Which statement best indicates that a pronoun has a clear antecedent?

• A. The pronoun clearly refers to one specific noun earlier in the sentence or paragraph.
• B. The pronoun can refer to multiple nouns without clarity.
• C. The pronoun is replaced by its antecedent phrase every time.
• D. The pronoun is always a gender-neutral pronoun.

Answer: (A)

Pronoun-antecedent clarity means the pronoun refers to a single, specific noun that appears earlier in the sentence or paragraph. When there is one clear antecedent, readers can easily know exactly who or what the pronoun is talking about. That’s why this statement is the best—the pronoun clearly points to one definite noun, making the reference unambiguous. If a pronoun could refer to more than one noun, the connection becomes unclear and the sentence loses precision. The other ideas don’t guarantee a single, clear antecedent, so they don’t show the same level of clarity in reference.