What is referencing?

​

Referencing is using a reference pronoun to refer to something already mentioned. 

​

What are the reference pronouns?

​

The reference pronouns that can be used in academic writing are:

​

It - refers to a singular noun 

They - refers t plural nouns 

This - refers to a singular noun/ situation/ idea 

That - refers to a singular noun/ situation/ idea 

These - refers to plural nouns/ situations/ ideas 

Those - refers to plural nouns/ situations/ ideas 

One - refers to a singular noun from many 

Such - refers to singular or plurals depending on the noun used to follow it 

​

This v that/ These v those 

​

This/ these - something close to us 

That/ those - something distant from us 

​

Examples: 

​

Children in school were very unhappy. They argued that the rules were too strict. 

​

Owning a smartphone lets the user have the ability to do more tasks faster. There are banking apps on it, so they do not have to go to the bank or an ATM to do some transactions. 

​

Rising sea levels are a concern to many low level countries. This is why the Netherlands has built a sea wall along it's coast. 

​

Air pollution leads to a lot of problems in cities. These affect the residents in many ways including health issues. 

​

The government is considering reducing unemployment by introducing zero hour contracts and limiting immigration. Those options are argued to only hide the problem rather than fix it. 

​

There are many benefits gained by owning a car. The clearest one is the freedom to travel at anytime the user wishes to, whereas public transport has limited operating hours. 

​

Some argue that the best way to reduce global warming is to reduce carbon emissions. Such solution will only work if all countries work together to limit their emissions. 

​

​

What is substitution? 

​

Substitution is using a synonym or alternative phrasing to avoid repeating a noun or verb already used. 

​

Examples:

​

Students, these days, are wondering whether going to university is still the best option after they have finished their compulsory education. They are concerned about the high cost of tertiary education and the huge debt they could end up in. There is no longer a guarantee that a degree will get them a job after they graduate.

 

Smoking has long been known to cause a lot of health problems. The main conditions arising from this habit are respiratory diseases, especially lung cancer. However, it does not mean that vaping is the best alternative. There is not enough information on the health risks that this causes, and as such, the hospitals are not ready to treat the users effectively, whereas they have the expertise to take care of those who use cigarettes.    

​

​