Lesson 11 — Activity 3: Coherence in Paragraphs
Completion requirements
Lesson 11 — Activity 3: Coherence in Paragraphs
You have looked at ways to develop the supporting points in your paragraph.
You have also thought about the importance of unity in paragraphs.
Now you will consider the importance of coherence.
What does it mean to be coherent?
Coherence is how you make your writing understandable.
A unified paragraph will be more coherent than one that is not unified.
You have also thought about the importance of unity in paragraphs.
Now you will consider the importance of coherence.
What does it mean to be coherent?
Coherence is how you make your writing understandable.
A unified paragraph will be more coherent than one that is not unified.
Order:
A coherent paragraph will arrange details in the order that will make the most sense for the reader.Why is order important?
- Order helps the reader follow along from one idea to the next one.
You might try these orders in paragraphs:
-
Organize
your supporting points from most important to least important if you
want to capture your reader’s interest immediately.
- Organize your supporting ideas from least important to most important to build up to the most interesting point.
Transition Words:
A coherent paragraph will also use transition words that will help the reader follow the flow of the ideas in the paragraph.Why should you use transition words?
- Use transition words to make one point connect to the next.
- This will help the reader follow the flow of the ideas in the paragraph.
Some Examples of Transition Words:
-
Words that show order: first, second, third
- Words showing spatial relationships: above, below, beside
- words showing logical order: furthermore, in fact, in addition
Here is the paragraph example from Activity 2's assignment. This time the paragraph has included transition words:
If you are looking for a great family pet, you might think to get a German shepherd dog. First, German shepherds are very intelligent. They can learn how to turn door knobs or follow a trail. Secondly, German shepherds love their owners. My dog Jack waits patiently at the front door every day until I come home. Finally,
Jack is usually suspicious of strangers. He will bark when anyone
unknown is near his family. German shepherd dogs make a great addition
to any family.
Also think about:
Being consistent with Verb Tenses and Point of View:
Verb Tense:
If you are writing in the present tense (as if the event is happening now), don’t change partway through the paragraph to use the past tense or the future tense.This paragraph is confusing. Some of the verbs are in the present tense and some are in the past tense:
"Saturday used to be (past) my favourite day, because I could (past) watch football with my dad. He spends (present) the whole day watching football on TV with me, since he doesn't have to (present) go to work that day."
Try the above paragraph this way:
"Saturday used to be (past) my favourite day, because I could (past) watch football with my dad. He spent (past) the whole day watching football on TV with me, since he didn't have to (past) go to work that day."
Now the verbs are all in the past tense.
Point of View:
If you are telling a story and using the pronoun “I,” don’t change partway through the paragraph to use a different pronoun such as “you” or “he.""Saturday is my favourite day, because I can watch football with my Dad. He has lunch with his Dad while we watch a game together."
Since the paragraph began with using the pronoun "I," the next sentences should continue this. The second sentence could be rewritten to say, "I have lunch with my Dad while we watch a game together."
Remember!
If you want to communicate your ideas effectively, it is very important that you make sure your paragraphs are coherent.
If you want to communicate your ideas effectively, it is very important that you make sure your paragraphs are coherent.