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Unity and Coherence

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Mero Eissa
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10 views

Unity and Coherence

Uploaded by

Mero Eissa
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
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Unity and Coherence

Unity and coherence are two important elements of proper writing. To have unity
in writing, all ideas must be about a single topic and all ideas must relate to each other.
In order to have coherence in writing, the movement from one idea to another must be
clear, logical and smooth.

 Unity
Accordingly, an essay is said to have unity or to be unified when the topic sentence of
each body paragraph relate to the thesis statement and the supporting sentences in each
body paragraph relate to the main idea in the topic sentence of each paragraph.
For instance, if the controlling idea of the thesis statement is the advantages of
owing a compact car, the main idea of each body paragraph should be about one
advantage and all supporting ideas should discuss only that advantage.

 Coherence
As to coherence, the ideas of the essay should hold together and flow logically and
smoothly with no gaps or sudden jumps throughout the essay, i.e. the ideas should
be arranged in a clear, logical, way. Coherence in writing can be achieved through the use
of cohesive devices. The latter are words and phrases that tie sentences and
paragraphs together; they include:

- Transition signals: They are words such as first, however, furthermore or phrases
like to start with, on the other hand, in addition that connect sentences together
and guide the reader from one idea to the next just like traffic signs guide drivers
in roads. For example, they inform the reader to go forward if the next idea or
sentence expresses an addition (additionally, furthermore, also), to slow down if
there is a contrast (however, in contrast, yet, but, in spite of), a result (therefore, so,
thus), examples (specifically, typically, for instance, to illustrate that point) and to
stop in case of a closure (to conclude, to finish with, lastly). (See the table below
for more examples)

1
Transition signals

Function Transition Conjunctive Coordinating Subordinating


Phrases Adverbs Conjunctions Conjunctions
To introduce In addition Furthermore And
an additional Moreover
idea Besides
Also
too
To introduce On the other hand However But Although
an opposite In contrast Nevertheless Yet Though
idea or Instead Even though
contrast nonetheless Whereas
While
To introduce Otherwise Or If
a choice or Unless
alternative
To introduce In fact That is
a restatement Indeed
or
explanation
To list in First, second,
order third, next, last,
finally
To introduce For example
an example For instance
To introduce Clearly
a conclusion In brief
or summary In conclusion
Indeed
In short
In summary
To introduce Accordingly Therefore
a result As a result Consequently
As a consequence Hence
Thus

2
- Consistent pronouns: An easy way to connect between two sentences is to replace
a noun or a noun phrase that refer to a person, place, thing or idea with a pronoun
reference such as he, she, it, they.
e.g. Students who know a few Latin and Greek roots and prefixes have an
advantage of guessing the meaning of new words. If for example they know that
the prefix omni means ‘all”, they have a better chance to guess the
meanings of words such as omnibus and omnipresent.
It is worth reminding that when using pronouns one should keep the same person
and number of the original noun or noun phrase throughout the paragraph (In case
of the above example, students should not be changed he or she (change in
number) or from a student to I (change in person).

- Repetition of key nouns or ideas: repeating keywords and ideas frequently in


a text is the easiest way to connect ideas in a paragraph or an essay.
Another advantage of repeating key nouns or phrases is to help readers remember
the main points in the text.
e.g. In the model paragraph below, the key noun is gold. Read the paragraph to
see how it uses this technique to smooth the flow of sentences and circle the
word gold and all pronouns that refer to it.

Gold
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all,
gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for
jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will
remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished
today as the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important characteristic of
gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in
hundreds of industrial applications, such as photography and dentistry. The most
recent use of gold is in astronauts' suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields
for protection when they go outside spaceships in space. ln conclusion, gold is
treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.

3
- Arranging ideas in logical order: One more way to achieve coherence in
writing is to organize ideas in a logical way. The choice of one type of
organization over another will evidently depend on the type of writing. Below
are some common types of writing and the ways to organize them:

Type of writing Type of organization


Narration Order by time, events or steps

Description Order by position, size, and then shape


of things
Classification Group ideas and explain ideas in a
logical order
Comparison/contrast Organize ideas in point-by-point or
block style
Argumentation, persuasion, and Oder according to importance
cause/effect,

e.g. Read again the paragraph about gold and decide on the type of
organizational pattern the paragraph uses. Explain why.

It is wise to use all four types of cohesive devices, namely transition signals, consistent
pronouns, repetition of key nouns and ideas, and arranging ideas in logical order,
throughout a paragraph or an essay because regardless their genres, they all have one role
to play which is to create a smooth flow of ideas and to achieve coherence in writing.

To end with, unity and coherence are two sides of the same coin; they should go
together in the process of writing because they not only help the essay progress logically
but also enhance the reader’s understanding of the main points.

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