Skill
Find Pronoun Referents
No description
In the Reading Comprehension section of the TOEFL ITP, you will sometimes be asked to identify what a pronoun refers to in a passage. These questions test your ability to understand cohesion—how ideas are linked together through words like it, they, this, these, and those.
A pronoun normally appears after the noun it refers to. Therefore, when you encounter a pronoun reference question, your task is to look before the pronoun and determine which noun matches it in number and meaning.
Pronoun reference questions usually appear in this form:
The pronoun “X” in line Y refers to which of the following?
To answer correctly, you must:
- Locate the pronoun in the passage.
- Look at the nearby sentences—typically earlier in the text—to find nouns that agree with the pronoun (singular/plural, person/thing).
- Replace the pronoun with each possible noun and check which one makes sense logically.
- Choose the noun that best fits the context.
Example
Passage
Carnivorous plants, such as the sundew and the Venus flytrap, grow in humid regions where the soil lacks nitrogen. To survive, these plants develop mechanisms to trap insects within their leaves. They produce digestive fluids that allow them to obtain nitrogen from the insects.
Question
The pronoun They refers to
(A) humid regions
(B) these plants
(C) insects
(D) digestive fluids
Explanation
The pronoun They is plural. The nouns before it are humid regions (plural), these plants (plural), and insects (plural). By replacing the pronoun in the sentence—“Humid regions produce digestive fluids...” (incorrect), “These plants produce digestive fluids...” (correct), “Insects produce digestive fluids...” (incorrect)—the only logical match is these plants.
Correct answer: (B).
What to Remember
How to Identify the Question
You will see wording such as:
- “The pronoun X in line Y refers to which of the following?”
Where to Look
- Look immediately before the pronoun.
- Focus on nouns that match the pronoun’s number and meaning.
How to Answer
- Locate the pronoun.
- Scan earlier for potential noun referents.
- Test each option in the sentence.
- Eliminate illogical choices.
- Choose the most reasonable answer.
Exercise
Complete the following exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned:
Below are new, TOEFL-style practice questions based on short passages.
PASSAGE 1 (Questions 1–2)
During migration season, millions of monarch butterflies travel thousands of kilometers across North America. The journey is so long that no single butterfly completes the entire round trip. Instead, several generations are involved in completing the full cycle. This makes the migration one of the most complex among insects, and scientists continue to study how they navigate so precisely.
1. The pronoun “This” in line 3 refers to
(A) the length of the journey
(B) the participation of multiple generations
(C) the north–south route
(D) the navigation abilities of scientists
2. The pronoun “they” in line 4 refers to
(A) scientists
(B) insects
(C) monarch butterflies
(D) generations
PASSAGE 2 (Questions 3–4)
The ancient city of Petra in Jordan was carved directly into rose-colored cliffs. For centuries, it was an important trading center that connected the Middle East with major markets in Asia and Africa. Although the city was eventually abandoned, it remained hidden from the Western world until an explorer rediscovered it in the early nineteenth century.
3. The pronoun “it” in line 3 refers to
(A) the ancient city
(B) the Middle East
(C) Asia and Africa
(D) the Western world
4. The pronoun “it” in line 4 refers to
(A) an explorer
(B) the Western world
(C) the city of Petra
(D) the nineteenth century
PASSAGE 3 (Questions 5–7)
Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. They depend on tiny algae called zooxanthellae, which live inside the corals’ tissues. These algae provide the corals with food through photosynthesis, and in return, the corals offer them protection. When the surrounding water becomes too warm, however, the corals expel the algae. This process, known as bleaching, can leave the corals weak and vulnerable.
5. The pronoun “They” in line 1 refers to
(A) ecosystems
(B) coral reefs
(C) algae
(D) tissues
6. The pronoun “them” in line 3 refers to
(A) corals
(B) algae
(C) ecosystems
(D) nutrients
7. The pronoun “This” in line 4 refers to
(A) bleaching
(B) the expulsion of algae
(C) photosynthesis
(D) warm water
PASSAGE 4 (Questions 8–10)
Researchers recently developed a lightweight battery that charges faster than conventional models. The breakthrough came when they replaced the traditional graphite anode with a new silicon-based material. Although the material expands during charging, the team designed a structure that allows it to do so safely. As a result, the battery maintains high performance even after hundreds of cycles.
8. The pronoun “they” in line 2 refers to
(A) researchers
(B) batteries
(C) cycles
(D) conventional models
9. The pronoun “it” in line 3 refers to
(A) the structure
(B) the silicon-based material
(C) the anode
(D) the battery
10. The pronoun “it” in line 4 refers to
(A) performance
(B) the battery
(C) the structure
(D) the charging process
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