SKILL 5: FIND PRONOUN REFERENTS

In this section you will sometimes be asked to determine to which noun a pronoun refers. Pronoun reference questions are worded a bit differently on the paper TOEFL test and the computer TOEFL test; on the paper test, pronoun reference questions are click-on questions.

In a pronoun reference question, it is important to understand that a noun is usually used first in a passage, and the pronoun that refers to it comes later. Every time you ask what noun a pronoun refers to, you should look before the pronoun to find the noun.

How to identify the question?

The pronoun “…” in line X refers to which of the following?

Where to find the answer?

The line where the pronoun is located is given in the question. The noun that the pronoun refers to is generally found before the pronoun.

How to answer the question?

-Locate the pronoun in the passage.

-Look before the pronoun for nouns that agree with the pronoun.

- Try each of the nouns in the context in place of the pronoun.

- Eliminate any definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the remaining choices.

Example: 

Carnivorous plants, such as the sundew and the Venus-flytrap, are generally found in humid areas where there is an inadequate supply of nitrogen in the soil. In order to survive, these plants have developed mechanisms to trap insects within their foliage. They have digestive fluids to obtain the necessary nitrogen from the insects. These plants trap the insects in a variety of ways. The sundew has sticky hairs on its leaves; when an insect lands on these leaves, it gets caught up in the sticky hairs, and the leaf wraps itself around the insect. The leaves of the Venus-flytrap function more like a trap, snapping suddenly and forcefully shut around an insect.

The pronoun they in line 5 refers to

A- Humid areas.

B- These plants.

C- Insects.

D- Digestive fluids.

you should understand from the context that these plants have digestive fluids to obtain the necessary nitrogen from the insects, so the best answer to this question is answer B.

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