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Paragraph
Unity and Coherence
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When
writing a paragraph, say exactly what you intend to
say and no more. Every line should reflect the topic
or expand on the major points that develop the topic.
When you achieve this, you have a unified Paragraph.
In addition to subordinating
ideas of unequal importance and coordinating ideas of
equal importance, good writers use other signals
to connect their ideas, making them flow smoothly and
logically. These signals include the following:
- Repetition of
key words or phrases
- Synonyms
- Pronouns (personal
and demonstrative)
- Transitions (connecting
words)
Check out this SIGNALS
link for more information on how to achieve
coherence in your writing. You may also
want to review the two links on transitions at the bottom
of this page to
familiarize yourself with commonly
used connecting words. Frequently used conjunctive adverbs,
commonly called transitions, are demonstrated
in the table below. Pay close attention to the comma
following the transition.
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Transition
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Meaning/Function
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Example
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- In addition,
- Besides,
- Moreover,
|
To
add another point or idea |
The
theme of birth and childhood is common in folktales.
In addition, challenge and adventure are common
themes. |
- For example,
- For instance,
|
To
give an example |
We
can learn about cultural traditions by reading folktales.
For example, in "Why the Baby Says Goo"
we can learn about an Indian chief's traditional
dress and customs. |
|
|
To
show contrast |
The
Indian chief bragged that he could conquer anyone.
However, he couldn't force a small baby to obey
him. |
|
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To
show result |
The
Indian chief was a fierce warrior. Consequently,
all of his enemies feared him. |
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