Listening for reference words like it, they, this, and that is one of the fastest ways to understand spoken English more accurately. These small words are called reference words because they point back to a person, thing, idea, action, or situation already mentioned. In real conversations, speakers use them constantly to avoid repeating nouns, and listeners who miss the reference often lose the meaning of the whole sentence. I have seen this repeatedly with beginner learners: they hear every sound clearly, yet still misunderstand because they do not know what it or they refers to.
This skill matters because everyday English is full of short follow-up comments such as “It’s over there,” “They already left,” “This is better,” or “That sounds expensive.” In each case, the grammar is simple, but the meaning depends on context. Reference words connect ideas across sentences, so they are essential for following directions, phone calls, short stories, announcements, and casual talk. If a coworker says, “I bought a new laptop yesterday. It was on sale,” you must connect it to laptop. If a friend says, “Maria and Ben are late. They missed the bus,” you must link they to both people. Good listeners do this automatically, but learners can train the habit deliberately.
The core rule is straightforward: reference words usually point to the nearest logical noun or idea that came before, although stress, situation, and shared knowledge can change the target. It commonly refers to one thing, animal, place, or situation. They usually refers to plural people or things. This and that can refer to objects, times, actions, whole statements, or emotional attitudes, with this often sounding closer and that sounding more distant. In listening, your job is not only to hear the word but to ask, immediately and silently, “What does it point to?” That question turns passive hearing into active comprehension.
Why reference words are difficult in spoken English
Reference words are hard to catch because spoken English moves quickly and gives listeners less visual support than reading. On the page, you can look back at an earlier noun. In conversation, the noun disappears the moment it is spoken. You must hold it in working memory while the speaker continues. This is especially challenging when several possible nouns appear close together. For example, in “I put the keys on the table near the window, but they fell,” the word they almost certainly means keys, not table or window, because only keys can fall naturally in that context.
Another difficulty is reduction. Native speakers often say these words very lightly: it may sound like /ɪt/ or nearly disappear before another consonant, and that may be reduced in fast speech. I often coach learners to stop treating these words as isolated vocabulary items and start hearing them as signals inside connected speech. In “Did you get it?” the final it is brief, but it carries the whole question. Missing that weak word can make the sentence sound incomplete. Stress also changes interpretation. Compare “This is good” with “This is good.” The first contrasts one option with another; the second evaluates it.
A third challenge is that reference can point to an entire idea, not just a noun. If someone says, “The train was delayed for two hours. That ruined our plans,” that refers to the delay event, not to the word train. Learners who search only for nouns may miss this broader connection. The best approach is to listen for meaning units: person, object, place, action, event, or opinion. Then test which one fits logically with the reference word and the verb that follows.
How to identify what it, they, this, and that refer to
Use a four-step process. First, listen for the nearest possible noun or idea before the reference word. Second, check number: it is singular, they is plural. Third, check meaning with the verb or adjective after the reference word. Fourth, use real-world logic. In “The cookies were in the oven, and they smelled amazing,” plural agreement and common sense identify they as cookies. In “I saw your message this morning. It was helpful,” singular agreement and meaning identify it as message.
Distance words add another layer. In conversation, this often refers to something close in time, space, or attention, while that often refers to something less immediate. A manager holding a report may say, “This needs one more change,” while discussing last week’s meeting may prompt, “That was a mistake.” Still, these are tendencies, not rigid rules. Speakers also use this to introduce a topic vividly, as in “This guy walks into the office and starts shouting.” Here, this does not mean physical closeness; it signals storytelling focus.
| Reference word | Most common meaning in listening | Example | What it refers to |
|---|---|---|---|
| it | One thing, place, animal, or situation | “I found my phone. It was under the sofa.” | my phone |
| they | More than one person or thing | “The tickets arrived, but they were expensive.” | the tickets |
| this | Something close, current, or newly highlighted | “Listen to this. The price doubled.” | the information that follows |
| that | Something earlier, more distant, or a whole idea | “We missed the train. That was frustrating.” | missing the train |
When learners practice this consistently, comprehension improves quickly because many confusing dialogues become coherent. For related beginner listening drills on tracking small but important details, see the main guide at A1 listening practice for catching names, numbers, and dates. That broader practice supports the same core habit: hold key information in memory long enough to connect it to what comes next.
Common listening situations where reference words change meaning
Directions are a classic example. A speaker says, “Go past the bank and turn left at the pharmacy. It’s next to the post office.” Here, it may refer to the pharmacy or the destination, depending on what was being discussed just before. In my lessons, I tell students to notice the conversation goal. If the speaker is explaining where the pharmacy is, it means pharmacy. If the speaker is explaining where your hotel is, it means hotel. Purpose resolves ambiguity.
Customer service calls also rely heavily on reference words. Imagine: “Your order shipped on Monday. It should arrive tomorrow, but they may delay it because of the weather.” The first it refers to order. The word they likely refers to the delivery company, even if the company name was mentioned earlier or is simply understood from context. The final it again refers to the order or package. This kind of chain reference is common, and listeners must keep track across multiple clauses.
In social conversations, this and that often express reaction. “I can’t believe he said that” refers to a specific statement. “This is why I was worried” can point forward to an explanation or back to a current problem. In stories, speakers use this dramatically: “So this dog runs into the café.” In complaints, they use that to judge a whole event: “That was completely unnecessary.” Recognizing these patterns helps you understand not only the factual reference but also the speaker’s attitude.
Practical drills to build the habit during listening
The most effective drill is pause-and-label. Play a short audio clip, stop after every sentence with it, they, this, or that, and say the reference aloud in full. If the audio says, “The meeting started late. That annoyed everyone,” you should respond, “That equals the late start.” This trains instant linking. Use short clips from graded listening materials, ESL podcasts, or clear workplace dialogues. Accuracy matters more than speed at first.
A second drill is transcript marking. Listen once without text. Listen again with the transcript and circle every reference word. Draw an arrow to the noun or idea it points to. This method reveals why you misunderstood a passage. I have used it with learners who thought their problem was vocabulary, when the real issue was failing to connect pronouns and demonstratives to earlier information. Tools like YouTube captions, BBC Learning English transcripts, and Voice of America Learning English are useful because they provide clear spoken models.
A third drill is shadow-and-expand. Repeat the original sentence, then replace the reference word with the full noun or idea. For example, shadow “They canceled it,” then expand to “The organizers canceled the concert.” This forces grammar and meaning to work together. Over time, your brain begins to predict likely references automatically. That prediction is what skilled listeners do in real time. They do not wait until the end of the conversation to interpret; they update meaning word by word.
How to avoid common mistakes
The biggest mistake is choosing the nearest noun without checking logic. In “I spoke to Anna about the report, and she said it needed more data,” it is the report, not Anna. Another mistake is ignoring whole-idea reference. In “He forgot the interview. That surprised me,” that refers to forgetting the interview. A third mistake is overtranslating from your first language if pronoun use differs there. English speakers often rely on short references where other languages repeat the noun.
Stay focused on agreement, verb meaning, and context goal. If you practice those three checks daily, reference words stop feeling vague and start acting like clear signposts. The reward is immediate: smoother conversations, better note-taking, and fewer misunderstandings in everyday listening. Choose one short audio today, track every it, they, this, and that, and build the habit until it becomes automatic.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are reference words in spoken English, and why are they so important for listening?
Reference words are short words such as it, they, this, that, these, those, he, she, and them that point back to something already mentioned. Instead of repeating the same noun or idea again and again, speakers use these words to keep speech natural, fast, and efficient. For example, if someone says, “I bought a new phone yesterday. It was expensive,” the word it refers to the new phone. If a listener does not catch that connection, the second sentence becomes unclear even if every individual word is familiar.
They are especially important in listening because natural spoken English moves quickly, and speakers rarely stop to restate the full noun. In real conversation, people assume the listener will automatically connect the reference word to the earlier idea. That means understanding spoken English is not only about hearing sounds correctly; it is also about tracking meaning across several sentences. Missing one small reference word can cause a chain reaction of confusion, because the listener may lose the topic, the action, or the speaker’s opinion.
This is one reason beginner learners often feel frustrated. They may recognize many vocabulary words but still struggle to understand full sentences. The problem is not always vocabulary size. Very often, it is the ability to follow what each small word refers to. Once learners begin actively listening for reference words, their comprehension improves because conversations start to feel more connected and logical instead of fragmented.
2. How can I quickly figure out what words like “it,” “they,” “this,” and “that” refer to when listening?
The fastest strategy is to train yourself to look backward in meaning. When you hear a reference word, immediately ask, “What was just mentioned?” In most cases, the answer is in the same sentence or the sentence directly before it. For example, if someone says, “My neighbors got a dog, and they love it,” you can identify they as my neighbors and it as a dog. This backward-looking habit is one of the most effective listening skills you can develop because it helps you process spoken English in real time.
It also helps to pay attention to number and type. The word it usually refers to one thing, idea, event, or situation. They usually refers to plural people or things. This and that can refer to a specific object, but they also often refer to a whole idea or situation. For example, in “He forgot the meeting. That was a big mistake,” the word that does not refer to one object; it refers to the action of forgetting the meeting. Learning to recognize whether the reference points to a noun or to a complete idea makes listening much easier.
Context is your best tool. Sometimes several nouns appear close together, so you need to ask which one makes the most sense. In “I spoke to Maria about the reports, and she said they were late,” she clearly refers to Maria, and they most likely refers to the reports. Why? Because reports can be late, but Maria herself is less likely to fit that meaning in the sentence. Strong listeners constantly combine grammar, logic, and context. They do not depend on one clue alone.
If you miss the reference at first, do not panic. Keep listening. Speakers often give more clues in the next phrase or sentence. Good listeners stay flexible and allow meaning to become clearer as the conversation continues.
3. Why do English speakers use reference words so often instead of repeating the noun?
English speakers use reference words constantly because repetition sounds unnatural, slow, and unnecessary in normal conversation. Imagine someone saying, “I saw a movie last night. The movie was interesting. The movie had great music.” Grammatically, that is understandable, but it sounds stiff and repetitive. A native speaker would naturally say, “I saw a movie last night. It was interesting. It had great music.” Reference words make speech smoother and more efficient.
This matters for learners because spoken English is designed for speed and flow, not for textbook clarity. In everyday conversations, interviews, meetings, podcasts, and casual discussions, speakers expect listeners to connect the ideas automatically. They often introduce a person, thing, or topic once and then continue referring to it with short words. If you expect the speaker to repeat the full noun every time, you will miss how real English actually works.
There is also a deeper communication reason. Reference words help organize information. They allow the speaker to introduce a topic and then keep building around it without sounding heavy or mechanical. In a conversation like, “We tried a new restaurant. It looked great, but they were understaffed, and that made the service slow,” each reference word helps move the message forward efficiently. It refers to the restaurant, they refers to the people working there, and that refers to the staffing problem. Without these small words, the sentence would be much longer and less natural.
For listening practice, this means you should not treat reference words as minor details. They are part of the structure that holds the speaker’s meaning together. The more familiar you become with this pattern, the more natural connected speech will feel.
4. What are the most common mistakes learners make with reference words when listening?
One common mistake is focusing too heavily on individual vocabulary words while ignoring the relationships between them. A learner may hear every sound correctly but still not understand the sentence because they did not identify what it or they referred to. This creates a false impression that the speaker is talking too fast, when in reality the listener missed the connection between ideas.
Another frequent mistake is assuming the nearest noun is always the correct reference. Sometimes that works, but not always. In “I put the book on the table, and it was broken,” the word it could refer to either the book or the table depending on context. Good listeners do not guess too quickly. They wait for meaning clues and consider which interpretation is logical in the situation. Listening well requires both speed and patience.
Learners also often forget that words like this and that can refer to whole situations, not just physical objects. For example, in “She quit her job without a plan. That surprised everyone,” that refers to the entire action of quitting without a plan. If a learner expects that to point only to one noun, the sentence may feel confusing. This is a major listening issue because conversational English frequently refers back to actions, opinions, and events rather than simple objects.
A final mistake is giving up too early after one missed connection. In authentic listening, you will not understand everything instantly. Skilled listeners stay engaged, keep tracking the topic, and let later sentences clarify earlier ones. Improving this skill is not about being perfect every second. It is about becoming better at following the thread of meaning even when some parts are initially unclear.
5. How can I practice listening for reference words and improve my comprehension faster?
The best practice method is active listening with short audio segments. Choose a podcast clip, video, dialogue, or interview that is one to three minutes long. Listen once for general meaning. Then listen again and specifically notice every time you hear words like it, they, this, and that. Pause after each one and ask yourself what it refers to. If possible, use a transcript and mark the connection with notes or arrows. This turns a passive listening activity into focused skill training.
Another strong technique is shadow analysis. After listening, repeat the speaker’s sentences and explain the references out loud. For example: “They canceled the trip because it was too expensive.” Then say, “They means the group or family, and it means the trip.” Speaking the explanation helps strengthen your ability to process these connections automatically during future listening. It is simple, but it is very effective.
You should also practice with real conversational material, not only slow educational audio. In natural speech, reference words appear constantly, and they are often reduced, unstressed, or blended into surrounding sounds. Training your ear in realistic conditions is important because this is where learners usually lose track of meaning. Start with clear speakers, then gradually move to faster and less controlled audio as your confidence grows.
Finally, make this a daily habit. Even ten focused minutes a day can produce noticeable improvement. The goal is to develop an automatic question in your mind:
