Pronoun Reference and Cohesion

What you’ll learn

Keep it, this, they, and which linked to clear antecedents.

រក្សាសព្វនាម និងអ្វីដែលវាយោងឱ្យច្បាស់។

Meaning and use

A pronoun must have a recoverable referent. This can refer to a whole preceding situation, but a following noun such as this delay often makes the link clearer. Which can comment on a whole preceding clause. When two people could be he or she, repeat a name rather than leaving readers to guess.

សព្វនាមត្រូវមានអ្វីដែលយោងច្បាស់។ This អាចយោងស្ថានភាពមុន តែបន្ថែមនាមដូចជា this delay ធ្វើឱ្យច្បាស់ជាង។ បើ he/she អាចយោងមនុស្សពីរនាក់ គួរប្រើឈ្មោះឡើងវិញ។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Clear reference	The bus was late. This delay affected us.
Whole-clause comment	She arrived early, which surprised me.

Examples

1. The server failed. This failure delayed registration.

   ម៉ាស៊ីនមេឈប់ដំណើរការ។ បញ្ហានេះធ្វើឱ្យការចុះឈ្មោះយឺត។

2. Maly thanked Sophea because Sophea had helped.

   ម៉ាលីអរគុណសុភា ព្រោះសុភាបានជួយ។

3. He cancelled at the last minute, which annoyed us.

   គាត់លុបចោលនៅនាទីចុងក្រោយ ដែលធ្វើឱ្យយើងខកចិត្ត។

4. The students collected their certificates.

   សិស្សបានយកវិញ្ញាបនបត្ររបស់ពួកគេ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Who does she refer to in Maly told Sophea she had won?

Maly: Either person could be intended. Repeat the winner’s name to make it clear.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
Dara told Vannak he was selected. (intended: Vannak selected; unclear)	Dara told Vannak that Vannak was selected.	Repeat the name when the pronoun has competing possible antecedents.
The students collected his certificates.	The students collected their certificates.	Their matches the plural referent in this intended meaning.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Clarify the intended helper: Maly thanked Sophea because she had helped. Sophea helped.
2. What does which refer to in He resigned, which surprised us?
3. Improve cohesion: The train was cancelled. This caused problems.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. Maly thanked Sophea because Sophea had helped.

   A repeated name removes the ambiguity.

2. The fact that he resigned.

   Which comments on the whole preceding clause.

3. The train was cancelled. This cancellation caused problems.

   Adding a noun makes the link explicit; the original may also be clear in context.

Quick recap

• Clear reference: The bus was late. This delay affected us.
• Whole-clause comment: She arrived early, which surprised me.