Cohesion is one of the most important aspects of effective writing. Simply put, cohesion means that a piece of writing has a logical structure and that each idea is connected to the purpose or aim. It also means that each sentence connects to the one before it and the one after it. If your writing is longer, it means that each paragraph makes sense in relation to the others, and it is in a position that helps the reader clearly and completely understand the whole text.
There are several things that you can do to improve the cohesion of your writing.
Repetition of keywords
One of the simplest ways to make your writing cohesive is by repeating keywords or using similar words throughout the text. Read the following passage:
Visiting an art gallery is a great activity if you want to better understand and appreciate art. If you have never visited an art gallery before, you may not know how to get the most out of your time there. While there is no right or wrong way to experience an art gallery, there are a few easy steps you can take before, during, and after your visit that will help make sure you have a positive, memorable experience.
As you can see, the words visit, art gallery, and experience are repeated throughout the passage. Sometimes they are repeated exactly, and sometimes they are repeated in slightly different forms. In the vocabulary sections of many of the reading and listening lessons of this course, you will have seen words being transformed in this way; check back through some of those lessons to see this in action.
Replacement
While repeating words is an effective way to connect ideas, it can sound strange if done too often. Another common way to connect ideas and achieve cohesion is by using pronouns and words like do or so to repeat ideas without using exactly the same words. Read the following passage:
Before you visit an art gallery, you should think about what kind of gallery you might be interested in. While some galleries have a wide variety of art, others focus on a particular style, era, or artist. Check out a few galleries’ websites to see what kind of art they have. Once you have done so, you’ll have a better chance of choosing one that will be interesting to you.
In the example above, they is replacing “a few galleries,” one is replacing “art gallery,” and done so is replacing “check out a few galleries’ websites.”
Other reference words
This, that, these, those, and such are very useful words to refer back to previous sections of the text to strengthen the cohesion of your writing. Look at some examples below:
- Many galleries will have a detailed list of the artists and works of art that they are currently showing. This will allow you to see if the art they currently have is something you would be interested in.
- If an art gallery is showing the work of a famous artist or has a special exhibition, that may mean it will be busier than usual. This often happens in the summer months when there are more tourists.
- If possible, before you start your visit, pick up a guide book or program as these can help guide you as you walk through the gallery.
- Some galleries offer reduced or discounted admission for students on certain days of the week. Such discounts are often mentioned on the gallery’s website.
Linking words
Conjunctions, adverbs, and transitional phrases are a clear way to show the relationship between ideas in a paragraph or between paragraphs. You learned about using linking words to compare and contrast in Writing Skills 2-2, to express cause and effect in Writing Skills 5-1, and to add information and give examples in Writing Skills 7-1. Linking words can also be used to emphasize as explained in Grammar 9-1 and 9-2.