A GUIDE TO WRITING WITH READINGS Chapter 4 Achieving Coherence

PART A Coherence Through Order PART B Coherence Through Related Sentences

Part A Coherence Through Order  After jotting down ideas but before writing the paragraph, the writer should order his/her ideas  Three basic ways of ordering ideas: time order, space order, and other of importance

Part A Coherence Through Order  Time Order Ordering sentence in a paragraph through time, or chronological, order is one of the most common methods of ordering sentences Often used in stories, histories, instructions follow  Space Order Describing a person, a thing, or a place from top to bottom Often used in descriptive writing

Part A Coherence Through Order  Order of Importance Start with the most important ideas and end with the least, vice versa Often used in essay examinations or business correspondence

Part B Coherence Through Related Sentences  Four basic ways to link sentences: repetition of important words, substitution of pronouns, substitution of synonyms, and transitional expressions

Part B Coherence Through Related Sentences  Repetition of Words an Pronouns Although repetition of important words can be effective, it can also become boring if overused  Synonyms and Substitutions Synonyms are two or more words that mean nearly the same thing Also, you can substitute other words that describe the subject  Transitional Expressions Transitional expressions are words and phrases that point out the exact relation between one idea and another, one sentence and another