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LessonsCatch the Flaw

Lesson 10 · English · Clear pronoun reference

Step 1 of 4

Find the wrong step

Two space explorers untangling which telescope points the wrong way
Your lessonClear pronoun referenceCore

The Two-Telescope Tangle

Leo wants to tell Amir that Amir's telescope is pointing the wrong way.

Speaker
Leo
Telescope owner
Amir

Your question

Which sentence makes the telescope's owner unmistakable?

Lumi’s answer: “Leo told Amir that his telescope was upside down is perfectly clear.”

1

Step 1 of 4

Find the wrong step

Find where the reasoning first breaks

Start with Step 1 and move downward. Choose the first line that stops making sense.

Later lines may be wrong too. Pick the first mistake.

Lumi’s work

These lines form one solution. Read them from top to bottom.

  1. 1

    The sentence names two people: Leo and Amir.

  2. 2

    Without more context, his could point to Leo or Amir.

  3. 3

    A pronoun can only refer to the nearest name, so his must mean Amir.

  4. 4

    No name needs to be repeated.