EXAMPLE

February 2001: Clear Demonstration

Writers who use demonstrative pronouns such as “this” must take care to refer only to one and not several possible antecedents. In the examples below the subject and verb are noted in green, the offending pronoun in red and the revised wording in blue. 

Original	Revised
The belief that all measures were revolutionary “achievements” in favor of the Cuban people started to waver in the 1960s. This resulted from the news about political prisoners –a product of the growing opposition to the Castro government.	The belief that all measures were revolutionary “achievements” in favor of the Cuban people started to waver in the 1960s as a result of the news about political prisoners –a product of the growing opposition to the Castro government.
The Cuban exodus, which started in 1959 and still continues forty years later, is comprised of over one million persons. This constitutes approximately ten percent of the island’s population, an unprecedented phenomenon in Cuba and, probably, in the hemisphere.	The Cuban exodus, which started in 1959 and continues 40 years later, is comprised of over one million people who constitute approximately 10 percent of the island’s population, an unprecedented phenomenon in Cuba and probably in the hemisphere.

Sometimes a complete overhaul of several sentences is best:

The objectivity shown by those interviewed in the 1971 and 1986 surveys had great relevance. It pointed out the possibility of using this human source to describe actual Cuban living conditions. This allowed us to rely on the testimonies given by interviewees about facts and circumstances of everyday life in Cuba.

The objective testimonies that interviewees gave about facts and circumstances of everyday Cuban life in the 1971 and 1986 surveys allowed us to use this human source to describe everyday living conditions in Cuba.