cohesion and coherence

Disourse and PragmaticsLIN 207

Coherence & cohesionWeek 2 of 14

Which text is COHERENT? Which is COHESIVE?

Text A: A: My car’s broken down

B: There’s a garage down the road

Text B: Yesterday I got up early. I had breakfast,

brushed my teeth and washed my face. Then I went to the university and did morning exercises.

Text C: My mom is 58 years old. 58 is an even

number. Number four is unlucky in Chinese…

TASK 1:

Cohesion vs. Coherecneo Cohesion: formal links between sentences and

clauseso Coherence: the quality of meaning, unity, and

purpose perceived in discourse.o Cohesion is seen as one of the ways of indicating

coherence.o Both ‘cohesion’ and ‘coherence’ have the

function of binding the discourse/text together by creating sequences of meanings

o Language can be approached in two ways:o Contextual – Referring to facts outside

languageo Formal- Referring to facts inside

language.

.

Text C:TASK 2:o Study Text C.o This text is

cohesive.o But a lot of

mental work has to go on for the reader to make it coherent. What knowledge has to be activated to understand the text?

Five Cohesive Devices

Reference

Ellipsis

Substitution

Conjunction

Lexical Cohesion

Grammatical Cohesion


1. Reference (Also called ‘referring expressions’ – Cook, 1989)o Words whose meanings can only be discovered

by referring to other words or to elements of the context which are clear to both sender and reader.

o Reference items in English:o Pronouns (he, she, it, him, they..)o Demonstratives (this, that, these, those)o Articles (The, a )

Reference can be sub-categorize as follow

Reference

Exophora Endophora

Anaphora Cataphora

References to assumed, shared worlds outside of the text

reference within the text

Reference that can be established by looking back in the text

Reference that can be established by looking forward in the text

Formal and Contextual Links

1. Reference (Also called ‘referring expressions’ – Cook, 1989)

o There was an apple on the plate. I ate it.

o What type of reference is this?

o What does it refer to?o How do we know it refers to

the apple and not the plate?

TASK 3:o Study Text D. Identify the referring expressions

circled in red, and the word(s) they refer back to.

Text D:

TASK 4:o Study Texts E. Identify the referring expressions

circled in red. What do they refer to? What kind of reference are these?

They pressed round him in ragged fashion to take their money. Andy, Dave, Phil, Stephen, Bob.

Graham Swift, The sweet shop owner (Penguin Books Limited, 1983:13)

Text E:

2. Substitution


o A cohesive device in which one of a closed set of words (for example; do, so) stands for a word, phrase, clause, or element of the context

Ones: I offered him a seat. He said he didn’t want one.Do: Did Mary take that letter? She might have done.So/Not: Do you need a lift? If so, wait for me; if not, I’ll see you there.Same: She chose the roast duck. I chose the same.

3. Ellipsis


How will you answer these questions?o Would you like a bottle of juice?o What are you doing?

o Omitting part of sentences on the assumption that an earlier sentence or the context will make the meaning clear is called ellipsis.

o E.g.o The children will carry the small boxes, the

adults the large ones.

TASK 5:o Identify examples of ellipsis in these extracts:

Most students start each term with an award cheque. But by the time accommodation and food are paid for, books are brought, trips taken home, and a bit of social life lived, it usually looks pretty emaciated.

Advertisement for Barclays Bank, University of Birmingham Bulletin, 5 December 1988; 5)

‘You like watching children…?’ her tone seemed to say: ‘You’re like a child yourself.’‘Yes. Don’t you?’ His cheek was full of cheese sandwich. She didn’t answer, only looked at the swings with anxiety.‘I sometimes wish,’ he said, trying hard to empty his mouth, ‘I could join in myself.’‘But you wouldn’t?’‘Why not?’He saw the sudden change in her eyes. And was that a smile somewhere in that held-aloft face?‘Well, if you feel that way…?’‘-Why don’t I?’

Graham Swift, The sweet Shop Owner, Penguin Books Limited, 1986;27)


4. Conjunction

a word or group of words used to connect words, phrases, or clauses.

•mark certain relationsips between clauses and sentences

Four categories:AdditiveAdversativeCausalTemporal

Additive conjunctions: and, also, nor, or else, moreover, in addition, besides, by the way, that is, likewise, similarly, Adversative Conjunctions: yet, but, however, despite this, on the other hand, instead, nevertheless, rather etc.

Causal conjunctions: so, thus, hence, therefore, arising out of this, in that case, otherwise, because, as a result (of this), on this basis, accordingly.

Temporal Conjunctions: then, next, afterward, previously, finally, at last, meanwhile, next day, first, from now on, to sum up, in short, henceforward, hitherto, up to now, this time etc

Examples of Conjunctions

For the whole day he climbed up the steep mountainnside, almost without stopping

TASK 6:o Complete the following sentence using the given

conjunction

And ►AdditiveYet ►AdversativeSo ► CausalThen, ►Temporal

5. Lexical Cohesion :

achieved by the selection of vocabulary.

Types of Lexical Cohesion :o Reiterationo Collocation


o a form of lexical cohesion which involves repetition, synonym or near synonym,superordinate and a general noun.

e.g. Pollution of our environment has occurred for centuries, but it has become a significant health problem only within the last century. Atmospheric pollution contributes to respiratory disease, and to lung cancer in particular. Other health problems directly related to air pollutants include heart disease, eye irritation and so on. Repetition

Types of Lexical Cohesion- Reiteration

e.g. Henry’s has bought a new jaguar. He practically lives in the car. Superordinatee.g. I turned to the ascent of the peak.The climb is perfectly is easy. Synonyme.g. I turned to the ascent of the peak. The thing is perfectly is easy. General noune.g. There is a boy climbing that tree. The lad is going to fall if he doesn’t take care. Near -Synonym

Reiteration Examples

cohesion and coherence

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