Academic English: COM 107-M11267 COM107-M11335 COM 107-M11278

Academic
English
COM 107-M11267
COM107-M11335
COM 107-M11278
What is Coherence?
– Cohere or stick together

– The term comes from the Latin verb co-haerere, which means 'to stick together'
– the quality of being logical and consistent / systematic or logical connection
– Coherence is about the unity of the ideas
– Coherence in writing is the logical bridge between words, sentences, and paragraphs.
Coherent writing uses devices to connect ideas within each sentence and paragraph.
Main ideas and meaning can be difficult for the reader to follow if the writing lacks
coherence. In this lesson, you will see some examples and learn some tips for making
your writing coherent between words, sentences, and paragraphs.
Methods To Achieve Coherence In A
Text
– Coherence is achieved when sentences and ideas are connected and flow
together smoothly. An essay without coherence can inhibit a reader’s ability to
understand the ideas and main points of the essay.
– Coherence allows the reader to move smoothly from one bit of supporting
information to next, from one idea to the next, from one sentence to the next,
and from one paragraph to the next.
– There are several methods that can be used to achieve coherence in writing.
Methods To Achieve Coherence In A
Text
Use Repetition to Link Ideas, Sentences, Use Transitional Expressions to Link
and Paragraphs Ideas, Sentences, and Paragraphs
Repeating key words or phrases helps Transitional expressions, such as however, because,
connect and focus idea(s) throughout the therefore, and in addition, are used to establish
relationships between ideas, sentences, and
essay. Repetition also helps the reader paragraphs. They serve as signals to let the reader
remain focused and headed in the right know the previous idea, sentence, or paragraph is
direction. connected to what follows. . Transitional devices are
Example: Most students are intimidated by like signposts that tell the reader what is coming up
ahead and where the discussion is going.
the works of William Shakespeare. They Example: Many students believe they cannot write a good essay
believe Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays because they are not writers. However, as they practice writing and
work on developing their writing skills, most students are able to gain
are too complicated to read and the needed confidence to start thinking of themselves writers.
understand.
Transition Words
Purpose/function Connective words (linking words)
addition and, also, moreover, in addition, furthermore, besides
contrast but, however, in contrast, on the one hand - on the other hand,
the former - the latter, actually, nevertheless, while
similarity such, similarly, the same, equally

exemplification for example, for instance, in other words
chronology first, second, then, afterwards, thereafter, meanwhile, at the
same time, next, later, finally, at last, ultimately
causality so, consequently, therefore, thus, accordingly, although,

because of, hence, as a result, since
attitude of course, naturally, obviously, fortunately, unfortunately,

certainly, admittedly
summary to summarise, to sum up, in conclusion, in brief

`
Use Pronouns to Link Sentences Use Synonyms to Link Ideas and Create
Pronouns are used to link or connect Variety
sentences by referring to preceding nouns Synonyms are words that have the same or
and pronouns. Pronouns can also help create nearly the same meaning as another word.
paragraphs that are easy to read by They provide alternative word choices that
eliminating wordiness and unnecessary can add variety to an essay and can help
repetition. eliminate unnecessary repetition.
Example: Mr. Thompson agreed to meet Example: Teenagers face an enormous
with members of the worker’s union before amount of peer pressure from friends and
he signed the contract. He was interested in schoolmates. As a result, many young adults
hearing their concerns about the new are exhibiting signs of severe stress or
insurance plan. depression at an early age.
– Use Parallel Structures to Link Ideas, Sentences, and
Paragraphs
Parallelism is the use of matching words, phrases, clauses,
3.And so, my fellow
or sentence structures to express similar ideas. Parallel
structures allow the reader to flow smoothly from one idea,
Americans: ask not what
sentence, or paragraph to the next and to understand the
relationships and connections between ideas. your country can do for
Example:
1.Usually, the children spend the summer weekends
playing ball in park, swimming in the neighbor’s pool,
you--ask what you can do
eating ice cream under the tree, or camping in the
backyard. for your country.
2.At the museum, the class attended a lecture where the
speaker demonstrated how the Native Americans made
bows and arrows. They also attended a lecture where a
sword smith demonstrated how the Vikings crafted swords.
Coherence Between Words
– Between each word, coherence can be created by parallelism.

– Parallel structure means using similar grammatical constructions between
words in sentences. Parallelism is particularly important for words in lists. If
you're writing a list of things someone likes to do, then each activity in the list
should take the same grammatical form. For instance, if one verb in the list
takes on the '-ing' gerund form, like 'running,' then the other verbs in the list
should also be in the gerund form. An incoherent structure would be to say:
– Sarah likes to jump, running, and skate.
– Instead, the list should be parallel like this:
– Sarah likes jumping, running, and skating.
Coherence between sentences
– Coherence can be created between sentences through repetition and transitional

devices. Repetition of words across sentences helps to reiterate the same ideas
between sentences. One way to use repetition to create coherence is to repeat the
same word or phrase at the end of one sentence and the beginning of the next
sentence to show how the ideas connect.
– Here is an example of sentences that create coherence through repetition:The most
important part of an essay is the thesis statement. The thesis statement introduces the
argument of the essay. The thesis statement also helps to create a structure for the essay.
– In this example, the repetition of the phrase 'thesis statement' helps to unify the
three sentences. It is a phrase that ends the first sentence and transitions into the
next sentence by starting with that same phrase.
Coherence between Paragraphs
– coherence between paragraphs include having a consistent

paragraph structure and point of view.
– The structure of a coherent paragraph includes a topic sentence,
which focuses on the main idea. The topic sentence usually comes
first in a paragraph. The topic sentence is followed by supporting
sentences that develop the idea, and finally, a concluding sentence
to tie it all together. Transitional words then bridge the gap between
paragraphs, and the structure starts anew with another topic
sentence for the next paragraph.
Coherence Through Chronology
Signals
– Coherence means order—in this case, the order of our paragraph’s support sentences. When we
check for coherence, we first determine the best or most convincing order for our support sentences,
and then we check to see if our support sentences are, in fact, in the most effective order.
– In this case, we begin with the topic sentence and then put our support sentences in the order in
which they occurred in time.
– Credit cards are convenient, but dangerous. People often get them in order to make large
purchases easily without saving up lots of money in advance. This is especially helpful for purchases
like cars, kitchen appliances, etc., that you may need to get without delay. However,
this convenience comes at a high price: interest rates. The more money you put on your credit card,
the more the bank or credit union will charge you for that convenience. If you’re not careful, credit
card debt can quickly break the bank and leave you in very dire economic circumstances!

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– Cohere or stick together

similarity such, similarly, the same, equally

causality so, consequently, therefore, thus, accordingly, although,

attitude of course, naturally, obviously, fortunately, unfortunately,

summary to summarise, to sum up, in conclusion, in brief

– Between each word, coherence can be created by parallelism.

– Coherence can be created between sentences through repetition and transitional

– coherence between paragraphs include having a consistent

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