Someone help me out here? Confusing use of it.

[joely]

Hi

This is my original sentence: "Students take it in turns to pick up a slip of paper and read the adjective from it."

Now, I'm thinking I should change this to "Students take turns to pick up a slip of paper and read the adjective from it."

Right? Or could the it at the end of the sentence be the problem?

Thanks in advance for any help


Joely

[joely]

Sorry, to add to the above post, the editor comment was, [confusing use of "it"]

[Evelyn]

Could you simplify it to read:

Students take turns reading adjectives.

unless it's a game type of activity, in which case you might write:

Students draw slips of paper and take turns reading adjectives.

Often you can simplify awkward sentences by going back a little and simplifying the sentence before to combine ideas, so re-read the whole paragraph and cut out the little words. Just my two cents!

[sw4747]

Alternatively
Students take it in turns to read adjectives from slips of paper they have picked up.

[jellygator]

I think you're right. What is the "it" that students are taking when you say "Students take it in turns." Since you mean "reading adjectives" this phrasing makes your sentence redundant.