REFERENCE AND

INFERENCE TYPE OF
QUESTION IN TOEFL
BY GROUP 2
ALBERTH ALPHA C.
ERZHAL SEPTA V.
M. FAJAR DISWA
QONITATUS SILFANI
HOW TO IDENTIFY (REFERENCE
QUESTION)
Questions of this type ask you to identify what a given
pronoun refers to. A question will look something like this:
“what does the word “this” refer to?” The given pronoun will be
highlighted on your screen.
HOW TO IDENTIFY (REFERENCE
QUESTION)
Here are highlighted words you might be asked about:
1. Subject pronoun; it, they
2. Object pronoun; it, them
3. Demonstrative pronoun; these, those, this, that
4. Possessive adjectives; its, their
5. Other reference words: the former, the latter, one, ones,
another, other, others
HOW TO IDENTIFY (REFERENCE
QUESTION)
There are two kinds of this type question:
1. Where the antecedent is clear
2. Where the antecedent is un-clear
WHERE TO FIND (REFERENCE QUESTION)

The answer to reference question is almost always going to

be stated before the pronoun in question is used. But don’t
simply look in the previous sentence; it’s possible that the
reference is even earlier than that (two or three sentences
before the pronoun) or in the same sentence, sometimes
appearing after the pronoun in question.
HOW TO ANSWER (REFERENCE
QUESTION)
1. In case where the antecedent is clear, it means that we can
easily identify what word the pronoun is replacing so we don’t
need a full understanding of the complete passage in order to
solve this type of question. You just need to study the context
surrounding the word. Usually, you just read the sentence
where the highlighted word is mentioned, and then read a few
sentence that comes before it.
HOW TO ANSWER (REFERENCE
QUESTION)
2. In case where the antecedent is unclear, it means the
antecedent to the pronoun isn’t found in the paragraph so we
have to explore other possible antecedents.
EXAMPLE (REFERENCE QUESTION)

Economic contact between Native Americans and Europeans can

be traced back to the English and French fishermen off the coast of
Canada in the 1500s. They traded guns and other weapons for
beaver fur.  The first explorers to trade with the Native Americans
were Giovanni da Verrazano and Jacques Cartier in the 1520s and
1530s. In Verrazano's book he notes, "If we wanted to trade with
them for some of their things, they would come to the seashore on
some rocks where the breakers were most violent while we
remained on the little boat, and they sent us what they wanted to
give on a rope, continually shouting to us not to approach the land."
EXAMPLE (REFERENCE QUESTION)

Question: The word 'They' in this paragraph refers to?

A. English and French fishermen
B. Beavers
C. Europeans
D. Traits and characteristics
EXAMPLE (REFERENCE QUESTION)

Of course, the verification of the painting required entire teams of

people, in addition to the three mentioned above, and took years. By
1993, the announcement was finally made that the long-lost Caravaggio
had been found. Rather than sell the painting, which is most likely worth
millions of dollars, the Jesuits decided to make it available to the nation of
Ireland for viewing. Thus, the painting is on “indefinite loan” to the
National Gallery of Ireland. Nevertheless, the painting continues its travels
as it features in exhibitions around the world, from the United States to
Amsterdam. In 2010, it even travelled back to Rome to be displayed for
the 400th anniversary of the painter’s death. A fitting tribute, many would
say, to a mysterious master.
EXAMPLE (REFERENCE QUESTION)

The phrase “a mysterious master” in final paragraph refers to

A. the Jesuits
B. Rome
C. The National Gallery of Ireland
D. Caravaggio
HOW TO IDENTIFY (INFERENCE
QUESTION)
An inference question asks you to pick up on information
that is indirectly given, rather than being directly stated in
passage. Questions of this type will often contain words like
“imply”, “suggest”, or “infer” in the question prompt.
WHERE TO FIND (INFERENCE QUESTION)

Basically the answer is in the whole paragraph according to

the question. So you must understand what are you being
asked and the main idea of the whole paragraph.
HOW TO ANSWER (INFERENCE QUESTION)

These questions require more than just English skills. They

require logical thinking.   Here are 5 tips for answering an
inference question:
• Read the question carefully and understand what you are
being asked and make sure you understand the main idea of
the whole paragraph.
• Use the process of elimination. The answer is incorrect if it is
beyond the scope of the information in the passage. 
HOW TO ANSWER (INFERENCE QUESTION)

• Pay attention to answers containing extreme language such

as always, forever, never, all, totally, completely or extreme
phrases such as "this is the only (x)," or "this is the limit of (y),"
and so on. They are used as traps and are often INCORRECT.
• Pay attention to answers only repeating words from the passage
but don't answer the question. These answers look appealing
because they contain technical words that you saw in the
passage. But, if you read them carefully, they aren't correct!
EXAMPLE (INFERENCE QUESTION)

The body that impacted Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period was
a meteorite with a mass of more than a trillion tons and a diameter of at
least 10 kilometers. Scientists first identified this impact in 1980 from the
worldwide layer of sediment deposited from the dust cloud that enveloped
the planet after the impact. This sediment layer is enriched in the rare
metal iridium and other elements that are relatively abundant in a
meteorite but very rare in the crust of Earth. Even diluted by the terrestrial
material excavated from the crater, this component of meteorites is easily
identified. By 1990 geologists had located the impact site itself in the
Yucatán region of Mexico. The crater, now deeply buried in sediment, was
originally about 200 kilometers in diameter.
EXAMPLE (INFERENCE QUESTION)

Which of the following can be inferred from the paragraph about the
location of the meteorite impact in Mexico? 
A. The location of the impact site in Mexico was kept secret by geologists
from 1980 to 1990.
B. It was a well-known fact that the impact had occurred in the Yucatán
region.
C. Geologists knew that there had been an impact before they knew where
it had occurred.
D. The Yucatán region was chosen by geologists as the most probable
impact site because of its climate.
EXERCISE REFERENCE QUESTION

GROUP 1
 Although people commonly associate the word clone with modern scientific
advancements, its usage in botany (the study of plants) is far removed from those
developments; a clone is, in the world of plants, a completely natural thing, even a
common one. Generally speaking, a clone is an individual which is genetically
identical to its progenitor, the parent from which the clone was produced. In this
type of procreation, only one progenitor is necessary. There are, of course, relatively
few animals which reproduce in this way. While certain types of fish, reptiles, and
insects (among others) do reproduce asexually, most creatures from the animal
kingdom are born from two parent individuals with two discrete sets of genes. In
comparison, plants frequently reproduce asexually, creating genetically identical
offspring, or clones. The term for this type of procreation is vegetative
reproduction, which includes a number of different processes by which various
plants multiply

The phrase “this type of procreation” refers to

(A) becoming genetically identical
(B) reproduction by cloning
(C) birth to a pair of parents
(D) producing individual sets of genes
EXERCISE REFERENCE QUESTION

GROUP 2
 Economic contact between Native Americans and Europeans can be
traced back to the English and French fishermen off the coast of Canada in
the 1500s. They traded guns and other weapons for beaver fur. The first
explorers to trade with the Native Americans were Giovanni da Verrazano
and Jacques Cartier in the 1520s and 1530s. In Verrazano's book he notes,
"If we wanted to trade with them for some of their things, they would come
to the seashore on some rocks where the breakers were most violent while
we remained on the little boat, and they sent us what they wanted to give
on a rope, continually shouting to us not to approach the land."
Question: The word 'They' in paragraph 3 refers to?

A. English and French fishermen

B. Beavers
C. Europeans
D. Traits and characteristics
EXERCISE REFERENCE QUESTION

GROUP 3
 Formation of Tornadoes
A tornado is created when warm, moist air rises from the ground
and comes into contact with a mass of colder air at the bottom of a
thundercloud. The rising air pushes against the colder air, and the
rotation of the earth causes the air to spin, in much the same way
that water in a sink spins as it goes down a drain.
The pressure at the center of a tornado is much lower than that
in the air surrounding the tornado. The low pressure creates a funnel
in the middle of the tornado, which causes destruction by acting
much like a vacuum cleaner and sucking up whatever is in its path.

The word “it” in paragraph 1 refers to:

a. way b. water c. sink d. drain
EXERCISE REFERENCE QUESTION

GROUP 4
…The Industrial Revolution was fueled by North America’s
abundance of wood, as iron makers relied on charcoal, or
charred wood, to fire their furnaces. Hardwoods such as oak
produced the best charcoal, which charcoal burners made by
slowly burning logs in kilns until they were reduced to
concentrated carbon…

The word “they” in paragraph 3 refers to:

a) furnaces b) logs c) kilns d) oak

EXERCISE REFERENCE QUESTION

GROUP 5
 Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution is known as one of the most important and
controversial scientific theories ever published. Natural selection contributes to the
basis of Darwin's Theory of Evolution. One of the core tenets of Darwin's theory is
that more offspring are always produced for a species than can possibly survive.
Yet, no two offspring are perfectly alike. As a result, through random mutation and
genetic drift, over time offspring develop new traits and characteristics. Over time
beneficial traits and characteristics that promote survival will be kept in the gene
pool while those that harm survival will be selected against. Therefore, this natural
selection ensures that a species gradually improves itself over an extended duration
of time. On the other hand, as a species continues to 'improve' itself, it branches
out to create entirely new species that are no longer capable of reproducing
together.
Question: The word 'those' in paragraph 1 refers to:
A. gene pool
B. survival
C. natural selection
D. traits characteristics
EXERCISE INFERENCE QUESTION

GROUP 1
“'If you will thank me,' he replied, 'let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of
giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led
me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I
respect them, I believe I thought only of you.'“
Elizabeth was too much embarrassed to say a word. After a short pause, her
companion added, 'you are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are
still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes
are unchanged; but one word from you will silence me on this subject for
ever.'
Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his
situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very
fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so
material a change since the period to which he alluded, as to make her
receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances. The happiness
which this reply produced was such as he had probably never felt before, and
he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man
violently in love can be supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter
his eyes, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight
diffused over his face became him; but, though she could not look, she could
listen, and he told her of feelings which, in proving of what importance she
was to him, made his affection every moment more valuable.
They walked on, without knowing in what direction.
There was too much to be thought, and felt, and said,
for attention to any other objects. ...“
From the above passage, we can infer
that _________________.
A. the couple will soon break up
B. the couple will be married
C. Elizabeth is unhappy with how things have turned out
D. the first speaker wants Elizabeth for her money
EXERCISE INFERENCE QUESTION

GROUP 2
 Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley's attentions to her sister,
Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she was herself becoming
an object of some interest in the eyes of his friend. Mr. Darcy had
at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her
without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he
looked at her only to criticize. But no sooner had he made it clear
to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in
her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly
intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this
discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he
had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect
symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure
to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her
manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught
by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; to
her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere,
and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.
He began to wish to know more of her, and as a step
towards conversing with her himself, attended to her
conversation with others. His doing so drew her notice.
From this passage, we may infer that Mr. Darcy
__________.
A. does not know how to talk to women
B. is a proud man
C. is a steadfast man
D. is a humble man
EXERCISE INFERENCE QUESTION

GROUP 3
The following is an excerpt from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
(1813):
“From the very beginning — from the first moment, I may almost
say — of my acquaintance with you, your manners, impressing me
with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your
selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form the
groundwork of disapprobation on which succeeding events have built
so immovable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt
that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be
prevailed on to marry.” 
Which of the following may be inferred about the speaker in the
passage above?
A. The speaker is a generous, forgiving judge of character.
B. The speaker enjoys offending people.
C. The speaker is unafraid to speak their mind on any topic.
D. The speaker is a harsh and outspoken judge of character.
EXERCISE INFERENCE QUESTION

GROUP 4
Adapted from “Greenhouses: Their Construction and Equipment” by
W.J. Wright (1917)
“Generally speaking, there are only two satisfactory methods of
greenhouse heating: Steam and hot water. Direct heating by stoves
is not satisfactory even in small houses, and no satisfactory system
has yet been devised for the use of hot-air furnaces. The only
method aside from steam or hot water which deserves mention is
heating by flues. They are wasteful of fuel, and their use is not
justified, except in cheaply constructed houses which are used only
for a few months in the spring or fall.
The principles pertaining to greenhouse heating are much the
same as those involved in heating other buildings, except that the
loss of heat is greater from glass than from wood or brick walls, and
a higher and more constant night temperature is required than is
necessary in dwellings. For this reason, relatively more radiating
surface is required and boilers of larger capacity are needed.
In heating with flues the equipment consists simply of a furnace at
one end of the house and a chimney at the other, the two being
connected by a flue, carried underneath the bench or buried just
underneath the soil, through which the heat and smoke are
carried. This may be made of brick, but large-size drain or sewer
tile are more commonly used. These withstand the heat and are
easily and cheaply put in place. It is best to have the flue slope
upward slightly toward the chimney. As has already been stated,
this method is wasteful of fuel. It is also difficult to regulate. It is
still employed to some extent by gardeners in cheap houses, used
only in late winter or early spring for the starting of early
vegetable plants, sweet potatoes, etc.”
Based on the passage, which heating method would the author
most likely use if he were to heat his own greenhouse?
A. Flues
B. Wood or brick walls
C. Steam and hot water
D. He would not heat his greenhouse
EXERCISE INFERENCE QUESTION

GROUP 5
The following is an excerpt from Pride and Prejudice by Jane
Austen (1813):
“There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of
whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I
dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the
inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little
dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or
sense.” 
Based on the passage above, we can infer that the speaker
__________.
A. is frequently wrong about people
B. is an accurate judge of character
C. has low self-esteem
D. is highly critical of others