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SAT
Course: SAT > Unit 11
Lesson 3: Writing: Grammar- Writing: Setting Up Ideas — Video Lesson
- Setting up ideas | Quick guide
- Writing: Strong Support — Video lesson
- Strong support | Quick guide
- Writing: Relevant Information — Video lesson
- Relevant information | Quick guide
- Writing: Sequencing sentences — Video lesson
- Sequencing sentences | Quick guide
- Writing: Transition Words — Video lesson
- Transition words and phrases | Quick guide
- Writing: Transition Sentences — Video Lesson
- Transition sentences | Quick guide
- Writing: Introductions — Video lesson
- Writing: Conclusions — Video lesson
- Introductions and conclusions | Quick guide
- Writing: Interpreting Graphs and Data — Video lesson
- Interpreting graphs and data | Quick guide
- Writing: Precision — Video Lesson
- Precise word choice | Quick guide
- Writing: Concision — Video lesson
- Concision | Quick guide
- Writing: Formal and Informal Language — Video Lesson
- Writing: Formal vs. casual language — Example
- Formal vs. casual language | Quick guide
- Writing: Syntax — Example
- Writing: Sentence Fragments — Video Lesson
- Writing: Sentence Boundaries — Example 1
- Writing: Sentence boundaries — Example 2
- Sentence fragments | Quick guide
- Writing: Subordination and coordination — Example
- Writing: Combining Sentences — Video Lesson
- Linking clauses | Quick guide
- Writing: Parallel Structure — Video lesson
- Writing: Parallel structure — Example
- Parallel structure | Quick guide
- Writing: Modifier Placement — Video Lesson
- Writing: Modifier placement — Example
- Modifier placement | Quick guide
- Writing: Verb Tense and Mood — Video Lesson
- Writing: Shift in verb tense and mood — Example
- Verb tense and mood | Quick guide
- Writing: Pronoun Clarity — Video Lesson
- Writing: Pronoun clarity — Example
- Pronoun clarity | Quick guide
- Writing: Pronoun Agreement — Video Lesson
- Writing: Pronoun-antecedent agreement — Example
- Pronoun-antecedent agreement | Quick guide
- Writing: Possessive determiners — Example 1
- Writing: Possessive determiners — Example 2
- Writing: It’s/Its Confusion — Video Lesson
- Confusion with "its" and "their" | Quick guide
- Writing: Subject-Verb Agreement — Video Lesson
- Writing: Subject-verb agreement — Example
- Subject-verb agreement | Quick guide
- Writing: Noun Agreement — Video Lesson
- Writing: Noun agreement — Basic example
- Noun agreement | Quick guide
- Writing: Frequently Confused Words — Video Lesson
- Writing: Frequently confused words — Example
- Frequently confused words | Quick guide
- Writing: Conventional Expressions — Video Lesson
- Writing: Conventional expression — Example
- Conventional expressions | Quick guide
- Writing: Logical Comparison — Video Lesson
- Writing: Logical comparison — Example
- Logical comparison | Quick guide
- Writing: End-of-sentence punctuation — Example 1
- Writing: End-of-sentence punctuation — Example 2
- Writing: Commas — Video Lesson
- Commas | Quick guide
- Writing: Semicolons — Video Lesson
- Semicolons | Quick guide
- Writing: Colons — Video lesson
- Colons | Quick guide
- Writing: Possessive Pronouns — Example
- Writing: Possessive Nouns — Video Lesson
- Making nouns possessive | Quick guide
- Writing: Items in a series — Example
- Writing: Punctuating Lists — Video Lesson
- Lists and punctuation | Quick guide
- Writing: Nonrestrictive and parenthetical elements — Example
- Writing: Nonessential Elements — Video Lesson
- Nonessential elements | Quick guide
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Writing: Pronoun Clarity — Video Lesson
David shows you how to approach a Pronoun Clarity question on the SAT Writing and Language test. Created by David Rheinstrom.
Want to join the conversation?
- Why can't they here refer to the "guild members"?
Are there any rules that the pronouns which we are using should always have the nouns in the line above them?(1 vote) - Why can't they here refer to the "guild members"?
Are there any rules that the pronouns which we are using should always have the nouns in the line above them?(0 votes)
Video transcript
- Okay, question 27 here is from this passage about
Michelangelo's David. Let's start at the
beginning of the paragraph to get the context. "In 1501, guild members began the project by commissioning a statue of David, a biblical hero who had
defeated a giant named Goliath. The sculptor chosen was Michelangelo, a 26-year-old artist who
already had a reputation for great talent. He was directed to use an
enormous block of marble from the cathedral's workshop
to create the statue. Nicknamed "the Giant", the
block had many problems. It had been quarried more
than 40 years earlier and had started to weather
from exposure to the elements. Even worse, they had previously used it, chipping away material to
rough out a basic shape, but giving up midtask." And our choices are: A, no change; B, other sculptors had previously used it; C, it was used by them before; and D, they used it previously
to begin other sculptures. So we have three choices that
use the word they or them, including the no change option, and then one that uses
a noun to replace they. My question is what does they refer to? I do not know. It's kind of unclear from the sentence. It seems to refer to the Giant,
that big block of marble. But what is they? The elements? That doesn't make sense. Pronouns not making sense
in a sentence is a sure sign of a pronoun clarity question. There is usually only one of
these on your official SAT. And what they ask you to
do is connect a pronoun to a logical antecedent. Antecedents, remember, are the nouns that pronouns replace, right? Michelangelo crafted a statue. He crafted a statue. So we have two top tips to
address questions like these. Top tip number one, find the antecedent. Pronoun clarity problems
have one of two causes, they are either too many
possible antecedents, or there are zero. In the sentence, Janet and Lulu fought
over her stuffed animal. There are two possible antecedents. Her could conceivably
describe both Janet and Lulu. So that's an example of too
many possible antecedents. In the sentence, when Congress went on recess,
their families rejoiced, we have the opposite problem. There are no possible
antecedents for the word their. Congress is a singular noun. And the way to fix these issues
is with top tip number two, get specific. If the pronoun is unclear,
replace it with a specific noun. So it's not her stuffed animal. Now it's, Lulu's stuffed animal. It's not their families, it's
the representatives' families. And look, you will not be asked to choose between two equally plausible nouns. Like you wouldn't have to
choose between Janet and Lulu. Now, with this knowledge, let's go back to the passage and see
what we can make of it. Take some time now if you
want to pause the video and attempt this question on your own. Alright, let's do it. Step one, find the antecedent. We determined already that
there wasn't one for they. And honestly, that solves
the question right there. The answer is B. It's the only choice that gets specific, that doesn't use they or them. It resolves the pronoun clarity error by replacing the unclear
pronoun with a logical noun. It was used by them before. Them who? They used it previously
to begin other sculptures. Again, who are we talking about here? So once you've identified
a pronoun clarity error, simply ask, how many
antecedents are there? If there's two or more,
you'll need to find the choice that specifies one of them. And if there's zero antecedents, you'll need to find the choice that introduces a logical noun.