Errors Committed by EFL Learners in Using Anaphoric and Cataphoric Reference

Abstract

Reference is the phenomenon by which some noun phrase in a particular utterance or sentence is asssociated with some entity in the real or conceptual world, its referent. Reference is a semantic phenomenon, but its expression is often grammaticalized in important ways. This paper deals with the most important ways of using reference: anaphoric and cataphoric which can be found in the definite article (the), past tense, and pronouns.Iraqi EFL learners may not develop a full mastery of using anaphoric and cataphoric reference. The errors committed in this respect show the disability of learners in using anaphoric and cataphoric reference of the definite article, the past tense, and the personal pronouns. Besides, they cannot recognize these two forms of reference and they do not know how to use them.