5.4 Reference, Inference, and Cohesion Questions
Key Takeaways
- A pronoun-reference question asks which noun a highlighted word replaces; the antecedent is usually the nearest matching noun just before the pronoun.
- Confirm a referent by substituting the candidate noun for the pronoun and checking that number (singular/plural) and sense still fit.
- Inference answers must be supported by the text's evidence, never by outside knowledge; the right answer is the safest logical step, not the boldest claim.
- Sentence-insertion questions are solved by testing each marked spot for consistent pronouns, transitions, and logic.
- Author's-purpose and tone questions ask why the author wrote something or how the author feels, answered from word choice and context.
Pronoun-Reference Questions
A reference question highlights a pronoun (or a pointing word such as it, they, this, these, such) and asks which noun it replaces — the antecedent. ETS phrases it as "The word X refers to..." The grammar of English makes these solvable with a small routine, because a pronoun normally points back to the nearest earlier noun that matches it in number (singular or plural) and makes sense in the sentence.
Reference Resolution Steps
- Find the highlighted pronoun and note whether it is singular or plural.
- Look backward to the nearest noun of the same number.
- Substitute that noun for the pronoun and read the sentence.
- If it reads logically, you have the referent; if not, step back to the next matching noun.
The antecedent is almost always before the pronoun and usually close to it. Distractor options are typically other nouns in the sentence that are the wrong number or that break the sense when substituted.
Worked Reference Example
Early astronomers tracked the planets for years, but they lacked telescopes powerful enough to confirm the orbits.
Q. The word they refers to... (A) the planets (B) early astronomers — correct (C) the orbits (D) the years
They is plural, so the antecedent must be plural: astronomers, planets, orbits, and years all qualify on number. Now substitute and check sense: "early astronomers lacked telescopes" is logical — people lack telescopes. "The planets lacked telescopes" or "the orbits lacked telescopes" is nonsense. The nearest plural noun that also makes sense is early astronomers, so (B) is correct. Notice that pure proximity is not enough; you confirm with substitution, because the closest noun (planets) fails the sense test.
Inference Questions
An inference question asks for a conclusion the passage implies but does not state outright, using wording such as "It can be inferred that..." or "The passage suggests that..." The rule from the section instructions still governs: the answer must be supported by what is stated or implied in the passage. The correct inference is the smallest safe step beyond the text — a conclusion you could defend by pointing to a specific line. Two warnings define the trap options:
- Outside knowledge is not evidence. An option can be true in the real world and still be wrong because the passage does not support it.
- Overreach loses. Options with absolute words (always, never, all, none, proves) usually claim more than a short passage can support. The safe inference is modest.
Example: A passage says, "The cactus stores water in its thick stem and survives months without rain." A safe inference: the cactus is adapted to long dry periods (the stored water and survival without rain support it). An unsafe option: the cactus cannot grow where rain is frequent — the passage never says that, so it is outside the text.
Sentence-Insertion and Cohesion
A sentence-insertion question gives you a sentence and marks several spots (often █ symbols) in the passage, asking where it fits best. The new sentence usually contains a cohesion signal — a pronoun, a transition (however, therefore, for example, this), or a repeated noun — that ties it to the sentence before it. To solve it:
- Identify the cohesion signal in the new sentence.
- Find the spot where the preceding sentence supplies what that signal points to (the noun a pronoun replaces, the idea a transition continues).
- Read the passage with the sentence inserted at each candidate spot; keep the one where pronouns, transitions, and logic all stay consistent.
If the new sentence begins with "These changes," the correct slot must follow a sentence that describes changes. If it begins with "For example," the slot must follow a general claim that the example illustrates.
Author's Purpose and Tone
Two less frequent but recurring types ask about the author rather than the facts:
- Purpose / rhetorical function: "Why does the author mention X?" The answer explains the job a detail does — to give an example, to contrast, to show a cause, to support a claim — not what the detail says. Look at the sentence before and after the mention to see how it connects.
- Tone / attitude: "The author's attitude toward X is..." Answered from word choice. Positive words (remarkable, valuable) signal approval; hedging words (claimed, allegedly, so-called) signal doubt; neutral, factual language signals an objective tone. On academic passages the tone is usually measured and objective, so extreme options such as angry or enthusiastic are rarely correct.
In 'The colonists built sturdy ships, and these carried goods across the Atlantic for decades,' what does 'these' refer to?
A passage states a moth species feeds only at night and has unusually large eyes. Which inference is best supported?
Order the steps for placing a sentence that begins 'For example, it can fold its wings flat...' into a passage.
Arrange the items in the correct order
On an academic passage, the author describes a discovery using neutral, factual language with no praise or criticism. Which tone option is most likely correct?