A short word can connect a question to an idea several lines earlier. If you lose that connection, the rest of the sentence may be grammatically familiar but still misunderstood.
The Part C approach chapter in From Practice to Perfection – OET Reading for Nurses recommends reading referenced words in their surrounding context. This original exercise focuses on finding the right referent.
Look beyond the nearest noun
A pronoun often refers to a nearby noun phrase, but proximity alone is not proof. Check number, meaning and the action described. A singular idea can also refer back to a whole preceding situation.
Original workplace passage
The educators gave the volunteers revised workshop notes. They had rewritten the examples after reviewing the volunteers' feedback. This made the instructions easier to follow.
Replace the pronoun as a test
Try inserting the possible noun phrase into the sentence. “The educators had rewritten the examples” fits the relationship in the passage. The volunteers supplied feedback; the educators revised the material.
Explain both references
“They”: The educators.
“This”: The revision of the examples, rather than merely the existence of the volunteers.
The second reference summarises an action. Looking only for the nearest plural noun would not resolve both correctly.
Use the surrounding logic
Ask who could perform the action and how the next sentence develops the previous one. Keep the interpretation within the text rather than relying on what you know about a real workplace.
During review, draw a line from each unclear reference to its meaning. Then read the paragraph again with the noun phrases substituted. If the result contradicts the paragraph's logic, reconsider the link.
This is a focused accuracy exercise. Once the relationships are clear, practise recognising them more quickly in longer passages without replacing every pronoun aloud.
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OET Reading — Course 6
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Source: OET READING NURSE 011.epub, Jobins Training. Examples labelled original or illustrative were written for this article. Independent exam preparation; no affiliation with or endorsement by the examining body. Practice does not predict an official score.