How to Master Skills for the TOEFL(토플) iBT Reading Intermediate

■ Introduction

Reference questions ask you to understand the relationship between a pronoun and the word which the pronoun refers to. Usually, personal pronouns such as it, its, they, their, and them are tested on the TOEFL® iBT. Sometimes other reference words such as which, this, one, the former, and the latter are also asked.

■ Question Types

1. The word ___________ in the passage refers to
2. The phrase ___________ in the passage refers to

■ Useful Tips

• The referent (the word to which a pronoun refers) usually appears before the pronoun in the same sentence or shows up in an earlier sentence. Sometimes, however, the referent might be found after the pronoun.
• Substitute your answer for the highlighted word or words in the passage.
• Make sure that your answer is the same number (singular or plural), gender (male or female), and case (fi rst, second, or third person) as the highlighted pronoun.