G2 English K200 comprehension often depends on deixis: words whose meaning changes with speaker, place, time, social relation or position in the text. I, you, here, there, now, then, this, that, next week, come and go cannot be resolved from dictionary meaning alone.
This one-hundred-and-seventy-third Learner’s Guide develops deictic control across personal, spatial, temporal, social and discourse reference. It extends reference-frame work by focusing specifically on expressions whose interpretation moves when the viewpoint moves.
Mechanism: meaning is indexed to a reference point
A deictic expression behaves like a coordinate. “Here” needs a location origin; “now” needs a time origin; “I” needs a speaker; “this” needs a discourse/object focus. Change the origin and the referent can change even when the word stays identical.
Diagnosis
When a relative expression is unclear, write four coordinates: speaker/source, time, place and discourse position. Then resolve the word inside that frame. In quotations or viewpoint shifts, create a new frame rather than carrying the old one forward.
Smallest repair
Replace the relative expression temporarily with an explicit person, date, location or proposition. If the sentence becomes coherent, the reference frame is resolved. In writing, use the explicit form when readers would otherwise lack the frame.
1. I
Deictic function: Anchors speaker identity.
Control: In quotation, I belongs to the quoted speaker, not automatically the narrator or writer.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
2. we
Deictic function: Anchors a speaker-aligned group.
Control: Ask who is included and excluded.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
3. you
Deictic function: Anchors addressee or generic reader depending on context.
Control: Audience matters.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
4. here
Deictic function: Anchors location to speaker/reference point.
Control: Here changes when viewpoint changes.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
5. there
Deictic function: Points away from active spatial reference.
Control: Resolve relative to whose location.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
6. this place
Deictic function: Packages a location as currently salient.
Control: Recover the place from discourse.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
7. that place
Deictic function: Often points to a less immediate or earlier-mentioned location.
Control: Distance can be discourse-based.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
8. now
Deictic function: Anchors time to speaking/narration reference.
Control: In reported speech, now may shift.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
9. then
Deictic function: Anchors time to another event/reference point.
Control: Then is relational, not a fixed date.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
10. today
Deictic function: Anchors to speaker’s current day.
Control: In historical quotation, not the reader’s today.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
11. yesterday
Deictic function: Requires a current-day anchor.
Control: Convert carefully in reported narration.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
12. tomorrow
Deictic function: Requires a current-day anchor.
Control: Do not resolve from publication date automatically.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
13. this year
Deictic function: Anchors to active temporal viewpoint.
Control: Quoted speech can make it historical.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
14. that year
Deictic function: Retrieves an earlier year reference.
Control: Chronology controls meaning.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
15. next week
Deictic function: Relative future time.
Control: Next relative to what reference date.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
16. last week
Deictic function: Relative past time.
Control: Reference point matters.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
17. before
Deictic function: Orders events relative to another event/time.
Control: Name both events.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
18. after
Deictic function: Orders events relative to another event/time.
Control: Do not turn sequence into cause.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
19. later
Deictic function: Relative temporal distance.
Control: Later than which event.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
20. earlier
Deictic function: Relative temporal ordering.
Control: Keep comparison anchor.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
21. soon
Deictic function: Vague relative time.
Control: Do not invent exact duration.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
22. recently
Deictic function: Relative to writing/speaking time.
Control: Historical texts change interpretation.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
23. come
Deictic function: Movement toward speaker/reference location.
Control: Viewpoint differs from go.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
24. go
Deictic function: Movement away from speaker/reference location.
Control: Resolve spatial perspective.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
25. bring
Deictic function: Movement of an object toward reference point.
Control: Distinguish from take.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
26. take
Deictic function: Movement away/from current reference point.
Control: Perspective controls verb choice.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
27. left
Deictic function: Can be spatial direction or past tense of leave.
Control: Grammar/context disambiguates.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
28. right
Deictic function: Can be spatial direction, correctness or entitlement.
Control: Context determines sense.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
29. up/down
Deictic function: Can be literal spatial, numerical or metaphorical.
Control: Identify reference axis.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
30. front/behind
Deictic function: Require orientation/reference object.
Control: Do not assume page orientation.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
31. near/far
Deictic function: Relative distance terms.
Control: Need a reference location/scale.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
32. local
Deictic function: Relative to a defined area/system.
Control: Local to what.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
33. global
Deictic function: Whole-system scope.
Control: Do not widen local evidence automatically.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
34. this
Deictic function: Demonstrative can point to object, event, proposition or text span.
Control: Identify the discourse target.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
35. that
Deictic function: Can point to earlier proposition, event or object.
Control: Distance/focus matters.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
36. these
Deictic function: Plural proximal discourse reference.
Control: List members.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
37. those
Deictic function: Plural distal/contrastive reference.
Control: Resolve group boundary.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
38. such
Deictic function: Points to a previously described type.
Control: Recover defining properties.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
39. the former
Deictic function: Text-relative reference to first of two.
Control: Maintain order.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
40. the latter
Deictic function: Text-relative reference to second of two.
Control: Maintain order.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
41. above
Deictic function: Can mean earlier in written text.
Control: Do not interpret spatially when discourse context rules.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
42. below
Deictic function: Can mean later in written text.
Control: Text layout matters.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
43. the following
Deictic function: Points forward in discourse.
Control: Identify exact following unit.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
44. the previous
Deictic function: Points backward in discourse.
Control: Identify exact prior unit.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
45. in this paragraph
Deictic function: Anchors discourse location.
Control: Do not import other paragraph evidence if restricted.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
46. in the passage
Deictic function: Anchors source boundary.
Control: Keep evidence inside requested text.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
47. in Text 1
Deictic function: Anchors document source.
Control: Do not mix with Text 2.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
48. at this point
Deictic function: Anchors narrative/discourse stage.
Control: Later knowledge may not yet be available.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
49. at that moment
Deictic function: Anchors a prior event time.
Control: Recover from chronology.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
50. the present situation
Deictic function: Anchors to active narrative/reporting present.
Control: Publication context can matter.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
51. our society
Deictic function: Social deixis defines an in-group.
Control: Ask whose society and whether writer includes reader.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
52. these people
Deictic function: Can create social distance or grouping.
Control: Identify source and attitude carefully.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
53. sir/madam
Deictic function: Social deixis marks formality/status relation.
Control: Register matters.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
54. Mr/Ms/Dr
Deictic function: Titles encode social role/formality.
Control: Do not overinfer authority.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
55. first name
Deictic function: Can signal familiarity depending on context.
Control: Cultural/register context matters.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
56. honorific
Deictic function: Marks respect/status.
Control: Use only when text supplies relevant social convention.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
57. deictic shift in quotation
Deictic function: I/here/now reset to quoted speaker’s coordinates.
Control: Build a new reference frame.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
58. deictic shift in reported speech
Deictic function: Pronouns/time/place expressions can shift under reporting.
Control: Preserve underlying event while changing viewpoint terms.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
59. narrator versus character viewpoint
Deictic function: Here/now can belong to character focalisation.
Control: Source ownership first.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
60. historical present
Deictic function: Present tense can narrate past events stylistically.
Control: Do not infer current calendar time from tense alone.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
61. flashback
Deictic function: Temporal deictics reset around earlier narrative point.
Control: Track reference time explicitly.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
62. flashforward
Deictic function: Later viewpoint can reframe now/then relations.
Control: Maintain timeline.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
63. map directions
Deictic function: Here/left/right require map orientation and viewer position.
Control: Do not use personal orientation automatically.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
64. visual text
Deictic function: This/these may point to image elements.
Control: Coordinate verbal and visual reference.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
65. advertisement ‘you’
Deictic function: Often addresses target audience directly.
Control: Use audience analysis.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
66. speech ‘we’
Deictic function: Can build solidarity or claim shared identity.
Control: Check inclusion.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
67. argument ‘they’
Deictic function: Can construct an out-group.
Control: Identify who is grouped and source stance.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
68. deixis and ambiguity
Deictic function: Two reference frames can fit.
Control: Generate both and use context.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
69. deixis and paraphrase
Deictic function: Replace relative terms with explicit time/place/person when needed.
Control: Preserve viewpoint meaning.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
70. deixis and summary
Deictic function: Relative expressions may become unclear after extraction.
Control: Use explicit referents if context is removed.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
71. deixis final rule
Deictic function: Resolve who is speaking, where the reference point is, when ‘now’ is, and what text position is active before interpreting relative words.
Control: Reference frame first; inference second.
For practice, shift the speaker, date or location and predict how the expression’s referent changes. Keep the underlying event constant so the learner can see that viewpoint—not event content—drives the change.
For transfer, place the expression inside quotation, reported speech, narrative or visual text. Rebuild the reference frame before interpreting attitude or cause.
Competing reference frames
Two interpretations can remain plausible when narrator and character viewpoints overlap. Use quotation boundaries, reporting verbs, chronology and spatial cues to decide which frame is active. If the text deliberately leaves the frame unstable, keep the ambiguity visible.
Observation versus inference
The deictic word is observable. Its resolved coordinate is an interpretation. Any further claim about attitude, inclusion, distance or urgency is another inference. Keep those layers separate.
Support versus proof
A pronoun or demonstrative can support an interpretation of social alignment, but one “we” does not prove deep solidarity and one “they” does not prove hostility. Combine deictic evidence with broader language and context.
Model limits
Natural language can use deixis metaphorically or flexibly. “Here” can mean a stage in an argument; “now” can mean a historical period rather than this second. Resolve the active domain from context rather than forcing physical coordinates.
Delayed transfer
Return later with unseen quotations, reported speech and narratives containing shifted I/you/here/now/this/that expressions. Measure whether the learner can rebuild the frame, paraphrase explicitly and avoid importing the reader’s present into the text.
Internal learning links
Use the Secondary English Learning Hub, Vol 0117 Reference-Frame Control, Vol 0161 Definiteness and Reference, Examination Craft and the PSLE Learner’s Guide.
MOE and SEAB current framework
MOE states that Full Subject-Based Banding is fully implemented and that, from 2027, the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) replaces the former N- and O-Level examinations, with graduating students sitting subjects at their respective G1, G2 or G3 levels. See the official MOE Full SBB / SEC announcement. For current 2027 G2 English Language subject code K200 and syllabus links, use the official SEAB G2 syllabus directory.
Final rule
Before interpreting a relative word, identify the active speaker, time, place and discourse position. Deictic meaning moves with the reference frame; resolve the frame before you build the inference.
G2 SEC Learner’s Guide: Open the Vol 0132–0175 hub and subject index.
