Clarify what this, it and they refer to
Make pronoun references clear, decide when a noun needs repeating, and ask the author when an editor cannot safely infer the intended meaning.
About 5 min read · Allow extra time for the practical checks
Pronouns such as this, it and they help sentences flow. They become a problem when a reader cannot tell which person, thing or idea they refer to. A sentence can be polished and still leave its main point uncertain.
The task is not to remove every pronoun. It is to check whether the intended reference is clear in context, then make the smallest accurate revision. Purdue OWL advises writers to make pronoun reference clear; Trent University distinguishes unclear, general and weak references. UC Davis notes that context can make a referent clear, so a noun does not always need to be repeated mechanically.
Find the noun behind the pronoun
For each it, they, this, that or which, ask: what exact noun or idea does this word stand for? Reread the sentence as someone who has not seen the writer’s notes.
Consider this fictional example:
The department compared the online form with the paper form after the second pilot. This was easier to complete, but it produced more missing answers.
What was easier: the online form, paper form, comparison, or second pilot? What produced the missing answers? Several possible referents are close by, so the reader has to guess. Underline each pronoun and draw an arrow to its intended noun. If two arrows seem plausible—or you cannot draw one—revise or query.
Replace vague “this” with the idea it names
A standalone this often points to a whole preceding sentence. Readers may understand it, but the reference can be loose when that sentence contains several claims. Add a noun to identify the idea:
| Before | Clearer revision |
|---|---|
| The survey response rate fell after the reminder was sent. This raised questions about the sample. | The lower response rate raised questions about how representative the sample was. |
| Several interviewees described long waits, while others focused on unclear instructions. This affected their experience. | These different concerns shaped participants’ accounts of the service. |
These revisions are not automatic. In the first example, the writer may mean the lower response rate; in the second, “different concerns” is supported by the context. Confirm that a replacement captures the intended point instead of choosing a noun for smoothness.
Check for competing antecedents
A pronoun can appear to refer to more than one noun. In this fictional sentence, both the tutor and the student could be “they”:
The tutor told the student that they should revise the coding table.
If surrounding text does not resolve who should revise it, changing they to the student would be a guess. Ask the author. If the meaning is known, name the person or restructure the sentence: “The tutor asked the student to revise the coding table.” Use that revision only if it describes what happened. Grammar cannot supply missing facts.
Also check singular and plural references. Depending on the style guide and intended meaning, a research team can be treated as a unit (it) or as members (they). Follow the relevant convention and keep the meaning consistent.
Use context without making readers do detective work
A pronoun need not repeat a noun that is obvious in the sentence or passage. Repeating every noun can make prose stiff. The practical question is whether the intended reference is reasonably clear to the intended reader.
Review the passage when more than one noun could fit; the pronoun reaches across several sentences or a paragraph break; this summarizes a result, method, limitation or argument without naming which; or singular and plural forms change who acted. If readers cannot identify the point because a paragraph introduces several findings at once, revise the structure first. A transition can clarify how ideas relate, but it cannot resolve an unnamed referent by itself.
When to ask the author
Separate a language problem from a knowledge gap. If the evidence establishes the intended referent, a precise noun phrase can improve clarity. If two meanings remain plausible, do not silently choose one.
A useful query is specific and neutral:
In “This reduced the difference,” does “this” refer to the revised measure or to the later adjustment? Please confirm which change reduced the difference so I can make the sentence explicit.
For assessed work, use feedback and course rules to make your own revision; do not submit another person’s edited wording as your own if that would breach the rules. Professional editors should follow the agreed scope and query process.
A short pronoun-reference check
- Can I point to the exact noun or idea for each pronoun?
- Could a reader reasonably choose a different referent?
- Would a precise noun improve clarity without changing the claim?
- If the meaning remains uncertain, have I asked rather than guessed?
- Have I read the sentence with its surrounding paragraph?
The goal is clear reference, not pronoun removal. Keep pronouns readers can resolve, name the noun when a vague pointer obscures the point, and leave a query where the intended meaning is not recoverable from the text.
