REFERENCE WORDS

REFERENCE WORDS

What are reference words? These are words we use instead of the names of people, things, or ideas already mentioned in the text.

Which words can be used as reference words?

1. All the pronouns (כינוי-השם): he, she, it, they, him, our, its, etc.
2. this – that, these – those
3. here-there, now-then
4. one – ones       
5. such – so
6. the former – the latter

Examples: 1. Thomas Edison was born in 1847. He went to school for only three

                     months but his mother taught him at home.

                     All 3 reference words here refer to Thomas Edison.

           

                 2. The Bedouins usually live in tents. These are a good protection from

the sun.

                    “These” refers to “tents”.

3. Which course should I take? Don’t take the one given in the evening.

     The word “one” refers to “course”.

                 4. Smoking is dangerous. Everyone knows that.

  “That” refers to the fact that “smoking is dangerous.

                  5. Children’s specific needs may change with age and circumstances but such

                   changes are not important compared to their basic and invariable need for

                    love and affection.

 “Such changes” refers to changes in specific needs that depend on age

  and circumstances.  “their” refers to “children”.

                6. Andy was moved to a new school. There he made great progress because

                    of the different methods.

“There” refers to the new school.

     7. There are two possible causes of his poor grades. One may be his health, the other - his parents’ divorce. A doctor can take care of the former. The latter, however, is more problematic.

The “former” refers to his health (as a reason for poor grades).

The “latter” refers to his parents getting a divorce.

                 Identify the references in the following texts:

Exercise 1

Every organization, as soon as it gets to any size (perhaps 1,000 people), begins to feel a need to systematize its management of human assets. Perhaps the pay scales have got way out of line, with apparently similar-level jobs paying very different amounts; perhaps there is a feeling that there are a lot of neglected skills in the organization that other departments could utilize if they were aware that they existed. Perhaps individuals have complained that they don't know where they stand or what their future is; perhaps the unions have requested standardized benefits and procedures. Whatever the historical origins, some kind of central organization, normally named a personnel department, is formed to put some system into the haphazardry. The systems that they adopt are often modelled on the world of production, because that is the world with the best potential for order and system.

Exercise 2

We all tend to complain about our memories. Despite the elegance of the human memory system, it is not infallible, and we have to learn to live with its fallibility. It seems to be socially much more acceptable to complain of a poor memory, and it is somehow much more acceptable to blame a social lapse on 'a terrible memory', than to attribute it to stupidity or insensitivity. But how much do we know about our own memories? Obviously we need to remember our memory lapses in order to know just how bad our memories are. Indeed one of the most amnesic patients I have ever tested was a lady suffering from Korsakoff's syndrome, memory loss following chronic alcoholism. The test involved presenting her with lists of words; after each list she would comment with surprise on her inability to recall the words, saying: 'I pride myself on my memory!' She appeared to have forgotten just how bad her memory was'.

Answers

Exercise 1

Identifying reference in the text

Every organization, as soon as it gets to any size (perhaps 1,000 people), begins to feel a need to systematize its management of human assets. Perhaps the pay scales have got way out of line, with apparently similar-level jobs paying very different amounts; perhaps there is a feeling that there are a lot of neglected skills in the organization that other departments could utilize if they were aware that they existed. Perhaps individuals have complained that they don't know where they stand or what their future is; perhaps the unions have requested standardized benefits and procedures. Whatever the historical origins, some kind of central organization, normally named a personnel department, is formed to put some system into the haphazardry. The systems that they adopt are often modelled on the world of production, because that is the world with the best potential for order and system.

Exercise 2

We all tend to complain about our memories. Despite the elegance of the human memory system, it is not infallible, and we have to learn to live with its fallibility. It seems to be socially much more acceptable to complain of a poor memory, and it is somehow much more acceptable to blame a social lapse on 'a terrible memory', than to attribute it to stupidity or insensitivity. But how much do we know about our own memories? Obviously we need to remember our memory lapses in order to know just how bad our memories are. Indeed one of the most amnesic patients I have ever tested was a lady suffering from Korsakoff's syndrome, memory loss following chronic alcoholism. The test involved presenting her with lists of words; after each list she would comment with surprise on her inability to recall the words, saying: 'I pride myself on my memory!' She appeared to have forgotten just how badher memory was'.