In a sentence about a police officer, which sentence demonstrates correct pronoun reference?

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Multiple Choice

In a sentence about a police officer, which sentence demonstrates correct pronoun reference?

The key idea is choosing a pronoun that has a clear, single antecedent. In this sentence, the badge belongs to the officer, so the possessive pronoun should point back to the officer. “His badge” unambiguously refers to the officer, and “the man” is simply the recipient, making the pronoun reference crystal clear. Other phrasings introduce ambiguity or illogic. If the officer handed his badge to him, the pronoun could refer to the officer or to the man, which muddles who owns the badge and who is receiving it. “To himself” implies the officer is both giver and recipient, which doesn’t fit the situation. And “to his partner” could be read as referring to either person, again creating uncertainty.

The key idea is choosing a pronoun that has a clear, single antecedent. In this sentence, the badge belongs to the officer, so the possessive pronoun should point back to the officer. “His badge” unambiguously refers to the officer, and “the man” is simply the recipient, making the pronoun reference crystal clear.

Other phrasings introduce ambiguity or illogic. If the officer handed his badge to him, the pronoun could refer to the officer or to the man, which muddles who owns the badge and who is receiving it. “To himself” implies the officer is both giver and recipient, which doesn’t fit the situation. And “to his partner” could be read as referring to either person, again creating uncertainty.

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