referring
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.talking about or mentioning a person, thing, or idea.
v.alluding to or mentioning a specific subject, person, or event in speech or writing.
Simple“I think she was referring to the meeting we had last Tuesday.”
In context“The speaker was clearly referring to the recent economic downturn, though he avoided mentioning the specific figures in his opening remarks.”
UsageRequires the preposition 'to' when taking an object.
PitfallHe was referring his old job. He was referring to his old job.The verb 'refer' must be followed by the preposition 'to' when mentioning something.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.sending someone to a different person or place for help or information.
v.directing a person to a specialist, authority, or different department for professional consultation or action.
Simple“The doctor is referring me to a specialist for more tests.”
In context“The primary care physician is referring the patient to a cardiologist to investigate the persistent heart palpitations.”
UsageOften follows the pattern 'referring someone to someone else'.
Synonymsdirectingpassing on - 03 B1 Intermediate
v.looking at a book, map, or website to find information.
v.consulting a source of information for facts, data, or guidance.
Simple“He kept referring to his notes during the presentation.”
In context“The researchers were constantly referring to the original data sets to ensure their conclusions remained accurate throughout the analysis.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
n.the act of mentioning or pointing something out.
n.the action of mentioning or alluding to something; a specific instance of reference.
Simple“The constant referring to past mistakes made the conversation difficult.”
In context“The author's frequent referring to obscure classical texts suggests a highly academic intended audience.”
Teacher's tipWhile 'reference' is the more common noun, 'referring' is used as a gerund to describe the ongoing action.