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C1 Grammar ⏱ 12 Mins

Referring Forward

Learn how to point ahead to lists, single key points, and counted details.

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How to use this lesson

For the Teacher

Use this 12-minute session to introduce forward-referencing phrases.

Check student answers against the provided key at the end.

For the Learner

Start by reading the rule table to understand the patterns.

Then, complete the practice exercises to apply the rules.

Pattern Table: 4 Ways to Point Forward

Study the plain explanation and notice the underlined phrase in each example.

Grammar Rules

the following + noun

Plain Explanation:

This phrase points to a list or text coming next. The noun can be singular or plural, and you usually add a colon after the announcement.

Topic Examples (Dialects & Accents):

🗣️ Listeners rated the following three voices: a farmer, a teacher and a nurse.

🗺️ We need to analyze the following regional variation: how tone changes by locality.

as follows

Plain Explanation:

Use this after verbs like be, read, run, or go. It needs a colon after it and never changes, even if you list many details.

Topic Examples (Dialects & Accents):

🗣️ The rules of the game are as follows: each team gets one turn.

🚫 The report on accent mockery reads as follows: insults are common.

what follows is / the key point is this

Plain Explanation:

These phrases announce only one thing that comes next. The verb is usually is, and the information follows in the next part.

Topic Examples (Dialects & Accents):

💬 What follows is a short summary of the interviews.

💡 The key point is this: some idioms disappear due to regional snobbery.

there are + number + plural noun

Plain Explanation:

This announces a specific counted list. The list must contain exactly the number you stated.

Topic Examples (Dialects & Accents):

✈️ There are two reasons why accents change: the first is travel, and the second is television.

🎵 There are three clues to where a speaker grew up: vowels, idioms and cadence.

A modern colorful neo-brutalist graphic illustration representing regional dialects, speech soundwaves, phonetics pitch

Dialects, cadence, and intonation: practice how to refer forward in spoken and written linguistics.

Practice Arena (12 Items)

Complete all four parts below. Every sentence uses your unit vocabulary.

Task 1: Choose Correct (fixed)

1. Which sentence correctly introduces the description of someone's speech cadence?

____ a. The report describes the speaker's cadence as follows: each sentence ends on a distinct melodic rise. ____ b. The report describes the speaker's cadence as follow: each sentence ends on a distinct melodic rise. ____ c. The report describes the speaker's cadence as following: each sentence ends on a distinct melodic rise.

Task 1: Choose Correct (count)

2. Which sentence correctly sets up a numbered list about a dialect stereotype?

____ a. There are two common stereotypes about this regional drawl: speakers sound uneducated, they work slowly, and they seem lazy. ____ b. There are two common stereotypes about this regional drawl: speakers sound uneducated, and they work slowly. ____ c. There are three common stereotypes about this regional drawl: the vowels sound flat, and the tempo is slow.

Task 1: Choose Correct (list)

3. Which sentence correctly points forward to two regional idioms?

____ a. The linguist recorded the followings two idioms: "it's chucking it down" and "I'm gasping for a cuppa". ____ b. The linguist recorded following two idioms: "it's chucking it down" and "I'm gasping for a cuppa". ____ c. The linguist recorded the following two idioms: "it's chucking it down" and "I'm gasping for a cuppa".

Task 2: Sentence Rewriting (noun)

Rewrite the sentence by replacing the words in brackets with the following question. Change no other word.

The survey asked [this]: Does a slow drawl sound less professional?

____ (Type the full rewritten sentence here...)

Task 2: Sentence Rewriting (verb)

Rewrite the sentence by replacing the words in brackets with as follows. Change no other word.

The definition of linguistic snobbery reads [this way]: looking down on someone because of their regional accent.

____ (Type the full rewritten sentence here...)

Task 2: Sentence Rewriting (point)

Rewrite the sentence by replacing the words in brackets with the key point is this. Change no other word.

[The main idea]: variation in speech is completely natural, and nobody should hide it.

____ (Type the full rewritten sentence here...)

Task 3: Fill the Gap (plural)

Fill in the blank with the following + the plural noun examples to point forward to the list.

The linguist documented ____ (phrase...) : 'bairn', 'canny', and 'gadgie'.

Task 3: Fill the Gap (number)

Fill in the blank using the counted list pattern with the number two and the noun reasons.

____ (counted phrase...) why regional intonation shifts: urban movement and media exposure.

Task 3: Fill the Gap (announcement)

Complete the sentence with the three-word phrase starting with What to announce the upcoming summary.

____ (three-word phrase...) a brief overview of how accent mockery harms workplace confidence.

Task 4: Error Correction (ending)

A friend sent you this message about their phonetics lecture:

💬 Text from Sam

"Hey! The professor explained why people mimic a northern drawl. The explanation goes as follow: listeners rely on comic stereotypes."

Type the corrected two-word phrase to fix the error in the underlined words:

____ (Correct phrase...)

Task 4: Error Correction (match)

A classmate sent you this study note on speech patterns:

📝 Note from Alex

"Look at my notes: There are three reasons why people drop their local cadence: first is peer pressure, and second is workplace snobbery."

Alex only gave two reasons! Write the correct opening four-word phrase that matches the counted list:

____ (Four-word phrase...)

Task 4: Error Correction (verb)

A study partner posted this draft sentence in your group chat:

💬 Chat Draft

"What follow is a prime example of regional speech variation from that locality."

Find the error in the verb ending and write the correct three-word opening phrase:

____ (Three-word phrase...)

Referring Forward

Referring Forward

How to use this lesson

Pattern Table: 4 Ways to Point Forward

the following + noun

as follows

what follows is / the key point is this

there are + number + plural noun

Practice Arena (12 Items)

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