31  Using pronouns correctly

A pronoun (e.g. its, they, this, that, she, them) is a word that is used instead of a noun or name to
refer to people and things.
A short presentation can be more The main point of
effective than a long talk because what?
the audience may lose track of its
main point.
Or a long
A short talk?
Writing Tip presentation?
Always re-read your sentences to make sure that any
pronoun references are clear. Small mistakes can cause
significant confusion for your reader, as this example shows.

Using a pronoun carefully to avoid confusion

▶▶ Look at this sentence from an essay on EU business activity.

Both parties signed the contract at the same time as the agreement and passed it to the lawyers.
What’s wrong: It must be clear what ‘it’ refers to: the contract or the agreement. Here are two possible ways
of doing this:
Both parties signed the contract at the same time as the agreement and passed the contract to the lawyers.
Both parties signed the contract at the same time as the agreement and passed the former to the lawyers.
See ‘The former, the latter’ in 30 Signposting.

Using personal pronouns (e.g. his, her, him; their, theirs, them)

▶▶ Look at this sentence and find the mistake.

The CEO asked his accounts manager why he had not been notified of the changes in EU regulations.
What’s wrong: It is not clear who ‘he’ refers to: the CEO or the accounts manager. Here is a way of
correcting this:
The CEO asked his accounts manager why he had not notified him of the changes in EU regulations.

▶▶ Look at this sentence and find a better way of expressing it. Remember!
A senior manager is responsible for the actions of his team. Don’t use ‘them’ instead of ‘those’.
What’s wrong: The writer has used his, but the senior manager Many companies have stopped
could be a woman. Use one of these alternatives: producing them those goods.
Senior managers are responsible for the actions of their teams.
A senior manager is responsible for the actions of their team.

64 Improve Your Grammar

 Using this, these; that, those
 In academic writing, this and these are often used on their own to refer back to a noun phrase:

The possibilities for conflict are always present in the relationship between line managers and their staff, but
these (= ‘the possibilities for conflict’) can be managed in a number of different ways.

 this is also frequently used on its own to refer to a complete idea:

Consumer loyalty can be crucial to the success of a brand. This is clear from a recent study in The Economist.

 this and these may be used with an appropriate ‘summarising noun’:

The Government plans to support small businesses by cutting some of the bureaucracy that makes
it difficult for them to respond quickly to new situations. This policy has been supported by the CBI.

The company’s CEO suggested that the factory in Dundee could be sold off, and that the workforce in
Newcastle could be cut by a third. The trustees, however, did not support these proposals.

Common summarising nouns include the following:

advice argument claim crisis criticism description development disagreement
discussion estimate example explanation idea increase issue measure objective
phenomenon policy problem proposal reduction remark situation subject suggestion
system trend view warning
that/those + of and those + who/which/that are used when the thing in question is defined
afterwards:
The process of setting objectives is similar to that (= the process) of determining a brand identity.
Retail experts describe two types of consumer: those (= consumers) who know exactly what they are
looking for, and those (= consumers) who hope to be inspired by what they see.
Using such
such a + singular noun and such + plural/uncountable noun mean ‘of the kind/type already mentioned’:
An impressive headquarters can be a major asset to a business – if such a building can be acquired.
Green business methods can be expensive, but such methods can enhance a company’s image.

Exercises
1 Improve the sentences by replacing the underlined pronouns.
a Senior managers took their staff to a hotel, where they gave presentations. (NOTE: The senior managers
gave the presentations.)
b To do their job well, a human resources manager needs imagination as well as knowledge of procedures.
c The conference on performance management ended with a keynote speech. It was a great success,
according to those who attended. (NOTE: The keynote speech was a great success.)
d A council of student representatives was formed, and their task was to liaise with the student body.

2 Choose the more appropriate options.

a Several senior managers pointed out the risks if the business expanded too fast. These explanations/
warnings were ignored, however, by the CEO.
b More and more SMEs are seeking business abroad. This trend/proposal is a reflection of the lack of
opportunities in the UK.
c Regulations to prevent the import of certain foodstuffs have been put in place at UK borders. These
objectives/measures are designed to protect public health.
d A recent study suggests that employees with the same political views as their senior managers are more
likely to be promoted. This system/phenomenon was, however, first described twenty years ago.

Unit 31 65