Unit 2

Paragraph Coherence

Lecturer: Zhangrui

Contents:

• 1. What Is Coherence• 2. How to Achieve Coherence

1. What Is Coherence

• I had a terrible morning today. (1) In the middle of a class, I discovered I had left my physics assignments in my locker( 抽屉） . (2) On my way to my political science class, I tripped over a curb ( 路边石） and tore my raincoat. (3) At the end of the class, the professor would not let me go for lunch on time. (4) I slept so late that I did not have time to eat my breakfast. (5) I had not turned in my assignments, and he wanted to talk over this

• problem with me. (6)

• I had a terrible morning today. I slept so late that I did not have time to eat my breakfast. On my way to my political science class, I tripped over a curb ( 路边石） and tore my raincoat. In the middle of a class, I discovered I had left my physics assignments in my locker(抽屉） . At the end of the class, the professor would not let me go for lunch on time, because I had not turned in my assignments, and he wanted to talk over this

• problem with me.

• Coherence:

• refers to the connectedness and consistency of the ideas in one paragraph or essay. Each sentence in it naturally leads to the next in exploring the controlling idea.

2. How to Achieve Coherence

• 1. logical order of sentences in a paragraph

• 2. parallel structures

• 3. cohesive devices

2.1 Logical order of sentences in a paragraph

• 1. Time order (or chronological order)

• 2. Space order (or spatial order)

• 3. Climactic order ( 渐层法 )

• 4. General-to-specific order (or deductive order)

• 5. Specific-to-general order (or inductive order)

1. Time order (or chronological order)

• The life of Grandma Moses proves that a person is never too old to develop his or her talents. As a child, Anna Moses loved to draw; she often made pictures with berry juice when paint was scarce. When she eventually married and had a large family, she found little time to paint. Years later, with her children grown up, she began to knit pictures with yarn, but her fingers ached, and she returned to her first love, painting. She was seventy years old! An art dealer saw her pictures in a local drugstore and bought them. Grandma Moses, as she was called, soon became famous, with her paintings of simple country life exhibited throughout the world. She continued to paint until her death at 101.

2. Space order (or spatial order)

• Carols looked at the scene from the summit of Mt. Everest( 珠穆朗玛峰） . In the distant north he saw Tibet. A bit closer, he saw some of the lower peaks of the Himalayan range. On a ledge ( 岩石突出的岩架） about one thousand feet below him, he saw the figures of some of the men who had helped him prepare for his final climb to the top.

3. Climactic order ( 渐层法 )

• It was graduation day at the college, and faces beamed with pride. Teachers vigorously shook hands with their students, delighted that so many had successfully completed the program. Even prouder were relatives of the graduates. They had encouraged wives, husbands, sons, and daughters who, tired and discouraged, had threatened to leave college. But the proudest of all were the graduates. Many had returned to school after years in the world of work. They had toiled at the jobs, gone to school after night, and cared for their families—this day made all the sacrifices worthwhile.

4. General-to-specific order (or deductive order)

• I already knew that Susie, my tortoise-colored kitten, had an unusual interest in mechanical things. I was sure, therefore, one morning when I saw her go into the utility room and swing open the small metal door on the gas heater, that she would sit and peer at the mechanism inside. That is just what she did. When I offered her a ball of yarn and a small musical top, I expected her to prefer the latter as a toy. She did, and learned to spin with admirable dexterity. And I was awakened late one night by a gentle tapping in the study next to my bedroom, I knew immediately that in the darkness a soft little paw was playing feline rhythms on the keys of my typewriter.

5. Specific-to-general order (or inductive order)

• As an early-morning pastime Susie, my tortoise-colored kitten, would frequent the utility room, swing open the small metal door on the gas heater, and peer at the mechanism inside. During the daytime her favorite toy was not the usual ball of the yarn or sprig of catnip but a small musical top that she learned to spin with admirable dexterity. And late at night, when there was sometimes a gentle tapping in the study next to my bedroom, the cause proved the same: in the darkness a soft little paw was playing feline rhythms on the keys of my typewriter. For a kitten, Susie had an unusual interest in mechanical things.

2.2 Parallel Structures

• Many people begin to exercise because they want to look healthy, because they need to have stamina, and because they hope to live longer.

• Widely accepted both in the united States and Abroad, credit cards enables us to travel with ease, to eat at the best restaurant, and to shop at the finest stores.

2.3 Cohesive devices

• 1) Pronoun reference

• Personal reference: personal pronouns ①possessive determiners possessive pr② ③

onouns

• Demonstrative reference: nominal deixi①s definite article adverbial deixis② ③

• Comparative reference: same, equal, such, similarly, etc.

2.3 Cohesive devices

2) Substitution and ellipsis

• This room is larger that that one.

• I like reading novels. So does my sister.

• Do you think Tom is an honest worker? I think so/not.

• Would you like to travel with me? I’d like to.

2.3 Cohesive devices

3) Transitional expressions:Expressions that indicate time: after a while immediately since afterward in the mean time so far as long as in the past as soon as lately subsequently at last thereafte

rExpressions that indicate comparison: in spite of although instead …on the other hand

meanwhile similarly even so however on the contrary in contrast on the one hand

2.3 Cohesive devices

Expressions that indicate place:above here there near to the east nearby to the left to the right on the other side opposite to Expressions that indicate example:after all indeed that is an illustration of in fact to illustrate truly for example of course for instance specificallyExpressions that indicate summary:all in all in other words on the whole altogetheras has been said in short in brief in summary

2.3 Cohesive devices

Expressions that indicate cause of effect:

accordingly hence as a result otherwise thus because then

since to this end consequently for this purpose therefore

Expressions that indicate concession:

although if of course even if indeed though even

though naturally while now that yet

European universities and universities in the United States are different in many ways. 1 , European students enroll in fewer courses each term than United States students do. 2 , European students seldom live at a university. 3 , they live at home and travel to classes. 4 , most European courses are given by professors who lecture to their classes. 5 , United States professors often ask their students questions or allow their students to form discussion groups. 6 , European professors ask students to write fewer papers than United States professors do. 7 , European students’ final examinations are usually oral, whereas American students take written final examinations. 8 , a European university is mainly a place in which to study in. 9 at most United States universities, social activities take up a large part of the students’ time.

2.3 Cohesive devices

4) Lexical devices Lexical reiteration: repetition of a

key word in the form of the same word, synonym, a near synonym, a super-ordinates, and a hyponyms

Lexical collocation: collocation and co-occurrence