Cohesion is the term for the quality of a text such that it appears as a single unit, not as a random sequence of thoughts or sentences. Cohesion is achieved by a number of devices or ties as explained below.
ESL students may have trouble understanding a text that seems to have easy words and concepts because they fail to identify the cohesive ties. Conversely, the teacher may fail to understand the ideas or arguments that the ESL student is trying to express because the student has not yet learned how to tie English sentences together clearly and naturally with the appropriate cohesive devices.
A final and very important device that makes texts cohesive is the use of conjunctives or adjuncts. These are the words that show how ideas are connected. For example: firstly, secondly, so, however, nevertheless, in conclusion, by contrast, on the other hand, etc.
Read a detailed analysis of the cohesive devices in a short science text. Or look at some extracts from examination questions with problematic cohesion.
ESL students may have trouble understanding a text that seems to have easy words and concepts because they fail to identify the cohesive ties. Conversely, the teacher may fail to understand the ideas or arguments that the ESL student is trying to express because the student has not yet learned how to tie English sentences together clearly and naturally with the appropriate cohesive devices.
Backward reference
The most common cohesive device in texts is the backward reference to something that has been mentioned before. The technical term for this type of reference is anaphora. Three examples of anaphoric reference are:- Use of a pronoun to refer back to an already-mentioned noun.
- Use of the definite article to qualify a noun that has been already been introduced with the indefinite article.
- Substitution of an already mentioned noun by a synonym or hyponym.
- My sister's on the phone. She says she needs the drill that she lent us.
- When I looked out of the window yesterday I saw a man and a woman standing by the gate. The man was wearing a hooded jacket and the woman was carrying a baseball bat.
- There was so much delicious food on display, but I'm on a diet so I had to stick to the salad.
Forward reference
Another common cohesive device is forward reference or cataphora. Here are two examples of cataphoric reference:- Perhaps I shouldn't tell you this, but when I was young I had hair down to my waist!
- Please send your reply to the following address.
Ellipsis
Ellipsis is a third cohesive device. This is the omission of words on the assumption that the listener or reader will be able to supply them mentally. Examples:- The horse (that was) injured in the road accident had to be put down.
- I would love to visit New Zealand but I can't afford to. ( .. visit New Zealand.)
- I'd rather talk to someone on the phone than send them an email. Wouldn't you? .. rather talk to someone on the phone than send them an email?)
Conjunctives
A final and very important device that makes texts cohesive is the use of conjunctives or adjuncts. These are the words that show how ideas are connected. For example: firstly, secondly, so, however, nevertheless, in conclusion, by contrast, on the other hand, etc.
Read a detailed analysis of the cohesive devices in a short science text. Or look at some extracts from examination questions with problematic cohesion.
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