S-v doubt

[madhur_ahuja]

The study indicates that even after a decade young men and women still experience some of the effects of a divorce that occurred when they were children.

The sentence is correct as written. However, what does they refer to ?

Since men and women are themselves plural, isn't it a case of ambiguous reference ?[/b]

[georgeung]

"when they were children." is a subordinate clause. Because of the subordinate clause, "they" has to reference the young men and women again in order to have a subject.

I can only see "they" referring to the young men and women. There's no other nouns "they" can refer to.

The study indicates that even after a decade young men and women still experience some of the effects of a divorce that occured when [the young men and women] were children.

[goelmohit2002]

The study indicates that even after a decade young men and women still experience some of the effects of a divorce that occurred when they were children.

The sentence is correct as written. However, what does they refer to ?

Since men and women are themselves plural, isn't it a case of ambiguous reference ?[/b]

I don't find any ambiguity here...can you please elaborate more what issue you find in this ?

[madhur_ahuja]

The study indicates that even after a decade young men and women still experience some of the effects of a divorce that occurred when they were children.

The sentence is correct as written. However, what does they refer to ?

Since men and women are themselves plural, isn't it a case of ambiguous reference ?[/b]

I don't find any ambiguity here...can you please elaborate more what issue you find in this ?

I meant they could either refer to men OR women. ?

[real2008]

The study indicates that even after a decade young men and women still experience some of the effects of a divorce that occurred when they were children.

The sentence is correct as written. However, what does they refer to ?

Since men and women are themselves plural, isn't it a case of ambiguous reference ?[/b]

I don't find any ambiguity here...can you please elaborate more what issue you find in this ?

I meant they could either refer to men OR women. ?

Look! The subject is 'young men and women', so 'they' surely refers the subject i.e. to 'young men and women' as a whole and not separately.

[madhur_ahuja]

Thanks