One of the GMAT\u2019s \u2018favorite\u2019 error types to test in the sentence correction portion of the exam is pronoun errors. When you encounter a pronoun in these problems, you need to check for two errors. First, you must check to see if the pronoun used matches its antecedent (quick review: the antecedent is the word a pronoun replaces). For example, a singular object must be replaced with the pronoun \u201cit.\u201d This check is rather straightforward and simply requires you to identify the antecedent of the pronoun. <\/p>\n
The second pronoun error type that occurs on the GMAT involves ambiguous pronouns, and these errors can be a bit trickier to spot than the first error type. An ambiguous pronoun occurs in two situations.<\/p>\n
The first is a problem in which the pronoun does not refer back to an antecedent. For example, consider the sentence, \u201cJim went outside, but he could not find it there.\u201d You should notice that this sentence contains two pronouns. The pronoun \u201che\u201d refers to Jim and is used correctly, but the pronoun \u201cit\u201d does not have an antecedent. Therefore, the pronoun \u201cit\u201d would be considered incorrect in this sentence. To fix this sentence you need to replace the word \u201cit\u201d with an actual noun, such as \u201cthe ball.\u201d<\/p>\n
The second is a problem that, instead of lacking an antecedent, contains a pronoun that could refer to more than one noun. For example, in the sentence, \u201cJim and Bill both enjoy playing basketball, but he is better at it,\u201d the pronoun \u201che\u201d could refer to either Jim or to Bill. To fix the error, you need to make it clear whether Jim or Bill is better by replacing \u201che\u201d with name of the better player. The correct sentence would be, \u201cJim and Bill both enjoy playing basketball, but Bill is better at it.\u201d<\/p>\n