Coherent Writing

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Coherent Writing

• How to connect old ideas to new ones

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The Given-New Principle

• One of the ways that you can make sure that your
  sentences and paragraphs have coherence is to use
  the Given-New Principle.
• With the Given-New Principle, you use something
  given (an old piece of information) from a
  previous sentence, and add something new.
• Using something given from the previous
  sentence is the connecting idea between the old
  and new ideas.

given idea ??? new idea
given idea
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What is the Given-New Principle?

• In the 2nd sentence, find the given picked up
  from the first, as well as the new information
  that has been added
• One important value in Brazilian culture is
  hospitality. Hospitality to a Brazilian means
  essentially that your door is always open to
  friends, relatives, and guests.

Whatever happened to Southern hospitality?
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What are surface signals?

• To help connect ideas between sentences and
  paragraphs, we use surface signals.
• They are words that help tell the reader the
  logical connection between ideas.
• Without the surface signals, the writing becomes
  considerably harder to read.

Do signals matter this much?
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How are surface signals used?
Often, surface signals are the repetition of key
words.
Example 1
One of the values of Saudi Arabian culture is
modesty in women. Women show their modesty by
covering themselves with a veil.
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How are surface signals used?
Repetition of Key Words
Example 2
Our next task was to look for those elusive
particles. Such particles are difficult to
detect without a microscope.
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Surface Signals
Repetition of Key Words
Example 3
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two
important characteristics. First of all, gold
has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to
corrosion.
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Surface Signals
Demonstrative Adjectives (this, that, these,
those)
Example 1
Women show their modesty by covering themselves
with a veil. This covers the womans head and
often much of her face.
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Surface Signals
Demonstrative Adjectives (this, that, these,
those)
Example 2
An important custom in Ethiopian culture is the
coffee ceremony. This ceremony is often
practiced every Sunday.
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Surface Signals
Demonstrative Adjectives (this, that, these,
those)
Example 3
Cambodian parents try to raise their children to
have respect for elders, patience in trying
situations, and gentleness toward others. These
values are highly prized in Cambodian culture.
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Surface Signals
Pronouns (he, she, it, they, you)
Example 1
This veil covers the womans head and often much
of her face. She may also choose to wear a mask
that shows only her eyes.
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Surface Signals
Pronouns (he, she, it, they, you)
Example 2
Many Japanese believe in the importance of
teamwork. They teach their children to think of
the group first.
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Surface Signals
Pronouns (he, she, it, they, you)
Example 3
When a father is very sick, he knows that his
family will take care of him.
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Summary of Written Coherence

• Three useful ways to promote written unity are
  repetition, pronouns, and demonstratives.
• In your writing, repeat key words in order to
  emphasize your topic.
• Use appropriate pronouns to repeat more
  indirectly than direct repetition.
• Use demonstratives such as this and that to
  reemphasize important points.

After drinking, how coherent is Sally?
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Repeating what creates coherence?

• In this passage, which key word is repeated to
  create coherence?
• 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.

Around major holidays, how well do we think?
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Repeating think creates coherence

• Think is the word repeated to create coherence
• 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.

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Pronouns also create coherence

• Which pronoun is correct?
• 1.  My grandmother really loved Juan. She left
  all her money to Federico and he/him.
• 2. A student in that all-women's college should
  have no fears about her/their future.
• 3. He was worried about who/whom he should ask to
  the big dance, that he ended up not asking
  anyone.
• 4. Neither Eva nor I/me am responsible for this
  mess.

Just whose nose is it, anyway?
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Demonstratives create coherence

• In each case, which demonstrative (this, that,
  these, those) is correct?
• 1. The book is in my hand. __ book is easy to
  read.
• 2. The book is in your hand. __ book is hard to
  read.
• 3. The books are in my hand. __ books are good.
• 4. The books are in your hand. __ books are bad.

What is the man demonstrating?
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Demonstratives create coherence

• Here are the correct demonstratives
• 1. The book is in my hand. This book is easy to
  read.
• 2. The book is in your hand. That book is hard to
  read.
• 3. The books are in my hand. These books are
  good.
• 4. The books are in your hand. Those books are
  bad.

• What does each demonstrative mean?
• 1. This means single and near.
• 2. That means single and far.
• 3. These means plural and near.
• 4. Those means plural and far.

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Misfits upset the coherence

• Which sentence upsets the flow of coherence?
• My familys house is in Izmit. It isn't old or
  modern, but just a normal Turkish house. It takes
  about 10 minutes to go to the sea side on foot.
  We have one bedroom, one living room, a kitchen,
  and a dining room. I live there with my parents.
  Our house has a little garden my parents spend
  their time there to grow vegetables and fruit. 

Are moving sales supposed to move?
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Off topic sentences hurt the flow

• The first parent sentence upsets the flow of
  coherence
• My familys house is in Izmit. It isn't old or
  modern, but just a normal Turkish house. It takes
  about 10 minutes to go to the sea side on foot.
  We have one bedroom, one living room, a kitchen,
  and a dining room. I live there with my parents.
  Our house has a little garden my parents spend
  their time there to grow vegetables and fruit. 

• The sentences follow well enough one after
  another until the first mention of the parents.
• The sentence can be eliminated without causing
  any disruption.

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Transition words help coherence.

• In the introduction, which transition word very
  often emphasizes the main point?
• Most people think that the North and the South
  are very unique regions. To prove their idea,
  they cite various linguistic, economic, and even
  religious differences. However, I believe that
  both areas of the country have more in common
  than they have dividing them.

Is it really that tough out there?
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Transition words help coherence.

• In the introduction, however very often
  emphasizes the main point
• Most people think that the North and the South
  are very unique regions. To prove their idea,
  they cite various linguistic, economic, and even
  religious differences. However, I believe that
  both areas of the country have more in common
  than they have dividing them.

Is it really that tough out there for hunters?
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How can transition words help?

• The first way that Yanks and Rebs are similar is
  in language. Of course, southerners often speak
  rather casually, but so do many northerners, at
  least when they think the situation is fairly
  casual. Other than the occasional yall come or
  the deep redneck drawl, 99 of southern speech is
  virtually identical to the language used anywhere
  else in the country. Otherwise, there would be
  two languages, and maybe two separate countries
  as well.

Do Texans talk so big?
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Transition words help coherence

• The first way that Yanks and Rebs are similar is
  in language. Of course, southerners often speak
  rather casually, but so do many northerners, at
  least when they think the situation is fairly
  casual. Other than the occasional yall come or
  the deep redneck drawl, 99 of southern speech is
  virtually identical to the language used anywhere
  else in the country. Otherwise, there would be
  two languages, and maybe two separate countries
  as well.

Do rebel bikers talk big?
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Can transition words help coherence?

• In the conclusion, which transition word very
  often emphasizes the main point?
• Thus, there really is little difference between
  the South and the North, beyond the trivial
  matters raised by tasteless comedians. To find
  the deeper divide in America, check out the
  growing chasm between the rich and the poor in
  any part of the nation.

Are we really that divided out there?
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Transition words can help coherence

• In the conclusion, thus very often emphasizes the
  main point
• Thus, there really is little difference between
  the South and the North, beyond the trivial
  matters raised by tasteless comedians. In fact,
  to find the deeper divide in America, check out
  the growing chasm between the rich and the poor
  in any part of the nation.

Are we really that divided out there?
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Then, what are the coherence helpers?

• In sum, writers can often strengthen their
  arguments by
• Repeating key words to emphasize the topic
• Using this and that
• Using pronouns for indirect repetition
• Avoiding off topic thoughts that mislead readers
• Using transition words to signal changes in
  direction

Are we really that incoherent?