TACHS: Clear pronouns: replace it, they or this with the exact noun
Work out exactly what a vague pronoun refers to and choose the replacement that makes the reference explicit.
When a paragraph mentions several things, how do I know what a pronoun like it or they means?
Short answer
Look at what the pronoun's own sentence says the thing does or has done to it. Only one earlier noun can sensibly fit that action, and it is usually the whole, current version of the thing.
Know first: Pronouns such as *it, they* and *this*
Step 1 of 5
The action tells you what the pronoun means
Pronouns like it, they and this stand in for nouns. When a paragraph mentions several things, a pronoun can become unclear, and a writer fixes it by naming the noun.
In these questions, the choices are usually nouns from the paragraph. To choose, look at what the pronoun's own sentence says: what is being tested, lent, ended or agreed to? Only one choice can fit that action.
| Pronoun | Points to | Check |
|---|---|---|
| it | One thing | Can that thing do or receive this action? |
| they | More than one person or thing | Which group could do this action? |
| this, that | Often a whole action or idea | What step or change was just described? |
Step 2 of 5
Swap in each choice and test it
Worked example: Grandpa's wagon
Which replacement for it in sentence 4 makes the intended reference explicit?
(1) Grandpa's old wagon had a cracked handle and a squeaky wheel.
(2) Tomas wrapped the handle with tape and oiled the wheel.
(3) He also painted the sides bright green.
(4) On Saturday, he loaded it with pumpkins for the farmers market.
- Athe cracked handle
- Bthe squeaky wheel alone
- Cthe repaired wagon
- DGrandpa's broken wagon
- 1
Name the action
Something was loaded with pumpkins for the farmers market.
- 2
Test the choices
You load a whole wagon, not a handle or a wheel. By Saturday that wagon has been fixed and painted, so the exact name is the repaired wagon. That is C.
- 3
See why the other choices are there
A and B are parts of the wagon that came right before the pronoun, and a part cannot hold a load of pumpkins. D names the right object at the wrong time: by Saturday the handle was taped and the wheel oiled, so it was no longer broken.
Answer
C. the repaired wagon
Wrong: Mom set the vase on the shelf, and it fell.
Right: Mom set the vase on the shelf, and the vase fell.
It could mean the vase or the shelf. Naming the noun removes the doubt.
Step 3 of 5
Find the one noun that fits the action
Check yourself · Question 1
Which replacement for They in sentence 3 makes the intended reference explicit?
(1) The coaches met with the team captains before the season.
(2) The captains asked for an earlier practice time.
(3) They approved the request and moved practice to 3:15.
Answer: B
The captains asked for the change, so the people who could approve it are the ones they asked: the coaches.
Check yourself · Question 2
Which replacement for This in sentence 3 makes the intended reference explicit?
(1) Marisol kept forgetting her library books at home.
(2) She began keeping them in a bright tote bag that she hung by the front door.
(3) This helped her return every book on time for the rest of the year.
Answer: D
This points to the whole change in sentence 2: keeping the books in a tote by the door.
Trap answer: The bright color alone
A part in place of the whole
- Why it looks right
- Bright is a vivid detail right before the pronoun, so it seems like what this means.
- Why it's wrong
- The sentence says this helped her return books. The color by itself did not do that. The habit of keeping the bag by the door did.
- The right answer
- Keeping her books in a tote by the door.
Common mistake
Choosing the noun closest to the pronoun.
- Why it's tempting
- The nearest noun feels like the natural one to pair with it or they.
- Do this instead
- The nearest noun is often a part or a side detail. Test each choice in the sentence and keep the one that fits the action.
Step 4 of 5
What to remember
Remember
- Name the action in the pronoun's own sentence.
- Swap each choice in and keep the one that can sensibly do or receive that action.
- Watch for parts in place of wholes, and for earlier versions of something that has changed.
Step 5 of 5
Practice on a real question
Use what you just learned on this question, then check the explanation.
Try another one
In your own words
In the practice question, what were the students planning to do in sentence 6, and why could only one choice be tested that way?