Pronouns

Question

I have a question. Can a pronoun be used more than once in a sentence for two different nouns? For example, “swordfish has an arm, and it replaces it”

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AndrewN · Answer

I think you are probably asking about the  starfish  question, which has its own thread (in which pronoun ambiguity is discussed). A pronoun is supposed to have a clear referent, and pulling double duty can lead to misinterpretations, the opposite of what a strong sentence should prompt a reader to do. Rather than approach the question by asking whether it could be true, consider the alternative view that does not stretch any conventional rules. In many cases, the safest answer wins in SC, and clarity of meaning is always a safe bet.

Good luck with your studies.

- Andrew

EducationAisle · Answer

Hi Abhijeet, "it replaces it" is a single clause and in general, it is unlikely that the same pronoun ("it" in this case) in one clause will refer to two  different  antecedents (nouns).

As Andrew suggests, in such cases, the intent would be to see if there is a better option present among the answer choices.

Kinshook · Answer

It is unlikely that this will happen in GMAT.
Still, it is always better to check that there is no ambiguity in meaning of the sentence and choose the best alternative.

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Can a pronoun be used more than once in a sentence for two different nouns? For example, “swordfish has an arm, and it replaces it”

Not really.

Pronouns

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