“Mike and Jim walked to the car, and he drove.” In this sentence, it is unclear who drove, Mike or Jim. The reader will be unable to determine it based on this sentence alone. It is clear that this sentence needs reworking, but sometimes the problem is a little less clear.

In marketing, there is a need for information to be interpreted quickly and accurately. Thus, it is that much more important to double check the copy, or even to hire a professional to ensure accurate and clear copy.

“After Mike handed Jim a packet, he continued to work on the project.”

Here the correct interpretation of this sentence is that Mike worked on the project more since Mike is the subject of the last phrase. However, the brain often associates the most recent noun with the pronoun, so it is common to assume Jim worked on the project after receiving the packet. Still, it is really unclear who the author intended to say worked on the project more, Mike or Jim. Such a sentence often results in a reread for the careful reader, which may only lead to more ambiguity. The less careful reader will merely interpret it one way whether that is the intended interpretation or not.

It is easy to write sentences like these, but it is difficult to spot the ambiguity. Often the author’s mind will simply supply the correct interpretation when the author proofreads the sentence. It may not be detrimental to interpret this sentence incorrectly, but sometimes the ambiguity can lead to problems. In writing, what is written is far more important that what is meant, since the author does not have the ability to clarify things for the reader, like one can do in speaking. Therefore, it is important to create copy that is clear and leaves little room for misinterpretation.

Even though this sentence can be interpreted correctly by following the grammar rules, one needs to consider, first, whether the reader will do that, and second, whether one wants to force the reader to stop reading in order to come to a correct interpretation of the sentence.

There are a couple solutions to fix sentences like these. Supply the proper noun in place of the ambiguous pronoun:

“After Mike handed Jim a packet, Mike continued to work on the project.”

To avoid redundancy, try using phrasing:

“After handing Jim a packet, Mike continued to work on the project.”

Or if Jim worked on the project:
“After receiving a packet from Mike, Jim continued to work on the project.”

-Tommy Hummel, Operations Intern