Structering an argument: Cohesion

Question 1

What is cohesion?

Answer 1

Cohesion is the action of forming a unified whole. It is about relationships between content. Is it clear why one part comes after another?

Question 2

What is given-new contract?

Answer 2

Start a sentence with old information and end with new.

Question 3

What are coherence markers?

Answer 3

These are words or phrases that directly tell the reader how the next sentence relates to the segment before.

Question 4

What are local coherence markers?

Answer 4

They indicate how the sentence relates to the immediately preceding segment (either the previous sentence, or the previous paragraph).

Before using these, first think about what the relationship between the segments is:

• Exemplification:
• “for example”, “for instance”
• Elaboration:
• “furthermore”, “moreover”, “similarly”, “additionally”, “in addition”, “also”
• Contrast:
• “in contrast”, “on the other hand”

*Contradiction/concession:
* “however”, “still”, “despite this”

• Cause/effect
• “because of this”, “as a result”, “for that reason”

Question 5

What are long-distance coherence markers?

Answer 5

These tell the readers what types of information are most likely to come up in the proceeding sentences (or even paragraphs).
For example:
On the one hand… (on the other hand will likely follow)
First (you can expect a second, and thirth)