Lesson 10: Pronouns & Reference Tracking

Introduction

Today's goal is to quickly identify exactly who, or which idea, an author is talking about. You can know every word in a sentence and still find it hard to follow:

People develop beliefs from their experiences, and these can strongly influence their decisions.

Two real questions sit inside that sentence: these — what, exactly? and their — whose? Both point back to something already said. Today we learn to resolve these questions systematically.

What Is a Pronoun?

A pronoun stands in for a noun or noun phrase, so a writer doesn't have to keep repeating it.

Personal: I, you, he, she, it, we, they Demonstrative: this, that, these, those Relative: who, which, that Possessive: my, your, his, her, its, our, their

Why Do Writers Use Pronouns?

Pronouns replace repetition with a chain of references

Repetitive: The researcher conducted an experiment. The researcher analyzed the experiment. The researcher published the researcher's findings.

Natural: The researcher conducted an experiment. He analyzed it and published his findings.

he → researcher · it → experiment · his → researcher.

That chain of connections — he, it, his, each pointing back to something already named — is exactly what reference tracking means.

What Is a Reference?

The noun or idea a pronoun points back to is called its antecedent, or simply its reference.

The manager made a decision because he had enough information. — he → the manager. The manager reviewed the report because it contained important information. — it → the report.

The First Rule of Reading a Pronoun

Don't translate a pronoun before you resolve it

Before reaching for a Bangla equivalent, always ask first: what does this pronoun refer to? Build this into a genuine habit — it matters more than the pronoun's dictionary meaning ever will.

HE / SHE

Personal pronouns for people

The manager explained the problem because he understood it clearly. — he → manager.

Books also very commonly use singular they for gender-neutral reference: A person may change their opinion after receiving new information. — their → a person.

THEY

Plural — and sometimes singular

Researchers conducted several experiments. They found interesting results. — they → researchers (plural).

If a student wants to improve, they need regular practice. — they → a student (singular they). Context tells you which reading applies.

IT

it can point to a noun, a whole situation, or nothing at all

Most simply, it refers to a singular thing, situation, idea, or previously mentioned concept:

The book is difficult, but it is useful. — it → book.

But it can also point to an entire situation rather than one noun:

People often make emotional decisions. It can be difficult to recognize this tendency. — here, context decides exactly what it covers.

There's also a dummy it, which doesn't stand in for any noun at all:

It is important to practice. — the real subject is To practice; it is simply a grammatical placeholder. We'll look at this more closely later in the course.

THIS

this can point to a noun — or to a whole preceding idea

This book is useful. — this is directly attached to book.

People often make decisions emotionally. This can lead to mistakes. — here this refers to the whole previous idea: making decisions emotionally.

THAT

that as a reference, and that as a relative pronoun

The researcher rejected the explanation. That surprised many people. — that → the researcher's act of rejecting the explanation.

The method that the researchers developed was highly effective. — here that is a relative pronoun; it refers to method.

THIS vs. THESE

Singular vs. plural

This: The study produced an unexpected result. This surprised researchers. — singular.

These: The study produced several unexpected results. These surprised researchers. — plural.

THAT vs. THOSE

those can also stand in for a previously mentioned plural noun

That: That idea is interesting. — singular. Those: Those ideas are interesting. — plural.

Academic writing often uses those this way:

The opinions of younger employees may differ from those of older employees. — those → opinions. This exact structure — X of A… those of B — is extremely common in academic comparisons, so it's worth recognising on sight.

Possessive Pronouns

my · your · his · her · its · our · their

Possessives point back to an owner

Researchers analyzed their data. — their → researchers. The company changed its policy. — its → company. People often defend their beliefs. — their → people.

The Most Important Rule: Match the Number

Singular pronoun, singular antecedent; plural pronoun, plural antecedent

The researcher → he/she/they · The company → it researchers → they · companies → they

The researcher published their findings. — singular they is possible here. The researchers published their findings. — plural they here.

Context tells you which reading is intended — but checking number first narrows the candidates dramatically.

WHO

who describes a person

The researcher who conducted the study published the results.

Main noun: researcher. Relative clause: who conducted the study — meaning, the researcher that carried out the study.

WHICH

which for things, animals, or ideas

The study which examined human behavior produced interesting results. — which → study.

THAT, Once Again

that can introduce a relative clause for either people or things:

The researcher that conducted the study… · The study that examined human behavior…

In formal writing, though, who is the more natural choice for people.

WHOSE

whose shows possession or relationship

The researcher whose work influenced the field received an award. — whose → the researcher's (possession/relationship). Meaning: the researcher, and it was their work that influenced the field.

The company whose products are widely used expanded rapidly. — whose → company.

Relative Clauses, Reconnected to Reference Tracking

A relative pronoun is itself a reference

The book that I bought yesterday explains human behavior.

Main sentence: The book explains human behavior. Relative clause: that I bought yesterday. Reference: that → book.

When "Which" Refers to a Whole Preceding Idea

which doesn't always point at the nearest noun

The researchers repeated the experiment, which produced similar results.

Here, which likely refers not to the nearest noun (the experiment) but to the entire preceding event: researchers repeated the experiment. Only context can settle exactly how much of the previous clause which is picking up.

A Four-Step Method for Resolving a Reference

Resolving a pronoun's reference

1Identify the pronoun (this / they / it / their / which...)

2Look back at what came before it

3Find the most likely candidate noun or idea

4Test it: does substituting this candidate make the sentence logical?

Testing candidates against logic

Researchers studied several communities. They found that social relationships strongly affected behavior.

Candidates for they: communities or researchers.

Test: Communities found... — doesn't make sense. Researchers found... — logical. So they → researchers.

A second worked test

Researchers studied several communities. These showed significant differences in social behavior.

Test: communities showed differences — logical. So these → communities.

THIS vs. THEY, Compared

they picks up an entity; this often picks up an event

They usually points to a plural entity: Researchers conducted a study. They analyzed the data. — they → researchers.

This often points to the previous idea or event itself: Researchers conducted a study. This provided new evidence. — this → the act of conducting the study, or the study itself as an event.

THEIR vs. ITS

Plural organization vs. singular organization

The researchers changed their approach. — researchers is plural → their.

The organization changed its approach. — organization is singular → its.

Pronouns Combined With Logical Connectors

Connecting back to Lesson 8:

Logic and reference, read together

Researchers found unexpected results. Therefore, they repeated the experiment.

Therefore signals the logic (a conclusion/result); they signals the reference (→ researchers). Reading a sentence well means catching both at once.

A Complex Worked Example

Multiple references inside one sentence

Researchers who study human behavior often examine social environments because these can strongly influence the way people think and act.

Main subject: Researchers · relative clause: who study human behavior (who → researchers) · main verb: examine · object: social environments · reason clause: because these can strongly influence… (these → social environments) · the way people think and act is itself a noun phrase, followed by its own clause.

An Even More Complex Example

A whole chain of references in a single sentence

People develop beliefs from their experiences, and these beliefs can influence how they interpret information, which may affect the decisions they make.

their → people's · these beliefs → the beliefs just mentioned · how they interpret information → a noun clause, they → people · which → the previous idea (people's beliefs influencing how they interpret information) · they make → they → people.

One sentence, several linked references — reading it well means walking this chain one link at a time.

A Reading Trick: The Pronoun-Replacement Test

When confused, substitute the noun back in

Original: People develop beliefs from experience, and these can influence decisions.

Test: People develop beliefs from experience, and these beliefs can influence decisions.

The meaning becomes immediately clear. You don't need to know the formal name for this — call it the pronoun replacement test — but practise it deliberately whenever a reference feels unclear.

Vocabulary in Context

representverbformal

to stand for or be a symbol of something (প্রতিনিধিত্ব করা)

Often with represent a risk, represent a change, represent a proportion

“The red segment of the chart represents overdue invoices, which now make up a fifth of all receivables.”

identifyverbformal

to recognise or establish exactly what something is (চিহ্নিত করা)

Often with identify a problem, clearly identify, identify the cause

“The security team identified the compromised account within ten minutes of the alert.”

distinguishverbformal

to recognise the difference between two things (পার্থক্য করা)

Often with distinguish between, clearly distinguish, hard to distinguish

“Customs officers must distinguish between personal effects and goods intended for resale.”

relateverbformal

to be connected to something, or to show a connection (সম্পর্কিত করা)

Often with relate to, closely related, directly relate

“The complaints all relate to the same shipment, which was mislabelled at origin.”

associateverbformal

to connect one thing with another in your mind or in fact (যুক্ত করা)

Often with be associated with, closely associated, associate with

“Longer dwell times are usually associated with incomplete customs documentation.”

leadverbneutral

to result in something, or to be the cause of an outcome (পরিচালিত করা/নিয়ে যাওয়া)

Often with lead to, ultimately lead, lead directly to

“Poor data entry at the gate led to a chain of billing errors downstream.”

Chunks worth learning as whole units

refer to something · describe something · represent something · indicate something · identify something · distinguish between · relate to · be associated with · depend on · be based on · point to · lead to · result in

Especially useful: refer to — The word "this" refers to the previous idea.

Guided Reading Practice

Read the paragraph once, slowly, tracing every pronoun back to the noun it stands for.

A researcher conducted a long-term study of decision-making. The researcher collected information from several groups of participants and compared their responses over time. These results showed that people often changed their decisions when their circumstances changed. This suggests that decision-making is influenced not only by personal beliefs but also by external conditions. However, the researcher noted that these findings should be interpreted carefully because the study had several limitations.

Tracking every reference:

The researcher → the same researcher throughout. their responses → participants. These results → the results of the comparison just described. their circumstances → people. This suggests → the previous finding, as a whole idea. these findings → the study's results. the study → the long-term study mentioned at the start.

The author never repeats the same noun twice in a row — instead, a whole system of pronouns carries the reader from sentence to sentence.

The Reference Chain, Visualised

A researcher
   ↓
The researcher
   ↓
their responses
   ↓
These results
   ↓
This suggests
   ↓
these findings
   ↓
the study

That's what reference tracking actually looks like across a real paragraph.

Why This Matters for Reading Real Books

Vocabulary alone is not enough

In psychology, technology, business, history, or science writing, an author will rarely repeat the same noun sentence after sentence. A single concept might travel through a paragraph like this: system → it → this system → its → which → these → they. Lose track of that chain, and you can lose the paragraph's meaning even while understanding every individual word.

A Reminder Worth Repeating

If a pronoun's reference isn't immediately obvious, don't panic — return to the same order every time: pronoun → nearby noun → previous sentence → previous idea → logical test. This is exactly the four-step method from earlier in this lesson; it's worth having ready as an automatic habit, not something to work out fresh each time.

A Mini Master Example

A full reference chain, tracked start to finish

The company introduced a new system to improve efficiency. It was initially difficult for employees to use, but they gradually became familiar with it. This improvement allowed the organization to reduce processing time significantly.

It → the new system. they → employees. it (second time) → the new system. This improvement → employees becoming familiar with the system, and the resulting improvement. the organization → the company.

Track each one, and the paragraph becomes far easier to follow than it first appeared.

Golden Rule

Never let "it", "this", "they", or "which" slide past untested — mentally replace it with the noun it stands for. If the sentence stops making sense, you've picked the wrong reference.

Lesson Summary

Today you learned that a pronoun is only fully understood once you've traced it back to its antecedent — and that doing this well means checking number (singular vs. plural), testing candidates against logic, and recognising that this, these, and which can refer to an entire preceding idea, not just the nearest noun. You practised the pronoun-replacement test and walked a full reference chain across a real paragraph. This single skill — reference tracking — is often the real difference between reading every word of a paragraph and actually understanding it.

Practice: Test What You've Learned

Work through every question yourself before checking anything.

Before you start

Do not use Google Translate or any other translation tool for these questions. If a reference feels ambiguous, say which candidate you chose and why — that reasoning is exactly what's being tested.

Part A — Identify the Reference

The manager reviewed the report. He found several errors. — He → ?
Show answer
He refers to the manager — the only singular, human candidate available.
The company introduced a new system. It improved efficiency. — It → ?
Show answer
It refers to the new system — substituting company gives "the company improved efficiency," which is possible, but the logical subject that would directly improve efficiency is the system just introduced.
Researchers interviewed several participants. They recorded their responses. — They → ? their → ?
Show answer
They refers to the researchers, since researchers are the ones who record data. Their refers to the participants, since it is the participants' responses being recorded.
The study produced unexpected results. These surprised the researchers. — These → ?
Show answer
These refers to the unexpected results — a plural noun matching the plural pronoun.
People often make decisions emotionally. This can lead to mistakes. — This → ?
Show answer
This refers to the whole preceding idea — the act of making decisions emotionally — not to any single noun in the sentence.

Part B — Relative Pronouns

The researcher who conducted the experiment published the results. — who → which noun does it refer to?
Show answer
Who refers to the researcher, introducing a relative clause that identifies which researcher is meant: the one who conducted the experiment.
The study that examined social behavior produced useful evidence. — that → which noun does it refer to?
Show answer
That refers to the study, introducing a relative clause that specifies which study is meant: the one that examined social behavior.
The researcher whose work influenced the field received an award. — whose → what relationship does it show?
Show answer
Whose shows possession, linking the researcher to their work — it means the work belonging to that researcher was what influenced the field.

Part C — Decode the Sentence

The researchers developed a new method, which they tested on several participants before they used it in a larger study. Identify: which → ? they (first) → ? they (second) → ? it → ? — and check carefully whether the two occurrences of they share the same reference.
Show answer
Which refers to the new method. Both occurrences of they refer to the researchers — the subject stays the same across the whole sentence, they are the ones testing and later using the method. It also refers to the new method, matching which. So the sentence means: the researchers developed a new method; the researchers tested that method on participants; the researchers then used that same method in a larger study.

Part D — Advanced Reading

Identify every pronoun's reference in this paragraph: A company recently changed its hiring process because it wanted to attract more qualified employees. The new process requires applicants to complete several assessments before they receive an interview. These are designed to measure skills that are important for the position. Although this approach may require more time, it could help the company identify candidates who are better suited to the job. Find: its → ? it → ? they → ? These → ? that → ? this approach → ? who → ?
Show answer
Its refers to the company (its hiring process). It (wanted) also refers to the company. They refers to the applicants, who receive the interview. These refers to the several assessments just mentioned. That refers to skills, specifying which skills matter. This approach refers to the whole new hiring process — requiring assessments before an interview. Who refers to candidates, identifying which candidates the company hopes to find.

Part E — Deep Reading

Explain the complete reference structure of this sentence, then write its main idea in your own, simple English: People who regularly receive useful feedback tend to improve their performance because it helps them recognize weaknesses that they might otherwise overlook. Identify: who → ? it → ? them → ? that → ? they → ?
Show answer
Who refers to people, specifying which people the sentence is about. It refers to the act of regularly receiving useful feedback, not to any single noun. Them and they both refer back to people. That refers to weaknesses. Main idea in simple English: people who get regular, useful feedback tend to perform better, because the feedback helps them notice weaknesses they might otherwise have missed.

Next: Lesson 11 — Relative Clauses & Advanced Sentence Decoding: who, which, that, whose, where, when, and nested clauses — how an author packs a large amount of information into a single sentence, and how to take it apart quickly once you know what to look for.