Six ways of creating cohesion
REFERENCE Reference is a way of creating cohesion using determiners (e.g.
"this", "that", "these" and "those"); pronouns (e.g. "him", "them",
"me"); possessive pronouns (e.g."your", "their", "hers"); relative
pronouns (e.g. "which","who", "whose"). This type of cohesion
can also be achieved with expressions like: "similarly", "likewise",
"less".
CONJUNCTION Conjunction includes listing words such as, "firstly", "next",
"lastly"; linkers for addition (e.g. "moreover", "and", "also");
contrast (e.g. "but", "however", "despite"); and cause and effect
(e.g. "so", "because, "as a result").
SUBSTITUTION Substitution uses a word/phrase to replace a word/phrase used
earlier. For instance, "the one(s)" and "the same" can be used to
replace nouns (e.g. "I'll have the same."). Verbs can be replaced
by "do" (e.g. "The authorities said they had acted, but nobody
believed they had done.").
ELLIPSIS Ellipsis is when we omit words because they are understood
from the context (e.g. "John can type and I can [type] too!", "I
don't want to go out, do you?" [want to go out].
LEXIS Lexis is a way of creating cohesion using: synonyms (e.g.
"beautiful" for "lovely"); hyponyms and superordinates (e.g.
"daffodil", "rose" and "daisy", are all hyponyms of the
superordinate "flower"). Lexical chains are created in a text by
using words in the same lexical set (e.g. "army", "soldiers",
"barracks", "weapons").
COHESIVE
NOUNS
Cohesive nouns are a kind of lexical reference. They can
summarise many words in one (e.g. "attitude", "solution",
"difficulty"). They are used to signal what is to come (e.g. "the
problem to be discussed..."), or can refer back (e.g. "The issue
mentioned above...").
For more information and practice activities see: http://aeo.sllf.qmul.ac.uk/Files/Cohesion/Cohesion.html
Task 1:
Match the ways of creating cohesion with the examples.
1. REFERENCE a) I need to buy some new shoes and those blue ones look
lovely!
2. CONJUNCTION b) The two cars hit each other on the motorway. However,
nobody was hurt in the accident.
3. SUBSTITUTION c) The students attending the lecture all took notes and asked
a lot of questions.
4. ELLIPSIS d) Firstly, we need to water all the plants because the weather
has been very dry.
5. LEXIS e) Ann was quite happy to pick up the snake, although the
others did not want to [pick up the snake].
6. COHESIVE
NOUNS
f) Tom went alone to the party, which was fancy dress, and he
made his costume himself.