Assignment - Infographics - 141
A Note on What Makes This an Infographic
Defining “antecedent” and listing rules is a grammar note. An infographic about pronoun reference shows the relationship in action - how a pronoun reaches back through a sentence or paragraph to pick up a noun, and what happens when it reaches back and grabs the wrong one. Show broken and working examples side by side. Make the connection visible with arrows.
Objective
Create a visual explainer infographic in Canva that shows how pronouns act as reference words, how they connect to their antecedents, how they build cohesion in writing, and what happens when the reference is ambiguous.
Content to Cover
Opening Anchor
A pronoun replaces a noun to avoid repetition - but for a pronoun to work, the reader must know which noun it refers to. The noun a pronoun refers back to is called its antecedent. When the connection is clear, writing flows smoothly. When it is unclear, writing becomes confusing.
How Pronoun Reference Works
Show a sentence pair with visual arrows connecting pronoun to antecedent:
“Ahmed opened his textbook. He found the chapter immediately.”
Draw an arrow from “He” back to “Ahmed” and from “his” back to “Ahmed.” Label: “He refers to Ahmed (antecedent).”
Pronoun Reference Across Sentences (Cohesion)
Show a short paragraph where pronouns create flow:
“Fatima prepared carefully for her practicum lesson. She had planned a discussion activity, and she practiced it three times. Her students responded well to it.”
Annotate: each underlined pronoun with an arrow to what it refers to. Show that this is what makes a paragraph feel connected rather than choppy.
Types of Reference
Back reference (Anaphora) - The pronoun refers back to a noun already mentioned. Most common type. Example: “The teacher entered the classroom. She greeted the students.”
Forward reference (Cataphora) - The pronoun comes before the noun it refers to. Less common, creates suspense or emphasis. Example: “When she finally arrived, everyone saw that Aisha was exhausted.”
When Reference Goes Wrong: Ambiguous Pronoun
Show an ambiguous example with a question mark:
“Sara told her sister that she had failed the exam.”
- Who failed? Sara or her sister? The pronoun “she” could refer to either noun.
Show the correction: “Sara told her sister, ‘I have failed the exam.’” / “Sara learned that her sister had failed the exam.”
Common Errors Panel
- Wrong: “Everyone should bring their book.” - But “everyone” is singular. Corrected as: “Everyone should bring his or her book.” Or, in modern usage, “their” is increasingly accepted.
- Wrong: “The team played well. They deserved to win.” - Acceptable in British English (collective noun treated as plural); in American English, “it deserved to win.”
Design in Canva
- Show annotated sentence examples with colored arrows connecting pronouns to their antecedents.
- A before/after panel for the ambiguous reference example.
- Separate section for types of reference (anaphora vs. cataphora).
- Common errors panel with corrections.
Required Elements
- At least two annotated examples with pronoun-to-antecedent arrows.
- A paragraph showing cohesion through pronoun reference.
- An ambiguous reference example with correction.
- Types of reference (back and forward).
- Title: “Pronouns as Reference Words.”