Web Activity 11.6 Finding antecedents for ambiguous pronouns

Discourse and Inference

The sentences below all contain a potentially ambiguous pronoun, marked in boldface. But as you saw in Chapter 9 and 11, not all potential ambiguities actually cause processing problems for the listener or reader.

Rate each of the following sentences on a scale of 1 to 3, in which 1 indicates that you are completely confident that you can identify the intended antecedent, 2 means that you are somewhat uncertain, and 3 means that you are very unsure about the correct referent for the pronoun. Once you finish rating the sentences, compare your responses with your peers. Were there some examples that systematically felt more ambiguous than others? Explain why this is, relying on what you learned in Chapter 11 (and other ideas you may have about how pronouns refer).

  1. It was the leading actress who received the death threat from her romantic rival. She immediately reported it to the police.
  2. Timothy introduced us to his friend Bruce. He’s extremely suave.
  3. The judge dreaded sentencing the prisoner. He knew he had to impose a stiff penalty, despite the mitigating circumstance. He woke up that morning feeling sick to his stomach.
  4. Darla decided to give the promotion to the young woman who had just joined the company. She was very happy with the decision.
  5. What the economy has destroyed the most is the self-confidence of young people. It may well never recover.
  6. The troubled young man sent several confrontational letters to his estranged father. His actions were deeply offensive.
  7. The bridesmaid threw a party for the bride and then she organized the rehearsal dinner.
  8. This vice president blamed the senator because he made a spectacular error in judgment.
  9. Lauren took her mother to dinner, but Samantha took her to Vegas.
  10. The vase and the ceramic bowl were both exquisite. Clare decided to buy it.
  11. It was the law student who poisoned the professor. He died in a gruesome manner.
  12. The seamstress made that boast to the model because she had a knack for making any dress look good.

Now try constructing five or six of your own examples of sentences with pronouns, ranging from very difficult to very easy to resolve.

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