UNDERSTANDING WORD REFERENCE

UNDERSTANDING WORD REFERENCE

Pronoun Reference and Agreement in English

Multiple Choice

Reference words are words that refer back to a previous word or phrase but without repeating it.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

An important part of understanding a text is being able to identify the reference words and their relationship to other words, phrases or sentences.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Select

What are the tips to understand reference words that you know?

• Subject or object reference words

• Singular and plural

• The dummy subject

Multiple Choice

Q: What is the dummy subject?

A: Sometimes ‘it’ can appear in a sentence but it is not a true reference word – it doesn’t refer back to anything specific.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

Read the sentence below and decide whether ‘it’ is used as a reference word or a dummy subject.

Look at those clouds. It’s going to rain.

• This is a dummy subject.

• This is a reference word.

Multiple Choice

Read the sentence below and decide whether ‘it’ is used as a reference word or a dummy subject.

Homework is essential. It allows students to review work they have studied in class.

• This is a dummy subject.

• This is a reference word.

Read the text below and decide what the underlined reference words refer to.

Multiple Choice

This push refers to ...

• taking on a higher workload

• getting into top universities

• becoming an overachiever

• taking difficult classes

Multiple Choice

They refers to ...

• universities

• all students

• overachieving students

• the end of university

Multiple Choice

It refers to ...

• the pressure

• the graduate school

• the high school

• NOTHING – it’s a dummy subject.

Multiple Choice

There refers to ...

• the end of high school

• at the top universities

• getting the best results

• in the best job

Multiple Choice

This refers to ...

• the high-pressure education system

• the article the author has written

• the government

• the person making the claim

Multiple Choice

Those refers to ...

• students who enjoy the high-pressure environment

• students who struggle with the high-pressure environment

• students who create the high-pressure environment

• the systems that create the high-pressure environment

Multiple Choice

This refers to ...

• the group of people who fail

• the cultural / family connection

• the group of students who do not experience problems

• the negative / challenging situation

Multiple Choice

It refers to ...

• studying hard

• concentration on work

• NOTHING – it’s a dummy subject

• the fun side of schooling

Multiple Choice

It refers to ...

• the pressure

• the graduate school

• the high school

• NOTHING – it’s a dummy subject.