Secondary 1–2 learners often understand each sentence separately but lose the thread across several sentences because they are not sure what he, she, it, they, this, that, these, those, former or latter refers to.
This guide develops reference-chain vocabulary and reading control. It is an original eduKateSG practice guide, not an official examination paper.
Why Reference Chains Matter
Writers avoid repeating the same noun constantly. They use reference words instead.
“Mira opened the box. She found a note inside it.”
She refers to Mira. It refers to the box.
If the reader links the wrong reference, the meaning of the whole passage changes.
The Hidden Problem: The Nearest Noun Is Not Always the Answer
Students often assume a pronoun refers to the closest noun.
Example: “The teacher spoke to Hana after Mei arrived because she had requested help.”
Without more context, she may be ambiguous. The nearest noun alone does not always settle the reference.
Pronouns and Antecedents
An antecedent is the word or phrase a pronoun refers back to.
Example: “The bicycle had a loose chain, so Amir repaired it.”
It refers to the bicycle only if the sentence means Amir repaired the bicycle. If he repaired the chain, the writer should make that clear.
This, That, These and Those
These words can point to objects, ideas, events or whole earlier statements.
“The experiment was repeated three times. This improved confidence in the result.”
Here, this refers to the repeated procedure, not to one physical object.
Former and Latter
When two items have just been named, former refers to the first and latter to the second.
Example: “The class compared Route A and Route B. The former was shorter; the latter had fewer transfers.”
This device is concise but should not be used when the reference becomes hard to track.
A First-Principles Reference Method
- Find the reference word.
- List plausible antecedents.
- Check number and grammar.
- Check meaning.
- Read the wider sentence or paragraph.
- Reject any interpretation that creates contradiction or nonsense.
Worked Example
“The laptop was beside the printer when it stopped working.”
What stopped working? The sentence is ambiguous. It could refer to either device.
Repair 1: “The laptop was beside the printer when the laptop stopped working.”
Repair 2: “The laptop was beside the printer when the printer stopped working.”
Good reference vocabulary depends on clear antecedents.
Practice A — Find the Antecedent
A1. “Hana collected the books and placed them on the desk.” → them = books.
A2. “The door was locked, and this delayed the group.” → this = the locked-door situation.
A3. “Plan A and Plan B were reviewed. The latter cost more.” → latter = Plan B.
A4. “Mira spoke to Lina because she needed help.” → potentially ambiguous without context.
Practice B — Repair Ambiguous Reference
“Kai told Amir that he had won.” Rewrite so the winner is clear.
Possible: “Kai told Amir, ‘You have won,’” or “Kai told Amir that Kai had won.”
Practice C — Track a Reference Chain
Passage:
The school introduced a new booking system. It reduced the number of paper forms. This saved staff time, and they used that time to answer more enquiries.
Track each reference: it = booking system; this = reduction in paper forms / resulting change; they = staff; that time = saved staff time.
Common Secondary 1–2 Errors
- linking a pronoun to the nearest noun automatically;
- ignoring singular/plural mismatch;
- missing when this/that refers to a whole idea;
- using former/latter after more than two items;
- writing ambiguous pronouns in compositions;
- changing the antecedent during summary or paraphrase.
How We Teach Reference Chains in Small Groups
Warm-up retrieval
Students identify simple pronoun antecedents.
Single-reference fence
One pronoun and two possible nouns are contrasted.
Paragraph tracking
Reference chains extend across sentences.
Ambiguity repair
Students rewrite unclear references.
Independent reading
Longer passages remove highlighting and prompts.
Error review
The tutor distinguishes vocabulary/reference errors from general comprehension problems.
Three Learner Pathways
Repair
The student loses track of basic pronouns. We return to short two-sentence chains.
Stabilisation
The student handles pronouns but struggles with this/that or paragraph-level references.
Extension
The student moves into cohesion, summary compression and reference management in analytical writing.
What Progress Should Look Like
- faster antecedent identification;
- fewer pronoun misunderstandings;
- better paragraph comprehension;
- clearer written reference;
- more accurate summaries;
- greater awareness of ambiguity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the antecedent always before the pronoun?
Often, but not always in natural English. Context determines the relationship.
Can this refer to a whole sentence?
Yes. It may point to an event, claim or situation.
Should students use former and latter often?
Only when two items are clearly established and the reference remains easy to follow.
Helpful Reading
Next Step
The goal is a reader who can follow meaning across sentences without losing who or what each reference points to.
Continue through the Vocabulary Learning Hub or Secondary English Tuition.