Scribd
Upload
34 views

Coherence

The document discusses coherence in academic writing. It explains that coherence is achieved when sentences and ideas flow together smoothly. It provides examples of coherent and incoherent dialogues. It also discusses several methods to achieve coherence, including repeating key nouns, using consistent pronouns, and using transition signals to link ideas.

Uploaded by

rani culen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
34 views

Coherence

The document discusses coherence in academic writing. It explains that coherence is achieved when sentences and ideas flow together smoothly. It provides examples of coherent and incoherent dialogues. It also discusses several methods to achieve coherence, including repeating key nouns, using consistent pronouns, and using transition signals to link ideas.

Uploaded by

rani culen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 21

Academic Writing

COHERENCE
By. Rani Irmayanti (20207479076)
Coherence

1 THE LATIN VERB STATED, COHERE MEANS


“STICK TOGETHER”. 4 COHERENCE ALLOW THE READERS TO
MOVE EASILY FROM ONE IDEA TO THE
NEXT, FROM ONE SENTENCE TO THE
NEXT, AND FROM ONE PARAGRAPH TO
THE NEXT.
2 COHERENCE MEANS STAYING TOGETHER
CONSISTENTLY.

5 THE AUTHOR SHOULD MAKE THE


CONNECTION AVAILABLE TO READERS
AND THE TEXT MEANINGFUL TO THE
3 COHERENCE ACHIEVED WHEN THE
SENTENCES AND IDEAS ARE SMOOTHLY READERS.
ASSOCIATED AND FLOW TOGETHER.
The examples below show the coherence
dialogues

A DIALOGUE WITH COHERENCE: A DIALOGUE WITH NO


COHERENCE:
A: DID YOU GO TO THE PARTY
YESTERDAY? A: WHERE DID YOU GO LAST
WEEK?
B: YES, I WENT TO THE PARTY B: THAT SOUNDS GOOD. MY
YESTERDAY. FATHER FIXES IT.
Following are several methods that can be used to achieve coherence in writing:

a Repeating Key Nouns

b Using Consistent
Pronouns

c Using Transition Signals


To Link Ideas
Repetition of Key Nouns
Repetition of key words or phrases makes a difference
interface and centres idea(s) all through the essay.
Repetition also helps the reader remain focused and
headed in the right direction. It can help to create
paragraph that are easy to read by eliminating
wordiness and unnecessary repetition.
AS IN THE PARAGRAPH BELOW, THIS TECHNIQUE CAN HOLD SENTENCES
TOGETHER AND FOCUS THE READER'S ATTENTION ON A CENTRAL IDEA.
We Americans are a charitable and humane people: we have institutions devoted to
every good cause from rescuing homeless cats to preventing World War III. But what
have we done to promote the art of thinking? Certainly we make no room for thought
in our daily lives. Suppose a man were to say to his friends, "I'm not going to PTA
tonight (or choir practice or the baseball game) because I need some time to myself,
some time to think"? Such a man would be shunned by his neighbors; his family would
be ashamed of him. What if a teenager were to say, "I'm not going to the dance
tonight because I need some time to think"? His parents would immediately start
looking in the Yellow Pages for a psychiatrist. We are all too much like Julius Caesar:
we fear and distrust people who think too much. We believe that almost anything is
more important than thinking. (Carolyn Kane, from "Thinking: A Neglected Art."
Newsweek, December 14, 1981)
USING CONSISTENT PRONOUNS

Using consistent pronouns could achieve coherence in the text and


paragraph. When using pronouns, maintain the same or matching
pronoun throughout a sentence and paragraph is important. When use
pronouns in the text, make sure that it is used the same person and
number throughout the sentence or paragraph. The use of pronoun
should be consistent, it refers to the previous nouns or pronouns.
HERE IS THE EXAMPLE OF CONSISTENT PRONOUNS IN
PARAGRAPH:

The most persistent disputes between Eden and Churchill, apart from De Gaulle,
concerned relations with Soviet Russia. After Hitler’s attack on Russia, Eden was
strongly pro-Soviet at the start and cooled off later; Churchill was cautious in the
early days and became enthusiastic later. Their first dispute came over the Soviet
demand, made even when the Germans were at the gates of Moscow, that the
Western powers should recognize unconditionally the Soviet frontiers of 1941.
Eden was for agreeing, Churchill against. Curiously, Molotov finally stilled the
argument by agreeing to an Anglo Soviet alliance without any mention of
frontiers. In the end it was Churchill at Yalta who agreed to the Soviet demand.
(Anthony Eden: A Biography by David Carlton)
To avoid noun repetition and use pronouns effectively, the different types
of pronouns and the way they can be used in a sentence:

Personal Demonstrative Relative


pronouns pronouns pronouns

Reflexive Interrogative Indefinite


pronouns pronouns pronouns
a.Using Transition Signals To
Link Ideas
Transition signals are words and phrases that connect the idea in one
sentence with the idea in another sentence and show the relationship
between them. Transition signals are usually at the beginning of a
sentence or paragraph to relate it to the one preceding it and they can
also come within sentences to connect one idea to another within a
sentence.
There are some transition signal to introduce an
* additional idea

kinds of transition transition signal to introduce an

signals base on its * opposite idea

transition signal to introduce an


meaning or function * example

transition signal to introduce a


conclusion or summary
*
transition signal to show the
signal time
*
SEE HOW TRANSITIONAL WORDS CAN LINK A
PARAGRAPH, MAKING IT FLOW MORE SMOOTHLY.

Original : Ranial didn't have enough The example beside combines two
money to buy his mom bag. She sentences into one and helps a third
wasn't old enough to get a job. She sentence flow logically from the one
felt sad on Mother's Day. before it. Adding these transition
With transitions : Rania didn't have words shows how three disjointed
enough money to buy her mom bag sentences are related to each other,
because he wasn't old enough to get which otherwise might not be
a job. Nevertheless, she felt sad on obvious to the reader.
Mother's Day.
Here are some common transition sentences

·Comparison/ ·Cause/Effect ·Addition ·Qualification


Contrast

·Chronology ·Illustration/ ·Transition ·Summary/


Example Conclusion
Comparison/ Contrast
These transitions point out alternatives or differences.

EXAMPLE :
The girl liked birds, but she was afraid of rabbit.
Similarly, they did not like giraffe and elephant.
On the contrary, he liked animals that could swim,
such as dolphin
Likewise, he thought bats were the most
interesting mammals thanks to their wings.
Chronology
These transitions help define time.
For example:
Before you go back home, make sure you got your
assignments paper.
During the afternoon, you can do the housework.
Later, you'll be glad you did the great job.
You’ll be able to simultaneously eat dinner and
review your work.
Cause/ Effect
These transitions show the consequences
of an action like in these sentences.
Since you're such a good boy, you'll get into a good
college.
Therefore, you can get a toy you like.
As a result, you should be a happy person.
Because people are happier, they have less stress.
ILLUSTRATION/
EXAMPLE
These transition words add emphasis or introduce
evidence. Example transition sentences include:

Liona loves ice cream. Truly, she'd be happy to eat sundaes every
day.
Specifically, John loves chocolate muffin.
To demonstrate her love of ice cream, Liona is planning an ice
cream social for all her friends.
ADDITION
These transitions add information or reinforce
ideas. Here are a few fun transition sentences.

Michael promised to love, honour, and also obey his wife.


Moreover, he will do all the housework while he studies at
home.
Furthermore, he is grateful that his new wife earns enough
money to let him do that.
TRANSITION
Clarification transition words show
support. Example transition sentences
include:

I hate school; that is, I dislike it intensely.


In other words, I want to drop out.
To put it another way, school is the worst
place in the world.
QUALIFICATION
Qualification transition words present conditions
or intentions. See them in action now.

With what was possibly the greatest catch of all


time, the Patriots won the Super Bowl.
They almost always win big games.
With this in mind, they could be called the greatest
team of all time.
SUMMARY/CONCLUSION
The transitional phrases in summary or conclusion restate
ideas like:
All the facts have been presented and, as can be seen, the
results are clear.
Given these points, it's clearly time to consider some changes.
In the long run, these recommendations will benefit our
company.

You might also like