Part Two ——Pronouns and Antecedents

老人小孩先发言

1. Unclear or Missing Antecedents
Chinese often relies on context to imply antecedents (the nouns that pronouns refer to), but in English, antecedents must be explicitly stated and logically positioned. Chinglish frequently omits or obscures antecedents, leaving pronouns like it, they, or this ambiguous.
Example of Error:
"The government must improve the education system. It is crucial for development."
Here, "it" could refer to either "government" or "education system," creating confusion.
Correction:
Clarify the antecedent: "Improving the education system is crucial for development."
2. Misplaced Antecedents
Chinese allows flexible positioning of pronouns and antecedents, but English requires antecedents to be placed close to their pronouns. Distance or poor syntax can break logical connections.
Example of Error:
"The committee discussed the proposal for hours, which was finally rejected."
"Which" might incorrectly refer to "hours" instead of "proposal."
Correction:
Rephrase for clarity: "The committee discussed the proposal for hours, and the proposal was finally rejected."
3. Grammatical Inconsistency
Chinese pronouns lack strict grammatical agreement (e.g., gender, number), but English demands consistency between pronouns and antecedents. Common errors include:
Number Disagreement:
"Each student should submit their homework." → Correct to "his or her homework."
Gender Assumptions:
"The doctor finished her rounds." → Avoid gendered pronouns if the antecedent’s gender is unspecified.
4. Dangling Modifiers and Pronoun Errors
When a modifier (e.g., a participial phrase) lacks a clear subject, pronouns in the main clause may reference illogical antecedents.
Example of Error:
"While reading the report, it became clear that changes were needed."
The implied subject of "reading" is a person, but "it" is the main clause subject, creating confusion.
Correction:
Specify the actor: "While I was reading the report, I realized that changes were needed."
5. Pronouns in Appositive Structures
Chinese often uses appositives (repetition or summary nouns) to link ideas, while English relies on relative clauses for cohesion.
Example from the Book:
"In 1976, the Gang of Four was overthrown, an operation in which Ye Jianying played a key role."
Here, "an operation" acts as an appositive summarizing the prior action, followed by a relative clause ("in which...") to add detail.
Key Takeaway:
Use appositives and relative pronouns (e.g., which, that) to clarify relationships between ideas.
6. Missing or Misused Logical Connectors
Chinese relies on implicit connections, but English requires explicit conjunctions (e.g., although, because) to signal logic.
Example of Error:
"He worked hard, he failed the exam." (Missing conjunction).
Correction:
Add a connector: "Although he worked hard, he failed the exam."