The words this, these, those, that, and some can cause confusion for readers because these words can often have more than one potential antecedent. Here's how to clarify the use of these words.

1. Identify the vague pronoun and its intended antecedent.

   Example: Organizations ranging from the National Institute of Child Health to the American Cancer Society have issued warnings about the dangers of alcohol consumption. Unfortunately, these have not gotten much attention in the media.

   Note that these in the second sentence is ambiguous. Does it refer to warnings, or to dangers? Either is a possible referent.

2. Revise by adding a noun after the pronoun.

   Revised: Organizations ranging from the National Institute of Child Health to the American Cancer Society have issued warnings about the dangers of alcohol consumption. Unfortunately, these warnings have not gotten much attention in the media.

   With the addition of warnings, the reader now has an unambiguous understanding of the intended referent for these.

   Even in cases where there is no ambiguity, adding a noun after the pronoun is still a good idea since makes the added noun makes it easier for the reader to interpret the referent.

   Example: Organizations ranging from the National Institute of Child Health to the American Cancer Society have run public service announcements about the dangers of alcohol consumption. Unfortunately, television stations do not usually play these during prime time.

   Revised: Organizations ranging from the National Institute of Child Health to the American Cancer Society have run public service announcements about the dangers of alcohol consumption. Unfortunately, television stations do not usually play these announcements during prime time.

   Also note that the noun added after the pronoun does not have to be an exact repetition of the antecedent; it can be a synonym or a word or phrase that otherwise relates closely to the meaning of the antecedent.

   Example: Organizations ranging from the National Institute of Child Health to the American Cancer Society have run public service announcements about the dangers of alcohol consumption. Unfortunately, television stations do not usually play these warnings during prime time.

Remember: Use a noun after the words this, these, that, and some to clarify the referent of these potentially vague pronouns.

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