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2 . Achieving Coherence, Part 1 – Related Sentences Coherence…
2 . Achieving Coherence, Part 1 – Related Sentences
Coherence means “to hold together.” Coherence in writing allows your audience to follow and to understand your ideas better. In addition to arranging ideas by time order, space order, or order of importance, you can also create coherence by linking one sentence to the next. Repetition of important words, substitution of pronouns, and synonyms or substitution of words help the reader to follow from sentence to sentence as key words are defined or explained.
In the following table, closely read the paragraph examples that use related sentences to create coherence. In the left-hand column, select Repetition of Important Words, Substitution of Pronouns, or Synonyms to view an explanation of how each of these sentences helps to achieve paragraph coherence.
Examples of Repetition of Important Words, Substitution of Pronouns, and Synonyms or Substitution of Words
Repetition of Important Words Long before the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the indigenous tribes of Peru had been fighting to protect their land from oil-drilling pollution.
Substitution of Pronouns Occidental Petroleum (OP)and now, Pluspetrolhave been oil drilling in the Amazon Basin for more than 30 years, and it has damaged the land, the livelihood, and the health of Peru’s native peoples.
Synonyms Now, the Peruvian tribesin particular the Achuarare fighting back with class-action lawsuits against these oil giants and have rejected new oil exploration on their territory.
Source: Murphy, Annie. “Toll of Oil Drilling Felt in Peru’s Amazon Basin.” National Public Radio NPR, 20 Nov. 2007, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127992348. Accessed 22 June 2010.
Directions: In the following paragraph, there is a topic sentence followed by five body sentences. The word (or words) in each body sentence achieves coherence by repetition of important words, substitution of pronouns, synonym of words, or substitution of words. For each sentence, select the correct linking method.
Topic Sentence: At the end of a marriage, some Japanese couples are now having “divorce ceremonies.” Repetition of Important Words Substitution of Pronouns Synonym of a Word Substitution of a Word
1. Divorce ceremonies allow Japanese couples both to publicize and to celebrate their decision to part ways.
2. Like at a wedding, friends and family of the soon-to-be-divorced pair gather at a “Divorce Mansion” to show their support of the couple becoming separated.
3. Here, the Japanese couple smashes their wedding rings with a gavel shaped like a frog’s head; this gesture represents an end to the marriage of the Japanese couple and the beginning of a new life of good fortune.
4. In addition to smashing the rings, sometimes a divorcing husband and wife make new vows to restart their lives independently; after these pledges, they celebrate with their guests.
5. As a result of the divorce ceremony ritual, many Japanese couples feel an exaltation and freedom as they end a chapter in their lives with a posh and extravagant party.
