Implied antecedent

1. What is an implied antecedent?
2. What is an example of an antecedent?
3. What are implied pronouns?
4. What is an example of antecedents in sentences?

What is an implied antecedent?

Specific versus implied antecedent

When an antecedent is implied instead of stated explicitly, the reader has to guess the meaning of the sentence.

What is an example of an antecedent?

For example, in the phrase “He needs to go outside,” he could be a dog or a person who's been stuck in the house all day. “The dog's been barking for hours—he needs to go outside.” In this sentence, the antecedent, the dog, makes it clear who he is.

What are implied pronouns?

Implied pronouns–those that do not have an antecedent in the sentence nor in a preceding sentence–are difficult to spot in writing because they are so prevalent in our speech.

What is an example of antecedents in sentences?

The noun or noun substitute that a pronoun refers to is called its antecedent. For example, in the sentence: Chelsey finished her presentation, "Chelsey" is the antecedent and "her" is the pronoun.