Pronoun Reference: What Does 'It' Refer To?

British & IGCSE › Checkpoint 8 › Checkpoint 8 English (Cambridge Lower Secondary 0861)

1. What pronoun reference means

A pronoun replaces a noun so that the writer does not have to repeat it. The noun it replaces is called its antecedent (the word that goes before). The museum reopened last week. It had been closed for two years. → It refers to the museum.

Reading questions often ask you what a pronoun refers to. In your own writing, every pronoun must point clearly to one noun, or the reader gets confused.

2. Types of pronoun

3. How to answer 'What does it / this / they refer to?'

1. Look backwards from the pronoun to the nearest noun that matches it in number (singular it → a singular noun, plural they → a plural noun).
2. Check meaning: put your answer in place of the pronoun. Does the sentence still make sense?
3. This / that / these / such can refer to a whole idea or sentence, not just one word. Then your answer should sum up the idea.
4. Write the full noun phrase, not just one word (the old lighthouse on the cliff, not lighthouse).

Worked example. Every spring, storks arrive in the Nile Delta after a journey of thousands of kilometres. They build huge nests on rooftops and poles. Local farmers welcome this, because the birds eat insects that damage their crops.

4. Clear pronouns in your writing

Avoid unclear (ambiguous) pronouns. Omar told Karim that he had won. (who won?) → Omar told Karim, "You've won!" or Omar told Karim that Karim had won.

Make pronouns agree with their antecedent in number: The blankets were dirty, so we washed them. For a singular word like every student, the safest choice in formal writing is his or her, or make the subject plural: All students should bring their notebooks.

Use the right case: subject pronouns before the verb, object pronouns after verbs and prepositions.

Pronouns for cohesion. Good writers use pronouns and this / these + noun to link sentences smoothly without repeating words: The council has closed the sports centre. This decision has angered many families. Adding a noun after this (this decision, this problem, these changes) makes the link clearer and more formal.

5. How Checkpoint asks about pronouns

In reading, a typical question is: What does the word 'it' (or 'this', 'they', 'which') in line X refer to? Give the full noun phrase or a short summary of the idea. One mark usually needs the exact thing, not a vague guess.

Exam-style example. Scientists have found that teenagers who sleep less than eight hours find it harder to concentrate. This may explain why many students struggle in morning lessons.

Question: What does This refer to? Answer: The finding that teenagers who sleep less than eight hours find it harder to concentrate.

In your writing, use pronouns to avoid repetition, keep every reference clear, and use this / these + noun to link paragraphs.

6. Practice

1. Text: The old mill stood beside the river for two hundred years. It ground flour for the whole valley. When it closed, many families lost their income. What does It refer to, and what does their refer to?

   Show answer

   It = the old mill. their = the many families (the income belonged to them).

2. Text: The school replaced its plastic cups with metal bottles. This saved over ten thousand cups a year. What does This refer to?

   Show answer

   The whole action of replacing the plastic cups with metal bottles (the idea in the previous sentence), not just the bottles.

3. Text: Desert foxes have enormous ears. These help them to hear insects moving under the sand. What do These and them refer to?

   Show answer

   These = the desert foxes' enormous ears. them = the desert foxes.

4. Text: The village, which had no electricity until 1990, is now a popular stop for tourists. What does which refer to?

   Show answer

   The village.

5. Text: Laila handed her grandmother the letter. She read it twice before she spoke. What does it refer to?

   Show answer

   The letter (the thing being read).

6. Rewrite to remove the unclear pronoun: When Tamer met his father at the airport, he was very tired.

   Show answer

   Tamer was very tired when he met his father at the airport. (or When Tamer met his father at the airport, his father was very tired.)

7. Correct: My brother and me cleaned the car.

   Show answer

   My brother and I cleaned the car.

8. Correct: The prize was shared between Hana and I.

   Show answer

   The prize was shared between Hana and me.

9. Rewrite this sentence for a formal notice so that the subject and pronoun clearly agree: Every player must wear their helmet.

   Show answer

   All players must wear their helmets. (or Every player must wear his or her helmet.)