Exercise 3.2 Flashcards
Is the following paragraph cohesive? Why or why not?
Public transportation reduces traffic congestion and lowers carbon emissions in cities. Most cities today forbid residents from shooting fireworks during the Fourth of July. The Fourth of July commemorates the birth of the United States as an independent nation.
Yes, because each sentence begins with old information before introducing new information.
cf. 3.1
Is the following paragraph coherent? Why or why not?
Public transportation reduces traffic congestion and lowers carbon emissions in cities. Most cities today forbid residents from shooting fireworks during the Fourth of July. The Fourth of July commemorates the birth of the United States as an independent nation.
No, because it changes topics each sentence.
cf. 3.6
Rewrite the following paragraph to make it more coherent:
Public transportation reduces traffic congestion and lowers carbon emissions in cities. Most cities today forbid residents from shooting fireworks during the Fourth of July. The Fourth of July commemorates the birth of the United States as an independent nation.
Public transportation reduces traffic congestion and lowers carbon emissions in cities. It is also much cheaper than private cars, which require regular maintenance, gas, and insurance. The most popular form of public transportation are busses, although subways are quickly overtaking them.
cf. 3.6 (note: answers may vary, but the topics should remain few and consistent.)
Are the following sentences coherent? Why or why not?
The ability to create complex languages and to reason abstractly is not something animals possess. They can only communicate through simpler means, such as body language and vocalizations.
No, because their main topic (“animals”) does not come toward the beginning of the first sentence, and therefore it loses focus.
cf. 3.8
Revise the following sentences to make them more coherent:
The ability to create complex languages and to reason abstractly is not something animals possess. They can only communicate through simpler means, such as body language and vocalizations.
Animals cannot create complex languages or reason abstractly. They can only communicate through simpler means, such as body language and vocalizations.
cf. 3.8
Are the following sentences coherent? Why or why not?
The Sahara Desert is one of the hottest places on Earth. It experiences freezing temperatures at night.
No, because their relationship is not clear.
cf. 3.7
Revise the following sentences to make them more coherent:
The Sahara Desert is one of the hottest places on Earth. It experiences freezing temperatures at night.
Although the Sahara Desert is one of the hottest places on Earth, it experiences freezing temperatures at night.
cf. 3.7 (note: we need to add metadiscourse (“although”) to clarify logical relationships.)
Revise the following sentences to make them more coherent:
Industrial farms have reduced starvation throughout many developing countries. However, the environment is also polluted by many of them, and animals are sometimes forced to live in inhumane conditions.
Industrial farms have reduced starvation throughout many developing countries. However, many of them also pollute the environment and force animals to live in inhumane conditions.
topics should be few and consistent and should come toward the beginning of sentences and clauses (3.6, 3.8)
Revise the following sentences to make them more coherent:
A legal concept that grants creators exclusive rights to their original work, copyright aims to encourage innovation by ensuring that creators can monitize their creations.
Copyright is a legal concept that grants creators exclusive rights to their original work. It aims to encourage innovation by ensuring that creators can monitize their creations.
place the topic toward the beginning of the sentence (3.8)
Revise the following sentences to make them more coherent:
Competition between local businesses and corporations is the focus of this study. The incentives that drive their marketing decisions are examined in particular.
This study focuses on how local businesses and corporations compete. In particular, it examines the incentives that drive their marketing decisions.
topics should be few (3.6), place the topic toward the beginning of the sentence (3.8)
Revise the following sentences to make them more coherent:
Public universities are much more expensive than they were twenty years ago. Therefore, if students want to get the most out of their college experience, they must study diligently.
Public universities are much more expensive than they were twenty years ago. Therefore, more and more students are applying for scholarships.
logical relationships are not clear, 3.7 (note: This is faked coherence. The word “therefore” suggests a causal relationship, but in fact the succeeding clause does not follow from the preceding statement. The price of universities has no relationship to whether students must study diligently.)
Revise the following sentence to make it more coherent:
Playing a critical role in regulating the planet’s climate, oceans absorb carbon dioxide, thus mitigating the effects of gobal warming.
Oceans play a critical role in regulating the planet’s climate. They absorb carbon dioxide, thus mitigating the effects of global warming.
place the topic toward the beginning of the sentence (3.8)
Revise the following sentences to make them more coherent:
My mother once baked me a special treat for my birthday. Even though I didn’t like chocolate, I ate it and told her it was delicious. She now makes it for me every year.
My mother once baked me a chocolate cake for my birthday. Even though I didn’t like chocolate, I ate it and told her it was delicious. She now makes it for me every year.
relationships are not clear, 3.7 (note: the reference to chocolate is confusing because it has not yet been established that there was chocolate in the treat)
