Cataphoric references are when words or phrases are clues to point out information that will appear later in the text. This technique helps to create anticipation, connect ideas and guide the reader or listener through the information being presented. Whether it's a novel, an article, or a speech, cataphoric references can enhance the overall flow and understanding of the material.
Cataphoric reference meaning
A cataphoric reference occurs when a word or phrase references a word or a piece of information that will be mentioned later on in the text or discourse. Cataphoric references can be compared to anaphoric references, which are words or phrases that refer back to something that has already been mentioned in a text or other form of discourse.
Whereas anaphoric references use antecedents (a word or phrase that is represented by another word, such as a pronoun), cataphoric references use postcedents.
The ante- in antecedent means 'before' or 'in front of' and the post- in postcedent means 'after'.
Fig. 1 - Cataphoric references point forwards to words mentioned later on in the text.
Let's take a look at some examples of cataphoric references:
It ran over time. The speech didn't finish until eight.
Here, the pronoun 'it' is being used as a cataphor to refer to 'the speech' which is the postcedent mentioned in the second sentence.
I went to say hello once she arrived. Mary was usually early.
This time, the cataphor is referring to a person. The pronoun 'she' is used to refer to 'Mary'. We can use cataphoric references to refer to people, objects, or other nouns.
What is cataphora?
Cataphora occurs when an expression relies on a later expression in order for the initial statement to make sense.
Cataphora is used to make cataphoric references. These cataphoric references can be used to:
- Avoid repetition.
- Create a sense of mystery.
- Build anticipation for the information that is going to be revealed (if the cataphor and postcedent expression are further apart).
- In fictional texts, cataphoric references can be foreboding of future revelations.
How can you identify cataphora?
To determine whether a word or a phrase is an example of a cataphoric reference, we have to decide whether the word or phrase can be understood without the contextual information given later on (the postcedent).
If it can be understood without further context, it is not cataphora, and therefore not a cataphoric reference. If it depends on further context to be understood, then it is cataphora and is an example of a cataphoric reference.
In texts, a cataphoric reference doesn't always have to be a sentence with a cataphor and a postcedent. It can also be an idea foreshadowed early on in the text that is made clearer later in the text.
Cataphoric reference examples
There are several examples of cataphoric references that are used in everyday language.
Even though I called him yesterday, Paul didn't answer my questions.
In this cataphoric reference, 'him' is the cataphor that refers to the postcedent expression, 'Paul'. Until we read the second half of the sentence we do not know who the word 'him' is referring to. Once we read the second part of the sentence, it becomes clear and the sentence makes sense.
It doesn't fit. The skirt is too long.
Here, the cataphoric reference is using 'it' as the cataphor to refer to the postcedent expression, 'skirt'. The second sentence informs the listener/reader that the article of clothing that doesn't fit is a skirt.
Cataphoric reference effect
Cataphoric references have many effects, but they are typically used to avoid repetition. Below is an example of a sentence without a cataphoric reference:
The girl doesn't work, the girl doesn't study, the girl is lazy.
This sentence is full of repetition. If we want to avoid repetition then using a cataphoric reference is a good way to do this.
She doesn't work, she doesn't study, the girl is lazy.
Cataphoric reference is often used to create mystery, but it can also foreshadow events. Cataphoric references don't always contain a cataphor and a postcedent. They can foreshadow something that will be revealed later in the text.
Cataphora linguistic effect
A cataphoric reference can be used for different linguistic effects. Below are a couple of ways that cataphora can be used:
Creating suspense and tension for the reader.
'I saw him across the room, with a look that could kill. My teacher was always angry if we failed.'
Rhetorical effect.
'It's tiny, unnoticeable, and useless. It's my younger sister.'
Cataphoric reference vs anaphoric reference
A cataphoric reference is the opposite of an anaphoric reference. An anaphoric reference uses a word/phrase to refer back to an expression already mentioned in the text/discourse. Let's take a look at an example of anaphoric and cataphoric sentences.
| Anaphoric reference in a sentence | Cataphoric reference in a sentence |
| Mary was cold. She put on a coat. | She was cold. Mary put on a coat. |
The first sentence is an example of an anaphoric reference. 'She' is the anaphor that is used to refer back to the antecedent expression where 'Mary' is mentioned. If this sentence was written as a cataphoric reference, the expressions would be switched around, with 'she' acting as the cataphor that refers to the postcedent expression 'Mary'.
Cataphoric Reference - Key takeaways
- Cataphoric reference is used when a word or phrase refers to a piece of information mentioned later in the text/discourse.
- Cataphora is an expression that can only be fully understood by using the context of an expression mentioned later in the text.
- Cataphoric references use postcedents.
- You can identify cataphoric references by figuring out whether a word/phrase needs context mentioned in an expression later on to make sense.
- Cataphora is used to avoid repetition, build mystery, and for other linguistic effects (such as suspense and rhetorical effect).
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