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Final Match, Clear Report

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Final Match, Clear Report

Find and repair vague pronouns in a girls’ soccer report.

Read the finished report

An antecedent is the noun a pronoun refers to. Read this clear report, then examine how its pronouns work.

One Goal at Cedar Field

1The Cedar girls’ soccer team won Friday’s district final against Harbor, finishing with a score of 2–1. The winning goal came late in the second half, but the result depended on more than one shot. Cedar had spent much of the match defending, and Harbor kept pressing forward until the final whistle.

2During halftime, Cedar’s players gathered beside the bench. Coach Vega asked the players to leave more space between themselves when Cedar had the ball. They tried the wider formation after the break. Harbor’s defenders then had more ground to cover, opening a narrow route along the left sideline.

3Cedar captain Zadie received a pass near that sideline with only a few minutes remaining. Teammate Inez moved toward the center of the field. Zadie sent the ball across the grass, and Inez scored the deciding goal. Afterward, Zadie praised Inez’s run, while Inez credited Zadie’s accurate pass. Both players described the goal as a shared effort.

4Harbor created another chance before the whistle. Cedar goalkeeper Soraya blocked a low shot and held the ball securely. Harbor forward Tamsin stopped outside the goal area rather than continuing toward Soraya. The referee checked the time, and the match ended moments later. Players from both teams shook hands near midfield.

5Student reporter Leena interviewed Soraya after the awards presentation. Soraya explained that she had watched the shooter’s feet before the final attempt. Leena also recorded comments from Tamsin, who praised Cedar’s defense. Before submitting the report, Leena checked each quotation against the notes in her notebook. The finished article included the score, the winning play, and comments from both teams.

1.
In paragraph 2, who does “They” refer to in “They tried the wider formation after the break”?
Question 1 options
2.
Underline the sentence from paragraph 2 that identifies the players who were asked to change their spacing. This detail supports your answer to question 1.

3.
An earlier draft said, “Zadie praised Inez after she scored the deciding goal.” Why should the reporter revise “she,” even though the finished report tells who scored?
Question 3 options
4.
Which revision of the draft in question 3 makes the scorer clear and agrees with paragraph 3?
Question 4 options

Edit the draft

Each draft below concerns the same final. Use the stated facts to choose a revision. Clear wording must also preserve the intended meaning.

5.
Judge each draft sentence on its own. Sort it by whether the pronoun has one clear antecedent or an unclear reference.
6.
Fact: Leena, not Tamsin, held the notebook. Which revision of “Leena interviewed Tamsin while she held a notebook” expresses that fact clearly?
Question 6 options
7.
Draft: “They announced that Cedar had won the final.” No earlier sentence identifies “they.” What is the pronoun problem?
Question 7 options
8.
Fact: The stadium announcer announced the result. Which sentence best repairs the draft in question 7?
Question 8 options
9.
Draft: “Harbor kept pressing forward, and Cedar moved closer to its goal. This made Coach Vega nervous.” Fact: Harbor’s continued attacking pressure worried Coach Vega. Which replacement for “This” makes that meaning precise?
Question 9 options

Make the meaning precise

Check whole sentences, not just the nearest noun. A good revision removes uncertainty without changing the facts.

10.
Draft: “Soraya put her gloves beside the towels because they were wet.” Fact: Only the gloves were wet. Which revision makes the wet items clear?
Question 10 options
11.
A classmate says, “Replace every pronoun with a name so nothing is vague.” Which sentence can keep its pronoun because the reference is already clear?
Question 11 options
12.
Draft: “Leena showed Coach Vega the report after she corrected the score.” Fact: Leena corrected the score. Rewrite the sentence to make that fact clear. Then explain why your revision is clearer.
13.
Draft: “The match started late, and the awards presentation ran long. This delayed the interviews.” Fact: The long awards presentation, not the late start, delayed the interviews. Revise the second sentence and explain what was unclear about “This.”