What a reference chain is, in plain English

A reference chain is the series of words that refer to the same thing across sentences. The first mention is the antecedent (for example, “public transport”), and later mentions are referrals (pronouns like it or lexical repeats like “the service”). Anaphora means a reference that points back. Cataphora points forward (rare in IELTS). Good chains give the reader a smooth path; weak chains force guessing.

Why it matters for Band 7
Coherence and cohesion are not about adding many linkers. They are about making relationships obvious. Clean reference chains reduce ambiguity, stop repetition, and let your argument move. Examiners notice when “this” or “they” has no clear target.

Four building blocks of clear chains

1. Name the entity well on first mention. Prefer precise nouns over “it” as the opener: “The bus priority lane pilot” beats “The project.”
2. Repeat key nouns strategically. Alternate a short repeat and a pronoun: “the policy” → “it” → “the policy.”
3. Use demonstratives with labels. Replace bare “this” with “this policy,” “this trend,” “this cost.”
4. Limit distance. Keep the antecedent within one sentence of its pronoun in Task 2. If the gap grows, respecify: “This outcome…”

A safe pattern you can reuse
Sentence A: precise noun + claim.
Sentence B: pronoun + mechanism.
Sentence C: labeled demonstrative + example.
Sentence D: lexical repeat + effect.
Example pattern: “The subsidy program reduced fares. It helped students travel. This policy cut monthly costs by about 12 percent in Dhaka. The program also eased morning congestion.”

Pronoun choices that score

• It for singular neuter entities (a law, a school).
• They for plural or collective groups (families, commuters). In modern English, singular they is acceptable for unknown people, but avoid it for organizations in formal writing.
• This/that/these/those as determiners plus a noun (“this approach”), not as bare pronouns (“this shows”) unless the target clause is crystal clear.

Example 1 - Repairing vague “this”

Weak
“Online courses are flexible. This increases equality.”

Problem
“This” could mean courses, flexibility, or another idea. The chain is unclear.

Better
“Online courses are flexible. This flexibility increases equality because rural students can attend without travel.”

Why it works
Labelled demonstrative (this flexibility) reconnects to the specific antecedent and states the mechanism.

Example 2 - Long-distance reference fix

Weak
“Municipal recycling failed in several wards. Collection days changed often. Trucks arrived late during rain. They should replace it.”

Problem
“They” could be officials or residents; “it” could be recycling or trucks.

Better
“Municipal recycling failed in several wards. Collection days changed often, and trucks arrived late during rain. City officials should replace the current schedule with fixed twice-weekly pickups.”

Why it works
Both pronouns are replaced with clear nouns to reset the chain after a gap.

Mini case - Mehedi in Dhaka

Mehedi wrote strong ideas but used bare “this” and “they” repeatedly. He built a Chain Log: after each draft, he circled every pronoun and wrote its noun outside the margin. If a target was unclear or more than one sentence away, he replaced the pronoun with a labeled demonstrative or a lexical repeat. After two weeks, pronoun-related ambiguity dropped from 10 to 3 per 300 words, and coherence comments disappeared from mock feedback.

Measurable drills

• Two-line chain drill: Write one sentence with a precise noun, then a second with a labeled demonstrative that clearly continues the chain. Do 10 pairs in 5 minutes.
• Chain audit: After any paragraph, underline every pronoun and draw an arrow to its antecedent. Aim for 100 percent one-hop clarity (within one sentence).
• Distance cap: In Task 2, keep all pronouns within 20 words or one sentence of their antecedent. If not, respecify the noun.
• Lexical ladder: Build a three-step synonym ladder for one key entity (for example, “public transport” → “bus network” → “the service”) and rotate it to avoid repetition without breaking the chain.

Common mistakes

• Bare “this/that” as a whole-sentence subject: “This shows…” with no clear target. Fix by adding a label: “This result shows…”.
• Plural drift: “The policy” → “they”. Keep number agreement.
• Competing antecedents: Two possible nouns before a pronoun. Solve by repeating the noun or splitting the sentence.
• Organization pronouns: Switching between it and they for the same institution. Pick one and stay consistent in the paragraph.
• Pronoun pileups: Three pronouns in one sentence. Replace one with a lexical repeat.

Edge cases and safe choices

• Clause reference with which/this: After a full clause, you can write “, which…” to refer to the entire idea, or start a new sentence with “This outcome…”. Avoid “This shows” if multiple claims intervene.
• Lists: After listing A, B, and C, avoid “they” if you now mean only A and B. Specify the subset.
• Abstract nouns: If the antecedent is a complex idea (fairness, sustainability), restate it occasionally with a short definition to keep readers anchored.

Tips and tricks

• Read your paragraph aloud and pause at each pronoun. Ask “who or what exactly”. If your mind hesitates, rewrite.
• Prefer labeled demonstratives over bare ones in formal writing: this approach, this cost, this benefit.
• Use light lexical repeats to reopen a chain after a long sentence: “The project… This project…”
• Keep a mini bank of neutral nouns: measure, policy, approach, trend, result, outcome.

To avoid

• Starting multiple sentences with “This…” in a row.
• Switching referents mid paragraph without a cue.
• Letting cohesion rely only on pronouns; mix in repeats and synonyms.
• Using pronouns to hide unclear logic. If the relation is weak, fix the logic first.

Glossary
Antecedent: the original noun a pronoun refers to.
Anaphora: reference that points back to earlier text.
Cataphora: reference that points forward to later text.
Demonstrative: this, that, these, those used to point to something.
Lexical chain: repeated or related words that maintain a topic.
Labelled demonstrative: a demonstrative plus a noun, for example, this policy.

Next steps
Take one old essay and run a Chain audit. Replace bare “this/that” with labeled versions and fix any pronoun more than one sentence from its antecedent. In your next draft, set a hard rule: every paragraph must contain at least one labeled demonstrative and one clear lexical repeat of the key entity.

1. Actionable closing - Checklist (do and avoid)

Do

• Open with a precise noun before using pronouns.
• Keep pronouns within one sentence of the antecedent.
• Use labeled demonstratives: this policy, this trend, this result.
• Maintain number and organization consistency (it for a university throughout).
• Reset the chain after long sentences with a brief repeat.

Avoid

• Bare “this/that” as subjects.
• Competing antecedents near a pronoun.
• Pronoun pileups in one sentence.
• Switching between it and they for the same entity.
• Long-distance references that force guessing.

CTA: Run a 10-minute Chain audit on your last essay. Replace every bare “this” with a labeled noun, cap pronoun distance to one sentence, and standardize organization pronouns. Track your ambiguity count per 300 words for a week and aim to cut it by 50 percent.