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Cohesion and Coherence
Cohesion
can
be
thought
of
as
all
the
grammatical
and
lexical
links
that link one
part of a text to
another. This
includes use
of synonyms, lexical sets, pronouns,
verb tenses, time references,
grammatical
reference,
etc.
For
example,
'it',
'neither'
and
'this' all refer to an
idea previously mentioned. 'First of all',
'then'
and
'after
that'
help
to
sequence
a
text.
'However',
'in
addition' and 'for instance' link ideas
and arguments in a text.
Coherence
can be thought of
as how meanings and sequences of ideas
relate
to
each
other.
Typical
examples
would
be
general>
particular;
statement>
example;
problem>
solution;
question>
answer; claim>
counter-claim.
What does
cohesion mean?
You might think of
cohesion as a means of establishing connections
within
a
text
at
all
sorts
of
different
levels,
e.g.,
section,
paragraphs,
sentences and even phrases.
How
is
cohesion
different
from
coherence?
It
is
difficult
to
separate
the
two.
However,
think
of
coherence
as
the
text
making
sense
as
a
whole
at
an
ideas
level,
and
cohesion
as
rather
more
mechanical
links
at
a
language
level.
You
can
imagine
that
it
is
possible
for a piece of writing to contain plenty of
cohesion yet
little
coherence.
Cohesion
is
the
glue
that
holds
a
piece
of
writing
together.
In
other
words,
if
a
paper
is
cohesive,
it
sticks
together
from
sentence
to
sentence
and
from
paragraph
to
paragraph.
Cohesive
devices
certainly include
transitional
words and
phrases,
such as
therefore,
furthermore, or for
instance,
that clarify for
readers
the
relationships
among
ideas
in
a
piece
of
writing.
However,
transitions aren't
enough to
make writing cohesive.
Repetition of
key words and use of reference words
are also needed for cohesion.
Cohesion
Devices
Lexical level:
Repetition
Word family
repeated
Synonyms, antonyms, other word
relations
Thematically related words
(lexical set)
Substations with one/ones
Grammatical level:
Reference: article, pronouns,
normalization
Substitution of clause
elements using so, not, do/does/did, etc
Ellipsis of clause elements
Linking words: conjunctions and
conjuncts
Comparatives
Verb
tense
Rhetorical techniques
Question and answer
Parallelism
Coherence
When
sentences,
ideas,
and
details
fit
together
clearly,
readers
can
follow
along
easily,
and
the
writing
is
coherent.
The
ideas
tie
together
smoothly
and
clearly.
To
establish
the
links
that
readers need, you can use the methods
listed here.
Repetition of a Key Term
or Phrase
This helps to focus your
ideas and to keep your reader on track.
Example: The problem with contemporary
art is that it is not
easily
understood
by
most
people.
Contemporary
art
is
deliberately
abstract,
and
that
means
it
leaves
the
viewer
wondering what she is looking at.