Which term describes referring forwards to a portion of a text that has not yet been mentioned?

• A. Cataphoric reference
• B. Exophoric reference
• C. Endophoric reference
• D. Elision

Answer: (A)

Cataphoric reference is when a word or expression points forward to something that will be introduced later in the text. This creates anticipation by mentioning a reference before its actual referent appears. For example, in a sentence like “Before he arrived, John called,” the pronoun he points ahead to John, who is named later. That forward linking is what defines cataphora.

Endophoric reference, by contrast, refers to something within the text that has already been mentioned (backward reference). Exophoric reference points to something outside the text or the surrounding context. Elision is simply the omission of a word or sounds, not a referential link.