What is Cataphora?

Cataphoric refers to a word or phrase that is used to anticipate or preemptively introduce a concept, idea, or entity before it has been explicitly mentioned in the text. In other words, it's a way of mentioning something before it's actually introduced, often to create a sense of expectation or to establish a connection between ideas.

For example, in the sentence "I'm going to tell you a secret, but you have to promise not to tell anyone," the word "secret" is cataphoric because it anticipates the information that is about to be revealed. Similarly, in the sentence "The surprise party was for John, but he had no idea what was coming," the phrase "what was coming" is cataphoric because it refers to the surprise party that has not yet been mentioned.

Cataphora can be used intentionally for rhetorical effect or unintentionally as a result of poor writing. In either case, it can be a powerful tool for creating suspense, anticipation, or emphasis in writing.