Introduction: The Glue of the English Language
Welcome! Today, we are diving into a skill that is absolutely essential for a high TOEFL score: Pronoun Reference and Cohesion. Think of pronouns as the "glue" that holds a paragraph together. Without them, English sentences would be repetitive and robotic.
In the Academic Passage Skills section, understanding how sentences connect is vital. Whether you are answering a "Reading" question or writing your "Integrated Task" essay, you must be able to track who or what is being discussed across multiple sentences. If you master this, you ensure your ideas flow logically, which is a major requirement for a top-band score.
1. What is Pronoun Reference?
A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun (like it, they, this, which, or those). The reference (or antecedent) is the original noun that the pronoun refers to.
Why it matters for your score: In the TOEFL Reading section, you are often tested on your ability to identify these links. If you misidentify a pronoun, you will likely choose the wrong answer for Inference or Factual Information questions. In Writing and Speaking, using pronouns correctly earns you marks for "Language Use" and "Coherence."
The Replacement Test
Don't worry if a sentence looks long and scary. Use this simple trick: The Replacement Test.
1. Find the pronoun.
2. Look at the nouns in the sentence before it.
3. Replace the pronoun with the noun you think is the answer.
4. Read the sentence again. Does it still make sense logically?
Example:
"The volcanoes in the region remain active. They have erupted three times in the last decade."
If we replace "They" with "volcanoes," the sentence makes perfect sense. Therefore, "volcanoes" is the correct reference.
2. Cohesion in the Reading Section
TOEFL Reading passages are academic, meaning they are dense and complex. You will often see Demonstrative Pronouns like this, that, these, and those used to refer to entire ideas or processes.
Tracking Complex Ideas
Sometimes, a pronoun doesn't just replace one word; it replaces a whole concept.
Example Sentence:
"The government decided to increase taxes on imported fuel. This led to a nationwide protest by transport workers."
What does "This" refer to?
It doesn't just refer to "fuel" or "taxes." It refers to the entire action of the government increasing taxes. In the TOEFL, if you only look for a single noun, you might get confused. Always look at the action or clause immediately preceding the pronoun.
Quick Review: Common Reference Words
• It / They: Replace specific objects or people.
• This / These: Often refer to the topic of the previous sentence.
• The former / The latter: Used to distinguish between two things mentioned earlier. "The former" is the first one; "The latter" is the second one.
3. Cohesion for Writing and Speaking (Earn Higher Marks)
The TOEFL examiners use a specific rubric to grade your Writing and Speaking. To get a 4 or 5 (the highest scores), your response must be "well-organized and developed" and show "progression of ideas." This is where Cohesion comes in.
Weak vs. Improved Cohesion
Let's look at how a candidate might lose marks versus how they can earn them.
Weak Version (Low Score):
"The professor talks about ecosystems. Ecosystems are fragile. If ecosystems change, ecosystems might fail. This is bad for ecosystems."
Why it loses marks: Too repetitive. It sounds like a basic learner and lacks "lexical variety."
Improved Version (High Score):
"The professor discusses ecosystems and notes that these systems are incredibly fragile. Should they undergo significant changes, the entire habitat might fail. Such a collapse would be devastating for local wildlife."
Why it earns marks: The student uses a mix of pronouns (they), demonstratives (these systems), and synonyms (the entire habitat, such a collapse). This shows the examiner you have a high level of English control.
4. The "Insert Text" Question Strategy
One specific task in the TOEFL Reading section is the "Insert Text" question. You are given a new sentence and asked where it fits best in a paragraph. Pronouns are your secret weapon here!
The "Pointer Word" Trick
Look for "pointer words" in the sentence you need to insert.
Example Insert Sentence: "These findings, however, were not supported by later experiments."
Strategy: You must place this sentence immediately after a sentence that describes specific "findings" or "results." If you place it after a sentence about a person or a location, it won't make sense. The word "These" acts as a bridge back to the previous sentence.
5. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even advanced students make these mistakes under the pressure of the exam clock. Watch out for:
1. Number Mismatch: Using "it" to refer to a plural noun.
Incorrect: "The results were surprising. It showed that the theory was wrong."
Correct: "The results were surprising. They showed..."
2. Ambiguous Reference: Using a pronoun when there are two possible nouns.
Confusing: "The teacher told the student that he had failed." (Who failed? The teacher or the student?)
Clear: "The teacher informed the student of the latter's failure."
3. Overusing "This": Starting every sentence with "This..." can make your writing feel disconnected. Try using "This + Summary Noun" (e.g., This process, This trend, This controversy).
6. Summary and Key Takeaways
• Pronouns are bridges: They connect the sentence you are reading to the one that came before it.
• Use the Replacement Test: If you are unsure what a pronoun refers to, swap it with the noun and check the logic.
• Precision earns marks: In Writing, use "This + Noun" (e.g., "This phenomenon") to show sophisticated language use.
• Watch for "Insert Text" clues: Words like "These," "Such," and "Another" tell you exactly what must come before that sentence.
Did you know? Using cohesive devices correctly can actually help you manage your time better. When you understand how a paragraph is linked, you can read faster because you aren't constantly stopping to figure out who "they" are!
Don't worry if this seems tricky at first! Identifying references is a muscle that gets stronger with practice. Start by circling every pronoun you see in your next practice reading and drawing an arrow to the noun it replaces. Happy studying!