Question

which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference?

on the evening news, they showed rare footage—reportedly taken by a fisherman as he stood on the beach—of sharks fighting over their prey.

on the evening news, the reporters showed rare footage—reportedly taken by a fisherman as he stood on the beach—of sharks fighting over their prey.

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Explanation:

To determine a vague pronoun reference, we analyze the pronouns. In the first sentence, "they" is used, but it's unclear who "they" refers to (no clear antecedent). In the second sentence, "the reporters" is a clear antecedent for the action of showing footage, so "they" in the first sentence creates a vague reference.

Answer:

On the evening news, they showed rare footage—reportedly taken by a fisherman as he stood on the beach—of sharks fighting over their prey.