Level 5 — Advanced · Structural & Academic Writing
Task 39: Writing Without Repeating Yourself
Write a short connected paragraph that never repeats the same noun twice, using pronouns, demonstratives, substitute words, and ellipsis — the writer's side of the cohesion toolkit Lesson 39 taught for reading.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this task, you should be able to:
- Use a pronoun and a demonstrative to refer back to an idea instead of repeating the noun
- Use a substitute word ('one' or 'do so') to stand in for a repeated noun or verb phrase
- Check that every reference expression resolves clearly to one specific antecedent
Introduction
Lesson 39 taught you to resolve what "this," "such," and "one" actually point to when reading. Writing that same toolkit is a discipline in the opposite direction: deliberately choosing a pronoun, demonstrative, or substitute word instead of repeating a noun — while making sure every one of them still resolves clearly to exactly one thing.
The Toolkit, for Writing
Core Concept
Reference: it, this, that point back to something already mentioned. Substitution: one/ones, do so stand in for a repeated noun or verb phrase. Ellipsis: drop a repeated word entirely when it's recoverable from context, as in some support the plan; others do not [support the plan].
Example
Repetitive: The company introduced a new billing system. The new billing system reduced errors. The new billing system also reduced processing time. Cohesive: The company introduced a new billing system. It reduced errors and processing time.
Your Turn
Your Turn
Write a short paragraph, 80-120 words, introducing one system, policy, or idea in your first sentence, then writing 3-4 more sentences about it without repeating its name. Use at least one pronoun/demonstrative reference, one substitute word ("one" or "do so"), and one instance of ellipsis (a dropped, recoverable word).
Vocabulary in Context
antecedentnountechnical
the earlier word an idea a pronoun points back to (পূর্ববর্তী নির্দেশ্য)
Often with clear antecedent, identify the antecedent, unclear antecedent
“The antecedent of 'they' in the second sentence is 'the auditors'.”
cohesiveadjectivetechnical
holding together through grammatical and lexical links, without repeating words (সংহত)
Often with cohesive paragraph, highly cohesive, cohesive text
“A cohesive paragraph links each sentence to the last without repeating words.”
Model Answer
Show a model answer
A shipping line introduced an automated container-stacking system at one terminal. It stacked containers faster on average than the manual crews it replaced. This speed advantage, however, came with a cost: the system struggled with damaged containers that the manual crews had handled reliably. Some managers argued for expanding the automation regardless; others did not, preferring to keep the older crews on unusual cargo. The company eventually chose a hybrid approach — the newer system for standard containers, the older one for anything irregular. Reference: it, this speed advantage. Substitution: the older one. Ellipsis: others did [not argue for expanding the automation].
Self-Check
Self-Check
- Does the entity you introduced first stay clearly traceable through every later pronoun or substitute word?
- Did you use at least one substitute word ("one" or "do so") correctly, not just a pronoun?
- Does your ellipsis (dropped word) remain genuinely recoverable, not confusing?
- Would a reader ever need to ask "wait, what does 'it' refer to here"?
Next: Writing 40 — Writing a Precisely Scoped Sentence: controlling exactly what "only," a qualified negative, and a quantifier each attach to.