Coherence and Cohesion | Active Summary

Objectives

1.  Master the concepts of textual cohesion and coherence, understanding how they are essential for clarity and effectiveness in written communication.

2.  Identify and apply resources such as synonymy, antonymy, and homonymy to improve the progression and logic of texts.

3.  Develop critical analysis skills of texts, recognizing the use of cohesion and coherence in different textual genres.

Contextualization

Have you ever stopped to think about why some news articles or political texts leave us confused, while others convince us immediately? The answer may lie in textual cohesion and coherence! These concepts are not only key to good academic writing but also to any form of effective communication. Understanding how words connect and form a logical whole can not only improve your grades but also enhance your ability to persuade and argue, whether in a debate with friends or in writing an article for the school newspaper. Let's explore together how to master the art of writing cohesive and coherent texts!

Important Topics

Textual Cohesion

Textual cohesion refers to the articulation and connection between parts of a text, which are fundamental for clarity and comprehension. This connection can be made through various resources, such as pronouns, conjunctions, adverbs, among others, which help maintain continuity and fluidity in the text.

• Cohesion resources include pronouns that refer to terms already mentioned to avoid excessive repetition, maintaining clarity and textual economy.

• Conjunctions like 'and', 'but', 'because' are used to establish logical relationships between ideas, indicating addition, opposition, cause, and consequence.

• Adverbs of manner, time, and place are employed to contextualize actions and events, contributing to the progression of the text.

Textual Coherence

Textual coherence is related to the internal logic of the text, that is, the ability for the presented ideas to follow a logical sequence and make sense within the established context. Coherence is essential for the reader to understand the author's messages clearly and without ambiguities.

• A coherent textual structure must present a well-defined beginning, middle, and end, with smooth transitions between parts.

• Ideas should be presented in a way that each new piece of information relates meaningfully to the previous ones, avoiding contradictions or thematic deviations.

• Coherence also requires the author to consider the reader's prior knowledge and the context in which the text is read, adapting the level of detail and the complexity of the information.

Semantic Resources: Synonymy, Antonymy, and Homonymy

These semantic resources are crucial for the variety and lexical richness of a text, contributing to textual cohesion. Synonymy is used to avoid repetitions, antonymy for contrasts, and homonymy for wordplay or ambiguities, which can enrich the reading.

• Synonyms are words with similar meanings that can be used to vary the vocabulary and avoid monotony.

• Antonyms are opposites that, when well employed, enrich the text by highlighting contrasts and oppositions.

• Homonymy, which occurs when different words have the same pronunciation or spelling, can be used to create puns or wordplay, adding an element of humor or creativity to the text.

Key Terms

• Textual Cohesion: The logical connection between the parts of a text, maintained by specific linguistic resources that prevent the fragmentation of ideas.

• Textual Coherence: The logical relationship between ideas and sentences within a text, which ensures that the content is understood and accepted as a coherent whole.

• Synonymy: Relationship between words that have similar meanings, used to avoid repetitions and enrich the text's vocabulary.

• Antonymy: Relationship between words that express opposing ideas, used to emphasize contrasts and oppositions in the text.

• Homonymy: Occurrence of words that are pronounced or spelled the same way, but have different meanings, often used to create effects of humor or ambiguity.

To Reflect

• How can the lack of cohesion affect the understanding of a text? Give examples of texts you have read that were harmed by a lack of cohesion.

• Why is it important to maintain coherence in argumentative texts? How can the lack of coherence affect the reader's persuasion?

• In what way can the choice of synonymous, antonymous, or homonymous words improve the stylistic quality of a text? Try rewriting a sentence using these resources to see the difference in the text's effect.

Important Conclusions

• We explored the importance of textual cohesion and coherence, essential for clarity and effectiveness in written communication. We learned how resources such as pronouns, conjunctions, and adverbs maintain the unity of the text.

• We discussed how the internal coherence of a text, ensuring that ideas follow a logical chain, is crucial for understanding and persuasion.

• We recognized the relevance and practical application of semantic resources such as synonymy, antonymy, and homonymy, which enrich vocabulary and textual expressiveness.

To Exercise Knowledge

Rewrite one of your old texts, focusing on improving cohesion and coherence. Use different cohesion resources we learned and observe how it affects the clarity of your text. Create a short story using only synonyms for the main words. Try to maintain the coherence of the story even with the vocabulary variation. Analyze a newspaper article or a blog post, identifying the cohesion and coherence resources used by the author and discuss how they contribute to the effectiveness of communication.

Challenge

Textual Detective Challenge: Find an example of text that fails in cohesion or coherence in a newspaper, magazine, or online. Identify and explain at least three errors and propose how you would rewrite the text to improve them. Share your findings in our online forum for group discussion!

Study Tips

• Practice writing regularly and ask for feedback from a colleague or teacher on the cohesion and coherence of your texts. This will help identify areas for improvement.

• Use mind maps to organize your ideas and ensure they follow a logical sequence. This can be especially useful when planning longer essays or articles.

• Read a variety of texts, such as news articles, novels, essays, to observe how different authors use cohesion and coherence in diverse contexts. Try to identify the resources they use and how it affects your reading.