Core English 1

1
Core English 1

• Reading Strategies Question Type 3 Referent
  Questions

2

• Question Type 3 Referent Questions
• Identify the correct antecedent of a referent.

3

• A referent is a pronoun, which replaces an
  antecedent, which is another word, a phrase, or a
  clause.

4

• In the following sentence, the pronoun it
  replaces the noun the sun
• The sun changes color as it sets.
• It is the referent and the sun is the antecedent.

5

• Types of pronouns

6

• There are at most two referent questions for each
  passage.
• The referent is always highlighted in the
  passage, and the paragraph is also sometimes
  identified in the question by a number, so you
  don't need to scan the passage.
• Referent questions are multiple choice questions.

7

• Read the following excerpt on road rage (p 43-
  44)

8

• I know that you made notes as you read.

9

• Strategy 1 Be familiar with the grammar for
  pronouns and adjective clauses.
• Referents follow specific grammar rules, which
  can help you choose the correct antecedent.
• Check the meaning as well as the grammar.

10

• Personal Pronouns (p 44)

11

• Relative Pronouns (p 45)

12

• Demonstrative Pronouns (p 46)

13

• Adjectives (p 46)

14

• Strategy 2 Carefully read the sentence with the
  referent as well as the surrounding sentences.
• The question specifies a particular referent,
  which is highlighted in the passage, and possibly
  a
• paragraph.

15

• Eg, look at the word this in paragraph 1. The
  word this in the passage refers to
• o An expression of anger
• o The Oxford English Dictionary
• o The first appearance of road rage in London
• o The definition of the term road rage

16

• Once you locate the highlighted referent in the
  passage, read more than just one sentence.
• Read also the sentence before and after the
  sentence containing the highlighted word.
• Understand the full context, not just one part.

17

• Give careful attention and analysis.

18

• Strategy 3 Pay attention to the pronoun's
  number, gender, and type (person or thing).

19

• The specific qualities of the pronoun are clear
  indications of which antecedents might be
  incorrect. Identify whether the pronoun is
  singular or plural, male or female, and so forth.

20

• Eg, the pronoun this is singular and probably
  refers to a noun thing or idea, not a person,
  based on the known rules outlined above.

21

• Strategy 4 Identify the function of the referent
  and its immediate context.

22

• Know how the pronoun relates to its own sentence.
  The immediate context is the action(s), state(s),
  and related detail (place, time, reason,
  contrast, etc.) within the sentence.

23

• Is the pronoun a subject or object?
• If it is a subject, what is the action or state
  and what or whom is it affecting?
• If it is an object, what action is it
  experiencing or receiving?
• Is the sentence a continuation of previous ideas
  (moreover, furthermore) or is it a contradiction
  of them (however, although, etc.)?

24

• In the eg.
• this ? subject ? inaccurate,
• ? antecedent must be something that can be
  inaccurate.
• Inaccuracy - judgment or opinion of
  psychologists.
• ? antecedent - smthg psychologists discuss or
  refer to.
• Sentence begins with but, ? contrast.
• These details (inaccurate, psychologists, but)
  are pronoun's immediate context ? important
  clues to the proper antecedent.

25

• Strategy 5 Relate the referent to the broader
  context.
• Relate to actions, states, actors, objects, and
  details (places, times, reasons, etc.) in the
  surrounding sentences.
• "What is happening in the sentence before and
  after the pronoun?" and "Who or what is causing
  it?"

26

• Eg, this in eg.
• Comes after a description of the first use of the
  term road rage and a quoted definition from the
  Oxford English dictionary.
• Comes before a more specific explanation of what
  road rage involves.
• this, described as inaccurate, comes in between
  two sentences that try to define and then
  redefine road rage.

27

• Strategy 6 Use cohesive devices to understand
  the context accurately.
• CDs include pronouns other parts of speech, and
  they are important for many question types
  referent, inference, rhetorical structure,
  coherence, and paraphrasing questions.

28
(No Transcript)
29
(No Transcript)
30

• Strategy 7 Look for an antecedent before the
  referent in the same sentence or in the preceding
  one.
• Focus attention on the choices that precede, or
  come before, the pronoun.
• The correct antecedent can't be two or more
  sentences away.

31

• In the eg, (C) is in the first sentence, which is
  two sentences away from the pronoun this.
• That means eliminate (C), which is too far away.

32

• Strategy 8 Look for an antecedent after the
  pronoun in specific cases.
• A pronoun may precede the antecedent (a word,
  phrase, or clause) when both are in the same
  sentence and when the sentence has very specific
  structure.

33

• When the sentence begins with an adverb clause, a
  pronoun in the adverb clause can come before the
  antecedent in the second, independent clause
• - Although it can be hard to explain, road rage
  is not hard to recognize.
• - Since they began keeping records on road rage,
  government agencies have seen a continual rise in
  the number of cases.

34

• - Almost as soon as it was defined, experts began
  to debate the root causes of rood rage.
• - When he arrived on the scene, the police
  officer separated the two drivers who were
  fighting.

35

• Antecedents do not normally come in a separate
  sentence after the pronoun ? confuse the reader
  or listener.
• In eg, the pronoun this does not fit the pattern
  above, so (A) cannot be chosen based on this
  specific rule.

36

• Strategy 9 Use sentence structure to eliminate
  some choices.
• Pronoun can only replace a preceding noun,
  phrase, or clause. ? must refer back to something
  in an earlier sentence.
• Eliminate many choices that come after the
  pronoun, ie (A).
• The expression of anger is in the following
  sentence ? can't be replaced by this.

37

• Pronouns rarely refer back more than one
  independent sentence. Choices such as (C) in the
  first sentence of the excerpt can be omitted.

38

• Strategy 10 Replace the referent with each
  remaining choice and check the meaning.
• After eliminating as many choices as possible.
• Place each remaining choice in the same place as
  the pronoun and see if the sentence makes sense.

39

• In eg.
• The only choice that can correctly be described
  as inaccurate by psychologists is the definition
  of the term road rage, so (D) is correct.

40

• (A) can be eliminated based on meaning.
• An expression of anger is emotional, and
  subjective expressions of emotions cannot be
  described as inaccurate.

41

• (B) refers to a book (the Oxford English
  Dictionary) that is well respected and unlikely
  to be entirely inaccurate.
• Psychologists can debate the definition of one
  term that refers to psychological issues, but
  they can't have a professional opinion about an
  entire dictionary.

42

• (C) can be eliminated based on its distance from
  the pronoun.
• Also there is nothing to suggest that the
  incident is inaccurately described. Only place
  and time are given.

43

• Question Forms
• A referent question mentions a specific pronoun
  in the question and possibly a particular
  paragraph as well.

44

• You can recognize a referent question based on
  the following forms or some variation
• Look at the word X in paragraph...The word X in
  the passage refers to...
• Look at the word X. The word X in the passage
  refers to which of the following?

45

• Distracters

46

• Distracter 1 Answer choice fits all the
  characteristics except the context.
• Most common type of distracter.
• All the traits of the choice are correct the
  pronoun and choice match in number, gender, and
  grammar, and as noun things or people.
• Only the meaning of the sentence can tell you
  that this choice is incorrect.
• Need a good vocabulary ? read and study a wide
  range of topics.

47

• For example
• Although new legislation affects the lives of all
  citizens, only some actually read new laws.
• Some is the subject of the verb read, so the
  correct antecedent must also be able to read.
• Only citizens can be the antecedent.

48

• Distracter 2 Answer choice is right next to the
  pronoun but doesn't fit the context and/or
  grammar.
• Often assume incorrectly that the closest
  possible choice is the best one.
• Not always true.

49

• Eg.
• The problem is being looked at by government
  agencies at many levels, and a number of states
  have already considered legislation to help
  correct it.
• It must require correction.
• Problem is a synonym for road rage in this
  context, so is the best choice.

50

• Practice
• Read Bridge History pgs 52 53.

51

• notes

52

• 9. Look at the word others in paragraph 1. The
  word others in the passage refers to
• 0 heavy weights
• 0 stones
• 0 piles
• 0 Romans

53

• 10. Look at the word they in Paragraph 3. The
  word they in the passage refers to
• o wooden bridges
• o periods of bridge construction
• o years
• o historians

54

• 11. Look at the word them in Paragraph 3. The
  word them in the passage refers to
• o the first decades
• o railroad bridges
• o failures
• o efforts

55

• 12. Look at the word it in Paragraph 4. The word
  it in the passage refers to
• o bridge design
• o revolution
• o the century
• o steel