Discourse Cohesion: Anaphora & Ellipsis
Discourse cohesion is how Chinese links a run of sentences about the same person or thing. Anaphora names them in full once and then uses pronouns such as 他, 它 or 此, and ellipsis leaves the repeated subject out entirely.
In English
When several sentences are about the same person or topic, Chinese avoids repeating the full name. It uses two tools. Anaphora means using a pronoun to refer back: 他, 她, 它, and in formal writing 其 and 此.
Ellipsis means dropping the subject when it stays the same and the actions follow one another, as in 他进了门，脱了鞋，坐了下来. As a rule, leave the subject out for a chain of actions by one person, and use a pronoun when the topic changes or after a longer gap.
连续的句子说同一个人/事时，为避免啰嗦重复，中文常用两种衔接手段：
复指 (anaphora): 第一次说全名/全称，后面用代词接续：他/她/它/他们/其（正式）/此（指前面提到的事情，而非人）。
省略 (ellipsis): 主语不变、动作连续时，后面分句可以直接省去主语。
✅ 他进了门，脱了鞋，坐了下来。（后两个分句省略了「他」）
判断规则： 主语不变+动作连续 → 省略最自然；换了话题、隔了较远、或需要正式书面语 → 用代词复指，切勿再次重复全名（显得生硬）。
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 他放下书包，走到窗边，打开了窗户。 | Tā fàng xià shū bāo, zǒu dào chuāng biān, dǎ kāi le chuāng hu. | He put down his backpack, walked to the window, and opened it. | Minimal ellipsis frame: same subject 他 carries three continuous actions; later clauses omit the subject entirely |
| 小李和小林是邻居，他们经常互相帮助。 | Xiǎo Lǐ hé Xiǎo Lín shì lín jū, tā men jīng cháng hù xiāng bāng zhù. | Xiao Li and Xiao Lin are neighbors; they often help each other. | Anaphora added: two named people are re-referenced with the plural pronoun 他们, not by repeating both names |
| 空气污染问题日益严重，对此，专家们提出了不少建议。 | Kōng qì wū rǎn wèn tí rì yì yán zhòng, duì cǐ, zhuān jiā men tí chū le bù shǎo jiàn yì. | The air pollution problem is getting more and more serious; regarding this, experts have offered quite a few suggestions. | Formal anaphora 此 refers back not to a person but to the whole preceding clause (the pollution issue) |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
其 (qí)
A formal pronoun for "his", "her", "its" or "their", usually inside a noun phrase.
Structure: 其 + noun；verb + 其 + verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这座桥建于一百年前，其设计至今仍很先进。 | Zhè zuò qiáo jiàn yú yì bǎi nián qián, qí shè jì zhì jīn réng hěn xiān jìn. | This bridge was built a hundred years ago, and its design is still advanced. |
| 老师表扬了他，并鼓励其继续努力。 | Lǎo shī biǎo yáng le tā, bìng gǔ lì qí jì xù nǔ lì. | The teacher praised him and encouraged him to keep trying. |
| 这种植物很少见，其花期只有三天。 | Zhè zhòng zhí wù hěn shǎo jiàn, qí huā qī zhǐ yǒu sān tiān. | This plant is rare and its flowering period is only three days. |
Not: 其很喜欢这本书。 其 cannot stand alone as a subject in modern Chinese. Use 他, 她 or 它。
此 (cǐ)
A formal word for "this", pointing back at the matter just mentioned.
Structure: 为此 / 对此 / 此事
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他明天要面试，为此，他准备了很久。 | Tā míng tiān yào miàn shì, wèi cǐ, tā zhǔn bèi le hěn jiǔ. | He has an interview tomorrow, and he prepared for it for a long time. |
| 会议推迟了，对此，大家都没有意见。 | Huì yì tuī chí le, duì cǐ, dà jiā dōu méi yǒu yì jiàn. | The meeting was postponed, and nobody objected to this. |
| 此事不能让别人知道。 | Cǐ shì bù néng ràng bié rén zhī dào. | Nobody else may learn of this matter. |
Not: 此是我的书。 此 is formal writing for "this matter". In speech, say 这是我的书。
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, pronouns (指示代词).
此 is also explained in: Formal Demonstrative Pronouns: 本 and 此 (HSK 6).
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
Questions about Discourse Cohesion
What does 句群 (Discourse Cohesion) mean in Chinese?
Discourse cohesion is how Chinese links a run of sentences about the same person or thing. Anaphora names them in full once and then uses pronouns such as 他, 它 or 此, and ellipsis leaves the repeated subject out entirely. It is an HSK 5 grammar point.
How do you use 句群 (Discourse Cohesion) in a sentence?
他放下书包，走到窗边，打开了窗户。 — Tā fàng xià shū bāo, zǒu dào chuāng biān, dǎ kāi le chuāng hu. — He put down his backpack, walked to the window, and opened it. Minimal ellipsis frame: same subject 他 carries three continuous actions; later clauses omit the subject entirely.
What do you need to know before 句群 (Discourse Cohesion)?
Formal vs. informal register differences (HSK 4). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
When can I leave out the subject in Chinese?
When the subject stays the same and the actions follow one another: 他进了门，脱了鞋，坐了下来。 Only the first clause needs 他.
Why use 其 or 此 instead of 他 or 这?
They sound more formal and fit written reports. 其 stands for a person or thing already named, and 此 points back at a matter or an event: 对此我们表示遗憾。
Discourse Cohesion is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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