The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun is called what?

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun is called what?

• A. Antecedent
• B. Reference
• C. Referent
• D. Coreferent

Answer: (A)

The term for the word, phrase, or clause that a pronoun refers back to is the antecedent. In sentences, a pronoun stands in for that earlier unit, so the linguistic piece it points to is the antecedent. This label is used because it pinpointly names the noun phrase or clause that the pronoun replaces in the sentence’s structure, establishing the anaphoric link. For context, referent is the actual thing in the world that a word denotes, which can be broader than the linguistic unit itself. Reference is the act of referring. Coreferent describes two expressions that refer to the same thing, not the thing the pronoun points to. For example, in “Lisa forgot her book; it was late,” the antecedent of it is book.

The term for the word, phrase, or clause that a pronoun refers back to is the antecedent. In sentences, a pronoun stands in for that earlier unit, so the linguistic piece it points to is the antecedent. This label is used because it pinpointly names the noun phrase or clause that the pronoun replaces in the sentence’s structure, establishing the anaphoric link.

For context, referent is the actual thing in the world that a word denotes, which can be broader than the linguistic unit itself. Reference is the act of referring. Coreferent describes two expressions that refer to the same thing, not the thing the pronoun points to. For example, in “Lisa forgot her book; it was late,” the antecedent of it is book.