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Another pronoun reference problem occurs when the pronoun is so far away from the antecedent that the readers can’t be sure of the reference without rereading the passage. For example:
The generalization usually holds true that the life span of a mammal can be correlated to its size. The larger the mammal, the longer the life span. Most mammals take approximately the same number of breaths and have the same number of heartbeats. A shrew compresses its biological functions into one or two years whereas an elephant spreads its activities over 60 or so years. It does not apply to humans.
The problem can be eliminated by substituting a noun phrase for the pronoun, as in the revised passage:
The generalization usually holds true that the life span of a mammal can be correlated to its size. The larger the mammal, the longer the life span. Most mammals take approximately the same number of breaths and have the same number of heartbeats. A shrew compresses its biological functions into one or two years whereas an elephant spreads its activities over 60 or so years. The relationship between longevity and body size does not apply to humans.
Pronoun references also cause a problem if too many pronouns create confusion or ambiguity. For example:
Owls have round eyes that are so large they cannot turn in their sockets so they must rotate their entire head in order to follow a moving object.
To improve clarity, replace some of the pronouns as in the following revisions:
To follow a moving object, an owl must rotate its entire head because its eyes are too large to turn in their sockets.
An owl has round eyes that are so large they cannot turn in their sockets, so the owl must rotate its entire head in order to follow a moving object.