Confusion with pronouns in a sentence
For example:

If those parents had looked after their children well, they would not have been in jail.

What does the word they in the second clause of the sentence refer to? Those parents or their children?

Can anyone help in this regards?

Question

Confusion with pronouns in a sentence
For example:

If those parents had looked after their children well, they would not have been in jail.

What does the word they in the second clause of the sentence refer to? Those parents or their children?

Can anyone help in this regards?

Answer

In this context, "they" refers to the children. It's saying that the children are in jail because their parents didn't look after them well enough.

Answer

The children.