5 exercises — using forward-pointing reference devices like the following and here's what to set up findings and lists in specs and postmortems.
Key patterns:
cataphora — a reference word points forward to content that follows
anaphora — a reference word points back to something already mentioned (the more common default)
the following / here's what / this much — clear, explicit cataphoric setups
avoid using vague it cataphorically — readers expect "it" to resolve backward
0 / 5 completed
1 / 5
Which sentence correctly uses cataphoric reference — a pronoun or reference word pointing forward to information that follows, rather than back to something already mentioned?
In option B, "this" refers forward to the insight stated after the colon — that is cataphoric reference. Options A, C, and D all use anaphoric reference, where "it"/"which" point back to something already introduced earlier in the sentence or discourse (the database, the fix). Cataphora is common in technical writing when a colon, dash, or introductory clause sets up content that follows.
2 / 5
A design doc opens a section with: "_____ we need to solve first: how do we handle partial failures during the migration?" Which word correctly sets up a cataphoric reference to the question that follows?
"Here is what" explicitly signals that the content pointing forward will follow immediately, making the cataphoric link unambiguous and natural before a colon and question. "It" (option A) is typically used for extraposition or anaphora, not to introduce an upcoming clause this way. "This" (option B) could work but is less natural without additional structure ("This is what we need to solve first" would fit better). "That" (option D) conventionally points backward (anaphoric), making it a poor fit for introducing new forthcoming content.
3 / 5
Which sentence uses a cataphoric structure to build suspense or emphasis before revealing a technical finding, a common pattern in postmortem executive summaries?
Option C uses "here's what" cataphorically, building anticipation before revealing the specific cause after the colon — a common rhetorical technique in executive summaries to foreground the key finding. Options A, B, and D all present the information in a more linear, non-cataphoric order, stating context first and the finding as a natural continuation rather than a forward-pointing setup.
4 / 5
Which sentence demonstrates a cataphoric reference error — a forward-pointing reference word with no clear referent following it, causing confusion?
Option B is confusing because "it" is used cataphorically before its referent ("a retry storm...") is introduced, but "it" is a weak, ambiguous pronoun that readers naturally expect to resolve backward — using it cataphorically here creates a jarring, hard-to-parse structure. Options A, C, and D use clearer cataphoric setups ("this much", "the following", "this scenario") that explicitly signal forward reference, which is the conventional and readable way to construct cataphora in technical prose.
5 / 5
Which sentence correctly uses "the following" as a cataphoric device to introduce a list in a specification document?
"The following" is a standard cataphoric device that clearly points forward to an itemized list, and option A places it in natural word order directly before the colon. Option B substitutes the vague pronoun "it", which lacks the explicit forward-pointing clarity of "the following". Options C and D awkwardly front the list or "the following formats" in non-standard word order, disrupting the natural cataphoric flow.