Pronouns, such as “it, they, she, him,” are substitutes for previously mentioned nouns or proper nouns. They can help make your writing more concise and less redundant because you can avoid writing out a noun every time you mention it. While usually helpful, if a pronoun is poorly chosen or vague, it will confuse your reader.

Unclear reference

A pronoun must refer to a specific noun (the antecedent). If it is not clear to your reader what noun the pronoun is standing in for, this can confuse your message. This often happens when a pronoun appears later in a sentence where two nouns have already been introduced. Replace the unclear pronoun reference with its original noun to avoid unclear reference:

Example: A key difference between banking crises of today and of yesterday is that they have global consequences.
What’s Unclear—Which crises have greater consequences, those of today or yesterday?

Revision: A key difference between banking crises of today and of yesterday is that today’s crises have global consequences.
 

Vague subject and object pronouns

Pronouns can also be confusing and unclear if they do not refer back to a previously mentioned noun or if the noun to which they refer is unclear. Pronouns such as “it,” “there,” and “this” are the most common vague subjects. Use a pronoun as subject only when its antecedent in the last sentence is crystal clear, and use a pronoun as an object only when its antecedent in the same sentence is clear. Replace the vague pronoun with its original noun.

Example: Rekha was putting her laptop in her bag when she dropped it.

Why Vague Subject Pronoun—What does “it” refer to? The laptop or the bag?
Revision: Rekha was putting her laptop in her bag when she dropped the bag.

Pronoun and verb agreement

A pronoun must agree in gender and number with its following verb. A common error is using the plural pronoun “they” with a singular verb and vice versa. Note that indefinite pronouns that refer to nonspecific persons, such as “each” and “everyone,” are singular and thus are paired with a singular verb. If two nouns or pronouns are joined by a two-part expression, such as “either…or” or “neither…nor,” then the verb agrees with the last pronoun.

Example: Each of my friends are going home for spring break.
Pronoun + Verb Agreement: “Each” is an indefinite pronoun, so it should be paired with a singular verb
Revision: Each of my friends is going home for spring break.

Example: Neither you nor your friends is going on a trip.
Pronoun + Verb Agreement: “your friends” is plural, so it should be paired with a plural verb.
Revision: Neither you nor your friends are going on a trip.

Use of pronouns in acadmic writing

Many students have been taught that they can’t use the first-person pronoun, “I”, in their papers. It is true that many student writers include phrases such as “I think” or “I believe” in their writing which are unnecessary; in fact, when a writer uses these phrases, it can have the effect of undermining the point that they “believe.” In these cases, it is more effective to leave such phrases out. However, when one is writing about oneself, it is hard not to use the first person pronoun, “I.” But generally, the writer does not refer to themselves with the first-person pronoun, “I”, or to the reader with the second person pronoun “you.”

Pronouns and gender identity

You might have noticed pronouns listed in some of your colleagues’ and friends’ email signatures or social media profiles. You might have even been prompted to list your own pronouns in your profiles and communications. While historically only the personal pronouns he/him/his and she/her/hers were used for individuals, based on their perceived gender, pronoun usage is broader and more descriptive today.

Many people use gender-neutral language like they/them/theirs and zie/hir/hirs because they feel these pronouns express their gender identity more accurately than she or he. The most common gender-neutral pronoun is the singular they. Today, it’s not uncommon to see the singular they as the default neutral pronoun.

MLA and APA style guides both accept use of a singular they. According to the MLA website, “This use of singular they is widely accepted.” The MLA website also notes that “In September 2019, Merriam-Webster’s even added a new definition to the entry for they in its online dictionary, stating that they can refer to a “single person whose gender identity is nonbinary” (“They,” def. 3d). According to the APA: The singular they is a generic third-person singular pronoun in English. Use of the singular they is endorsed as part of APA Style because it is inclusive of all people and helps writers avoid making assumptions about gender. Although usage of the singular they was once discouraged in academic writing, many advocacy groups and publishers have accepted and endorsed it.

References:

“Singular “They’” APA Style. apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/grammar/singular-they

“How do I use singular they?” MLA Style Center. style.mla.org/using-singular-they

“Understanding pronouns” LGBT Life Center. lgbtlifecenter.org/pronouns