How to do this drill
- Circle pronouns and summary noun phrases.
- List nearby candidates.
- Substitute the best candidate and check thread logic.
Material
Lena wrote that the folding display had arrived with one damaged hinge. She asked the supplier whether it could send the replacement part rather than collect the entire unit. The supplier agreed to that arrangement and attached a prepaid envelope for the faulty hinge. Lena replied that this would reduce disruption because the display could remain in use during the weekend fair.
Your tasks
- Identify the referents of ‘it,’ ‘that arrangement,’ and ‘this.’
- Explain why ‘this’ does not refer only to the envelope.
Check your work
Finish the tasks first, then open the answer to compare.
Show the answer
Answer
‘It’ is the supplier; ‘that arrangement’ is sending a part instead of collecting the unit; ‘this’ is the agreed part-replacement process.
How to reach it
- Use grammar for ‘it.’
- Recover the earlier proposal for the arrangement.
- Choose the whole-plan referent that explains the consequence.
Evidence
The reduced disruption comes from keeping the display in use, which depends on the whole arrangement, not merely receiving an envelope.
Review your attempt
- Does substitution preserve grammar?
- Does the referent explain the final because-clause?
Take it further
Replace each reference with its full referent and revise the paragraph to avoid awkward repetition.
