Direct reference to the non-linguistic context, relying on world knowledge, is known as which type of reference?

Direct reference to the non-linguistic context, relying on world knowledge, is known as which type of reference?

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

Answer: (B)

Exophoric reference is when a speaker points to something outside the text, relying on the reader or listener’s knowledge of the real world or the surrounding situation. It uses context outside the words themselves to identify what is being referred to. For example, saying “That man over there waved at me” points to a real person in the environment rather than something introduced earlier in the discourse. That dependence on the external context and world knowledge is what defines exophoric reference. In contrast, cataphoric reference points forward to something that will be mentioned later in the text, and endophoric reference ties the reference to something already established within the text. Intrusion isn’t a standard reference type used in this framework.

Exophoric reference is when a speaker points to something outside the text, relying on the reader or listener’s knowledge of the real world or the surrounding situation. It uses context outside the words themselves to identify what is being referred to. For example, saying “That man over there waved at me” points to a real person in the environment rather than something introduced earlier in the discourse. That dependence on the external context and world knowledge is what defines exophoric reference.

In contrast, cataphoric reference points forward to something that will be mentioned later in the text, and endophoric reference ties the reference to something already established within the text. Intrusion isn’t a standard reference type used in this framework.