Fixing Vague This: When "This" Refers to Too Many Possible Antecedents

"This" can refer to a specific noun, a noun phrase, an entire sentence, or a concept from a previous sentence, making it dangerously vague. "The team lost the championship despite strong training. This angered the fans" could mean the loss, the training, the defeat itself, or some combination angered them. Because "this" can refer to so many things, readers cannot be sure what the writer means. SAT writing questions test whether you recognize this ambiguity and fix it. The solution: replace "this" with "this + specific noun." Instead of "This angered the fans," write "This loss angered the fans" or "The team's loss angered the fans," making the reference unmistakable.

Scan every instance of "this" in passages. Ask: "What specifically does 'this' refer to?" If you cannot answer in one phrase, "this" is too vague. Flag it for revision.

When "this" refers to an entire idea or situation (not a single noun), add a noun after it: "this situation," "this approach," "this reality." For example: "The government raised taxes significantly. This caused protests" is vague (does "this" mean the raise, the timing, the amount?). Revision: "This tax increase caused protests" or "This policy caused protests." Adding one specific noun eliminates ambiguity. This pattern appears frequently on SAT writing; learning to catch and fix it saves multiple points.

Create a "this-fixing" checklist: (1) spot "this," (2) ask what it refers to, (3) if you hesitate or give a vague answer, add a noun after "this" to clarify, (4) reread to verify clarity. Apply this daily to build the habit.

"This" is acceptable when it clearly refers to a single, specific noun very close by. "I ate the apple. This fruit was sweet" works (this=the apple). "I bought an apple and an orange. This was sweet" does not work (this=apple or orange? unclear). The rule: if "this" creates any ambiguity about what noun it refers to, clarify it by adding a noun. If it is perfectly clear (single recent noun, no other possible antecedents), "this" alone is acceptable. SAT passages often test the borderline cases—situations where "this" could technically refer to something but is confusing anyway. When in doubt, add specificity.

Practice with ten sample sentences: for each, determine if "this" is clear or vague. If vague, rewrite it clearly. Build a gut sense of when "this" needs a noun following it.

Create a five-pronoun check list for every passage you edit: this, that, it, they, which. For each occurrence, verify it has a clear antecedent within the same sentence or the preceding sentence. If unclear, mark it for revision. Add a noun after the pronoun or replace the pronoun entirely with a noun. Test revision: reread the sentence aloud. Does it now make sense without confusion? This systematic check catches most pronoun ambiguity errors on the SAT.

Daily drill: edit five sentences with vague "this" usage, clarifying each one. Build speed so pronoun checking becomes automatic, taking only 30 seconds per passage. By test day, vague pronouns will jump out at you immediately.