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Reading · level B2 to C2 · 15 min

Reading a long or argumentative text: pronouns and linking words

The last reading questions are about longer, more abstract texts: opinion pieces, analyses, extracts from essays. You get lost less from a lack of vocabulary than from losing the thread: who says what, what « celle-ci » refers to, where the author changes direction. Two tools help you keep track: linking words and pronouns.

TL;DR

  • Outline a long text first: read the first and last paragraphs, then the first sentence of each of the others.
  • Linking words show where to look: a cause near « car » or « en effet », the author's view near « pourtant ».
  • Link « celui-ci » or « ces derniers » to the nearest noun with the same gender and number that makes sense.

Goal: You will be able to outline an argumentative text, find what a pronoun refers to and use linking words to locate the answer without rereading the whole text.

Outline the text before answering

An argumentative text almost always follows the same path: a situation or a problem, arguments, sometimes an objection, then a conclusion. Read the first and last paragraphs in full, then the first sentence of each of the others. In one minute, you know where each idea is, and you can go straight to the right paragraph for each question.

In the example below, four sentences are enough to see the outline, even before the details:

  • Paragraph 1: cities plant trees to fight the heat.
  • Paragraph 2: « Pourtant, planter ne suffit pas. » (yet planting is not enough)
  • Paragraph 3: « Encore faut-il choisir les bonnes espèces. » (you still have to choose the right species)
  • Conclusion: « C'est donc moins la quantité que la qualité qui compte. » (so quality matters more than quantity)

Linking words, your road signs

Linking words show the relationship between two ideas. They tell you whether the next sentence continues, contrasts, explains or concludes. A question about a cause is often answered near « car », « en effet », « puisque »; a question about the author's position near « pourtant », « néanmoins », « en réalité ».

RelationshipCommon linking words
additionde plus, en outre, par ailleurs
contrastmais, pourtant, cependant, en revanche, néanmoins
causecar, en effet, puisque, étant donné que
consequencedonc, ainsi, c'est pourquoi, par conséquent
conclusionen somme, finalement, en définitive

Find what a pronoun refers to

Long texts avoid repetition: a noun is picked up again by « il », « elle », « celui-ci », « cette dernière », « ce phénomène », « cela ». A question can ask directly what a pronoun refers to, and many mistakes come from linking it to the wrong noun. Go back up the text to the noun that has the same gender and number and that makes sense in place of the pronoun.

In the first example below, « ces derniers » refers to the last noun mentioned: « les parents ». In the second, « celle-ci » refers to the last feminine singular noun: « la bibliothèque » (the library).

Example in French, as in the exam
Les chercheurs ont interrogé des enseignants et des parents. Ces derniers se disent plus inquiets.
Example in French, as in the exam
La commune a rénové l'école, puis la bibliothèque. Celle-ci rouvrira en mars.

Nouns that sum up an idea

Abstract texts often pick up a whole idea with a general noun: « cette évolution », « ce choix », « cette tendance », « ce paradoxe ». To understand the sentence, identify the precise idea that the noun sums up, usually in the previous sentence.

In the example below, « cette tendance » (this trend) means salaried workers leaving big cities for mid-sized towns.

Example in French, as in the exam
De plus en plus de salariés quittent les grandes villes pour des communes moyennes. Cette tendance inquiète les commerces du centre.

A common mistake

✗ « Les chercheurs ont interrogé des enseignants et des parents. Ces derniers se disent plus inquiets »: I understand that the teachers are worried.

✓ « Ces derniers » refers to the last noun mentioned, « les parents »: the parents are the ones who say they are more worried.

« Ces derniers », « celui-ci », « cette dernière » refer to the nearest noun that agrees with them. Linking them to the wrong noun changes the meaning of the whole answer.

Frequently asked questions

How can I read a long text without wasting time?+
First read the title and the first and last sentence of each paragraph to get the outline. Then go back to the relevant paragraph for each question, instead of rereading the whole text.
What does « ces derniers » refer to in a text?+
The last plural noun mentioned just before it. In « les habitants et les commerçants ont protesté ; ces derniers craignent une baisse des ventes », « ces derniers » means the shopkeepers (« les commerçants »).
How do I find the author's thesis?+
It often appears in the introduction or the conclusion, and after linking words of contrast (« mais », « pourtant », « en réalité »). A paragraph that starts with « certes » usually presents the opposing view.
Do I need to understand every word of a C1 text?+
No. Context, sentence structure and linking words are often enough. Only stop on an unknown word if it is in the sentence that answers the question.

Practice exercise with answers

1. Text: « Le vélo électrique séduit les actifs. Il reste pourtant cher pour les familles. » What is the role of « pourtant »?

2. Text: « La ville a consulté les habitants et les commerçants sur le projet. Ces derniers ont demandé plus de places de livraison. » Who asked for more delivery spaces?

3. Text: « Les jeunes lisent moins de journaux papier, mais passent plus de temps à s'informer en ligne. Ce paradoxe apparent s'explique par… » What does « ce paradoxe apparent » refer to?

4. To find the author's opinion quickly in a long argumentative text, where should you look first?

Next step

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