what is a vague pronoun reference

A vague pronoun reference occurs when a pronoun is used in a sentence, but it is not clear what noun the pronoun is referring to. This can happen when the pronoun is too general, such as "it," "this," "that," or "which," and it is not clear what specific noun the pronoun is replacing. For example, in the sentence "The students paper showed little revision between drafts. It lowered his grade," it is not clear what "it" is referring to. To avoid vague pronoun references, writers should make sure that each pronoun has a specific antecedent, which is the person, place, or thing to which the pronoun refers. If a sentence contains a vague pronoun reference, it can be corrected by adding a clear antecedent for each vague pronoun, or by replacing the pronoun with a noun or noun phrase.