TECHNIQUES IN MAKING PARAGRAPHS COHERENT AND COHESIVE

#1 Using Transitional Expressions

 Transitional expressions are words and phrases that signal connections among ideas.

Relationship Expressions
Addition also, in addition, too, moreover, and, besides, furthermore, equally important,
then, finally, as well, further, indeed, in fact, ; [semicolon]
Alternative either…or, if only, instead, instead of, in that case, neither…nor, otherwise,
rather than, unless, whether…or, or, in other words
Causation as a result of, because, due to, for, on account of, since
Comparison similarly, likewise, in the same way, not only…but also, as…as [e.g., as big as
a house]
Concession of course, to be sure, certainly, granted
Contrast but, yet, however, on the other hand, nevertheless, nonetheless, conversely, in
contrast, by contrast, still, at the same time, although, despite, even if, whereas,
by comparison
Degree or for the most part, so…that [e.g., she is so loud that she doesn't need a
Extent microphone], to some extent, to some degree, to a certain extent, such…that
[e.g., it is such a long way that I can't walk], in part, partly
Example for example, for instance, thus, as an illustration, namely, specifically, such as, :
[colon], in that
Place in the front, in the foreground, in the back, in the background, at the side,
adjacent, nearby, in the distance, here, there
Purpose so that, to, so as to, in order to, in such a way as to
Result therefore, thus, as a result, so, accordingly, as a result, it follows that,
consequently
Summary hence, in short, in brief, in summary, in conclusion, to sum up
Time first, second, third, next, then, finally, afterwards, before, soon, later,
Sequence meanwhile, subsequently, immediately, eventually, currently

Let’s Try It!

Direction: Supplement the blanks with the appropriate transitional expression.

Many students dislike Mathematics __________ they find it difficult and useless.
_________, they do not know that Mathematics is a good exercise for the mind. Branches of
mathematics, _________ algebra, geometry, statistics, trigonometry, and calculus, could help us
in finding solutions to real life obstacles. It is indeed beneficial to humans. ___________, it
makes the mind more alert. _______, it enables us to think critically in some situations.
__________, students must not hate math from now on.
# 2 Using Pronouns for Coherence

Pronouns—words that refer to nouns or other pronouns—allow readers to follow your train of
thought from one sentence to the next without boring repetition. Without pronouns, you would
have to repeat nouns over and over.

For example, this sentence uses no pronouns and therefore has needless repetition: The
woodpecker scratched the woodpecker’s head with the woodpecker’s foot. In contrast, with
pronouns the sentence can be: The woodpecker scratched its head with its foot. ‘Its’ refers to the
woodpecker.

Take note!
 Use pronouns to connect specified nouns in earlier sentences to the content of later
sentences.
 Consider the antecedent before substituting a noun with a pronoun
Let’s Try It!
Direction: Identify the pronoun which agrees with the antecedent. Select from the choices in the
parentheses.
1. The people have openly expressed (their, his) support for the Presidential candidate.
2. Several television sets are needed in the exhibit booth. (These, This) can be rented from a local
appliance store.
3. Neither the pilot nor the attendants gave (his/her, their) opinion about the mishap.
4. Their teams were so opportunistic. (It, They) took advantage of every break.
5. One of the students must give (their, his/her) oral report tomorrow.

# 3 Using Deliberate Repetitions for Coherence

Repeat a key term or phrase if that term or phase is central to the ideas in a paragraph.
Furthermore, the shorter a paragraph is, the less often a writer should use repetition (since too
much repetition can be monotonous and wordy). But deliberate repetition can be an
uncomplicated way of indicating the centrality of an idea to a paragraph.
Example:
Emotions are, technically speaking, chemical impulses to act. The root of the word
emotion is motere, the Latin verb meaning “to move,” plus the prefix e which means “away,”
suggesting a tendency to act is implicit in every emotion. One of the primary functions of
emotion is to warn us of danger. Goleman refers to this warning process as an “emotional
alarm.” When you experience an emotional alarm, like an unexpectedly loud noise, the
emotional part of your brain takes over the analytical part of your brain, and you react.
—Carol Carter and Lynn Quitman Troyka,
Take Note!
 Use this technique sparingly to avoid being monotonous.
 Limit your selection of a key word to one or at the most two words.
  To avoid too much repetition, you may use synonyms.

Example:
 This book was published last May. But when it was newly published, it was not popular.
 This book was published last May. But when it was newly released, it was not popular.
Let’s Try It!
Direction: To avoid repetition of words, substitute the underlined word in each sentence with its
synonym.

1. The first cellular phone I bought was Samsung. When I bought it, I did not have any idea how
to operate it.
2. If you have any idea, please share it to class. Your classmates are also interested to know your
ideas.
3. Those houses were built in the late 1950s. Despite being built many years from now, they still
remain durable.
4. Feel free to ask questions. I will try to answer all your questions.
5. Many commuters encounter heavy traffic in Metro Manila. As a solution to this, commuters
tend to wake up and travel earlier.

# 4 Using Parallelism for Cohesion

Parallel structures are created when grammatically equivalent forms are used in series, usually
of three or more items, but sometimes only two. The repeated rhythm of parallel structures
notifies the reader that the ideas in parallel structures are related to each another. Like deliberate
repetition, overuse of parallelism can at times cause monotony and wordiness: but consistent
parallelism is extremely effective in promoting coherence, and I recommend erring on the side of
overuse in this case. Indeed, lack of parallelism at times creates ungrammatical structures.

Example:
Unparallel: James was not only a prolific novelist but wrote essays, too, and also several
plays.
Parallel: James was not only a prolific novelist but also an essayist and a playwright.

Let’s Try It!

Direction: Transform the following items into parallel statements.
1. He wants three things in his life: to make good friends, to have family, and learning about life.
________________________________________________________________________
2. Bring a friend from out of town and who is free.
________________________________________________________________________
3. The topography of the ocean floor is marked by isolated volcanic peaks and plains that are
vast.
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4. Pessimism leads to sickness, failure, and feeling hopeless.
________________________________________________________________________
5. In controlling marine pollution, it is essential to know its causes and how it affects people’s
lives.
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