pronoun usage, which of the above sentence(s) do you think is\/are incorrect? Read on for the answers. \ud83d\ude42 Students usually falter with the usage of pronouns because of some existing myths regarding pronouns. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":102436,"featured_media":3390,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","ub_ctt_via":""},"categories":[94,1,95],"tags":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Pronouns_01.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Srushti R","author_link":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/author\/srushtie-gmat-com\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v17.1.1 (Yoast SEO v17.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Pronoun Usage - Myths and Facts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pronoun Usage - Myths and Facts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Introduction: Before delving into the article, let us look at some sentences and test our knowledge of pronoun usage. In terms of pronoun usage, which of the above sentence(s) do you think is\/are incorrect? Read on for the answers. \ud83d\ude42 Students usually falter with the usage of pronouns because of some existing myths regarding pronouns. [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"e-GMAT Blog | Best GMAT blog on the planet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/E-Gmat-499275643430980\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-16T03:36:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-11-30T07:03:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Pronouns_01.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"713\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"661\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@e_GMAT\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@e_GMAT\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Srushti R\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"23 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#organization\",\"name\":\"e-GMAT\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/E-Gmat-499275643430980\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rajat-sadana-ba459a\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/eGMATconcepts\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/e_GMAT\"],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#logo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/logo-full.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/logo-full.png\",\"width\":908,\"height\":802,\"caption\":\"e-GMAT\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#logo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/\",\"name\":\"e-GMAT Blog | Best GMAT blog on the planet\",\"description\":\"Prepare for your GMAT and MBA journey\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Pronouns_01.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Pronouns_01.png\",\"width\":\"713\",\"height\":\"661\",\"caption\":\"pronoun usage gmat myths facts\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/\",\"name\":\"Pronoun Usage - Myths and Facts\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-16T03:36:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-11-30T07:03:04+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Homepage\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"GMAT Preparation\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/news\/gmat-prep\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"GMAT Verbal\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/news\/gmat-prep\/gmat-verbal\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"GMAT SC\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/news\/gmat-prep\/gmat-verbal\/gmat-sentence-correction\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"Pronoun Usage &#8211; Myths and Facts\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#webpage\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/79fdd9c920fcb8efa1428702acfbbf6f\"},\"headline\":\"Pronoun Usage &#8211; Myths and Facts\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-16T03:36:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-11-30T07:03:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#webpage\"},\"wordCount\":4708,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Pronouns_01.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"GMAT Preparation\",\"GMAT SC\",\"GMAT Verbal\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/79fdd9c920fcb8efa1428702acfbbf6f\",\"name\":\"Srushti R\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/551b75046f1418d87b5cdc6ae40a7d67?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/551b75046f1418d87b5cdc6ae40a7d67?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Srushti R\"},\"gender\":\"female\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/author\/srushtie-gmat-com\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Pronoun Usage - Myths and Facts","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Pronoun Usage - Myths and Facts","og_description":"Introduction: Before delving into the article, let us look at some sentences and test our knowledge of pronoun usage. In terms of pronoun usage, which of the above sentence(s) do you think is\/are incorrect? Read on for the answers. \ud83d\ude42 Students usually falter with the usage of pronouns because of some existing myths regarding pronouns. [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/","og_site_name":"e-GMAT Blog | Best GMAT blog on the planet","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/E-Gmat-499275643430980","article_published_time":"2022-03-16T03:36:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-11-30T07:03:04+00:00","og_image":[{"width":"713","height":"661","url":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Pronouns_01.png","path":"\/100gDisk\/blogs60\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Pronouns_01.png","size":"full","id":3390,"alt":"pronoun usage gmat myths facts","pixels":471293,"type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@e_GMAT","twitter_site":"@e_GMAT","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Srushti R","Est. reading time":"23 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#organization","name":"e-GMAT","url":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/E-Gmat-499275643430980","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rajat-sadana-ba459a\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/eGMATconcepts","https:\/\/twitter.com\/e_GMAT"],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#logo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/logo-full.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/logo-full.png","width":908,"height":802,"caption":"e-GMAT"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#logo"}},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#website","url":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/","name":"e-GMAT Blog | Best GMAT blog on the planet","description":"Prepare for your GMAT and MBA journey","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Pronouns_01.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Pronouns_01.png","width":"713","height":"661","caption":"pronoun usage gmat myths facts"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/","name":"Pronoun Usage - Myths and Facts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2022-03-16T03:36:00+00:00","dateModified":"2022-11-30T07:03:04+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Homepage","item":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"GMAT Preparation","item":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/news\/gmat-prep\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"GMAT Verbal","item":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/news\/gmat-prep\/gmat-verbal\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"GMAT SC","item":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/news\/gmat-prep\/gmat-verbal\/gmat-sentence-correction\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"Pronoun Usage &#8211; Myths and Facts"}]},{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#webpage"},"author":{"@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/79fdd9c920fcb8efa1428702acfbbf6f"},"headline":"Pronoun Usage &#8211; Myths and Facts","datePublished":"2022-03-16T03:36:00+00:00","dateModified":"2022-11-30T07:03:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#webpage"},"wordCount":4708,"commentCount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Pronouns_01.png","articleSection":["GMAT Preparation","GMAT SC","GMAT Verbal"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/pronoun-usage-myths-and-facts\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/79fdd9c920fcb8efa1428702acfbbf6f","name":"Srushti R","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/551b75046f1418d87b5cdc6ae40a7d67?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/551b75046f1418d87b5cdc6ae40a7d67?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"Srushti R"},"gender":"female","url":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/author\/srushtie-gmat-com\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3383"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/102436"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3383"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3383\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}