Feedback on this lesson - I pretty much always watch the video before reading the text, but in this case the answers to the practice were spoiled for me by the video. Might be nice to separate the practice from the main lesson video, or put the video at the end in this case.
Can someone please explain what this sentence even means, "African American folk tradition does not sharply differentiate reality into irreconcilable dichotomies between good and evil."
Some religious leaders who undertake reforms do so out of an intrinsic commitment to philosophical ideals.
Referential = do so
Referent = undertake reforms
A turning point in the transition to democracy came when privileged people in society who had been part of its support base realized that the authoritarian regime is dispensable.
Referential = its support base
Referent = the authoritarian regime
African American folk tradition does not sharply differentiate reality into irreconcilable dichotomies between good and evil. This is consistent with the apparently dual aspect of the blues and spirituals.
referential = this
referent = African American folk tradition does not sharply differentiate reality into irreconcilable dichotomies between good and evil.
... Have "authoritarian regime" not noted, it would have been logical to assume "democracy" as the reference point... however, since "authoritarian regime" was noted, "its" has a stronger correlation to "authoritarian regime" than "democracy." I think we have to remember to invoke past lectures that talks about "most likely to strengthen an argument" etc.
A turning point in the transition to democracy came when privileged people in society who had been part of its support base realized that the authoritarian regime is dispensable. ---->
A turning point came when people realized that the regime is dispensable.
Even breaking the sentence down to its kernel, I'm still missing how its refers to the regime instead of society or the democratic turning point :(
I got sentence 2 off the jump, but I saw a lot of people questioning it, so it made me go back and consider why I understood immediately that "its support base" was referential to the authoritarian regime and not "society".
The phrase is “part of its support base” ... ask: "support base of what?"
A regime has a support base (people who politically support it).
Society does not meaningfully have a “support base” — it is the broader population. It is the people.
The later clause confirms this: they realized that the authoritarian regime is dispensable. That’s the thing they had been supporting and then abandoned.
How can you be confident that "its support base" doesn't refer to "society." Seems ambiguous, what tell you it's the regime they they are the support base of and not society? Semantically, both work, of course.
How important are these concepts to the LSATs? I feel like I generally understand the sentence just by reading it and breaking it down this way isn't really helping me
For me the best way that I understood this is that the referential is the phrase that is in place for another phrase, the referent is the phrase that is being referred to. How do you know something is the a referential? You know it is a referential if it is a very broad term that is vague. You need the referent to understand what this broad and vague term is talking about.
The easiest way I could describe referential words/phrases would be: referentials replace specific terms with vague terms; hence you have to refer to the previous or upcoming sentence(s) to understand what they are referring to...
P.S.: Bonus points if you catch the referential ;).
I originally had confusion with sentence 2, but I realized that I was wrong, and here's my explanation! [For those who find it useful :)]
I thought that "its support base" was referring to society. BUT society itself is modified by "authoritarian regime"
Just think of the kernel: A pointcame. "Point" is the subject, came is the predicate. "Point" is modified by turning (turning point), and further modified by "in the transition to democracy". So in total:
A turningpointin the transition to democracy ...
Dealing with the predicate now came,
"camewhen privileged people in SOCIETY who had been part of its support base realized that the AUTHORITARIAN REGIME is dispensable."
If you think society is the referent that its support base is referring to, just think about what type of society it is talking about. This passage is talking about the point where society changed from authoritarianism to democracy. So the starting point is authoritarian regime/society.
TLDR; its support base is referring to authoritarian regime society. BUT it doesn't really matter, as long as you get the kernel of the sentence, the modifiers are just details.
How can you tell whether or not a referential is identifying a thing earlier or later in the sentence? Sentence 2 example really tripped me up because i thought 'its support base" was referring to 'democracy' and not 'the authoritarian regime'
I agree with many others, these examples tripped me up and didn't really seem to mesh with the starting example? Would love another addition to this that goes further into this idea bc you've lost me.
A turning point in the transition to democracy came when privileged people in society who had been part of its support base realized that the authoritarian regime is indispensable.
What is the article about?
Subject: Democracy
What about democracy?
Its supporters realized that the authoritarian regime is dispensable.
Verb: Realized.
What did they realize?
authoritarian regime is indispensable.
Object: Authoritarian regime
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99 comments
Referentials are words or phrases that reveal their meaning by pointing to another set of words (which we call the referent).
They often point backwards but they can point forward as well.
They can point to things, actions, entire sentences, or paragraphs.
In this passage, identify the referential and the referent:
They = Referential
Referentials = Referent
Tehe.
Feedback on this lesson - I pretty much always watch the video before reading the text, but in this case the answers to the practice were spoiled for me by the video. Might be nice to separate the practice from the main lesson video, or put the video at the end in this case.
Can someone please explain what this sentence even means, "African American folk tradition does not sharply differentiate reality into irreconcilable dichotomies between good and evil."
really hope this grammar stuff isnt too important in scoring high or its truly over for my chungus self
Some religious leaders who undertake reforms do so out of an intrinsic commitment to philosophical ideals.
Referential = do so
Referent = undertake reforms
A turning point in the transition to democracy came when privileged people in society who had been part of its support base realized that the authoritarian regime is dispensable.
Referential = its support base
Referent = the authoritarian regime
African American folk tradition does not sharply differentiate reality into irreconcilable dichotomies between good and evil. This is consistent with the apparently dual aspect of the blues and spirituals.
referential = this
referent = African American folk tradition does not sharply differentiate reality into irreconcilable dichotomies between good and evil.
... Have "authoritarian regime" not noted, it would have been logical to assume "democracy" as the reference point... however, since "authoritarian regime" was noted, "its" has a stronger correlation to "authoritarian regime" than "democracy." I think we have to remember to invoke past lectures that talks about "most likely to strengthen an argument" etc.
A turning point in the transition to democracy came when privileged people in society who had been part of its support base realized that the authoritarian regime is dispensable. ---->
A turning point came when people realized that the regime is dispensable.
Even breaking the sentence down to its kernel, I'm still missing how its refers to the regime instead of society or the democratic turning point :(
I got sentence 2 off the jump, but I saw a lot of people questioning it, so it made me go back and consider why I understood immediately that "its support base" was referential to the authoritarian regime and not "society".
The phrase is “part of its support base” ... ask: "support base of what?"
A regime has a support base (people who politically support it).
Society does not meaningfully have a “support base” — it is the broader population. It is the people.
The later clause confirms this: they realized that the authoritarian regime is dispensable. That’s the thing they had been supporting and then abandoned.
How can you be confident that "its support base" doesn't refer to "society." Seems ambiguous, what tell you it's the regime they they are the support base of and not society? Semantically, both work, of course.
How important are these concepts to the LSATs? I feel like I generally understand the sentence just by reading it and breaking it down this way isn't really helping me
For me the best way that I understood this is that the referential is the phrase that is in place for another phrase, the referent is the phrase that is being referred to. How do you know something is the a referential? You know it is a referential if it is a very broad term that is vague. You need the referent to understand what this broad and vague term is talking about.
The easiest way I could describe referential words/phrases would be: referentials replace specific terms with vague terms; hence you have to refer to the previous or upcoming sentence(s) to understand what they are referring to...
P.S.: Bonus points if you catch the referential ;).
I went back to rewatch these a couple times. It makes all the difference. I feel like it helped me master it!
Makes sense! Yay!
I am now so confused this is not clicking for me at all rn
I originally had confusion with sentence 2, but I realized that I was wrong, and here's my explanation! [For those who find it useful :)]
I thought that "its support base" was referring to society. BUT society itself is modified by "authoritarian regime"
Just think of the kernel: A point came. "Point" is the subject, came is the predicate. "Point" is modified by turning (turning point), and further modified by "in the transition to democracy". So in total:
A turning point in the transition to democracy ...
Dealing with the predicate now came,
"came when privileged people in SOCIETY who had been part of its support base realized that the AUTHORITARIAN REGIME is dispensable."
If you think society is the referent that its support base is referring to, just think about what type of society it is talking about. This passage is talking about the point where society changed from authoritarianism to democracy. So the starting point is authoritarian regime/society.
TLDR; its support base is referring to authoritarian
regimesociety. BUT it doesn't really matter, as long as you get the kernel of the sentence, the modifiers are just details.You got this!
Feel like I went from thinking this was a no brainer to now being confused/overthinking minor details of simple sentences...
How can you tell whether or not a referential is identifying a thing earlier or later in the sentence? Sentence 2 example really tripped me up because i thought 'its support base" was referring to 'democracy' and not 'the authoritarian regime'
I think I am ready to getting a lobotomy with this stuff. Thank God for Bourgon! :-)
I agree with many others, these examples tripped me up and didn't really seem to mesh with the starting example? Would love another addition to this that goes further into this idea bc you've lost me.
ngl these examples tripped me up
Example (i will try my best) -
The yellow frog eats lots of green bugs when it becomes thirsty in the spring. That behavior is common amongst those types of amphibians.
In this sentence the reference is, "That behavior," and it refers to, "eats lots of green bugs in the spring"
And , "those types of amphibians," refers to "yellow frogs,"
Good example?
Can't "its support base" also be a referential to democracy?
what are diff from modifiers and referentials ?
A turning point in the transition to democracy came when privileged people in society who had been part of its support base realized that the authoritarian regime is indispensable.
What is the article about?
Subject: Democracy
What about democracy?
Its supporters realized that the authoritarian regime is dispensable.
Verb: Realized.
What did they realize?
authoritarian regime is indispensable.
Object: Authoritarian regime