Unity, coherence and cohesion in academic

writing

RCSZ_AJC1 English for PhD Studies – C1

Unity

= connection of all ideas to the central focus of a piece of writing.

 In an essay, all ideas should relate to the thesis statement.

 In an article, all ideas should relate to topic that is discussed,
presented, analysed… within the given scope.

 The supporting ideas in the individual body paragraphs should relate

to the topic sentences/section headings.

 To keep unity in your writing:

 Edit the draft for any ideas that are not relevant (do not relate to
the central focus of the writing).
 Be prepared to delete irrelevant passages.
Coherence

 Coherence is closely related to unity.

 A writing is coherent if all ideas are arranged in a clear,

meaningful and logical way:

 the text - meaningful as a whole

 the text - logically built
 ideas on the same topic - in one paragraph
 a clear link between the content of one paragraph and the following
 coherence at a sentence level

 TIP: Creating outlines helps to produce well–organised writing.

Organising ideas at macro/text-level
 What type of organisation is the best for your writing?

 Ways to organise different types of writing:

 Chronology (historical events, processes): order by time or order of

events / steps;

 Description: order by position, size, and shape of things;

 Classification: group ideas and explain them in a logical order;

 Comparison/contrast: organise in point-by-point (AB-AB-AB) or block

style (AAA-BBB);

 Argumentation / persuasion and cause / effect: order from least

important to most important or vice versa.
Arranging ideas at sentence-level

 When writing/revising/editing your writing:

 make sure all ideas are arranged in a clear and logical way

 all the links between sentences are meaningful and logical

 express the logico-semantic relations explicitly where necessary

(use suitable linking devices).
Coherence: text structure and organisation (as a whole, paragraphs,
sentences) + meaningfulness + logic

 TIP: Read through the text you have produced carefully.

 If you come across a problem with sequencing

information/linking:
 read the text aloud (several times);

 imagine you are telling the information to someone else.

 This helps focusing on the key ideas and their logical

arrangement.
Cohesion
= formal devices that link the text together:

 GRAMMATICAL
1) linking devices: conjunctions and transitional words
 and, but, however, even though, because, consequently, therefore…
2) reference
 it, she, they, this, that, above, below, next…

 LEXICAL
3) repetition (key words)
 success, success; success, succeed; success, successful
4) synonymy/equivalence
 success, achievement, accomplishment, positive results,...
5) other relations – opposites, part-whole, general-specific
 admit x deny; wheel, car; fuel, oil
6) general class words
 (these features; this process; those assumptions)
 Transition

= the use conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs and other

transition words (e.g. although, therefore, however, for
example, besides, in fact) to express logical links between
sentences

 Very useful technique BUT overuse lowers readability! – see

the example below:

 In addition, it is widely recognised that most cases of child sexual

abuse are not reported to authorities. Therefore, prevalence rates
that include reported and unreported cases more accurately
describe the extent of the problem of child sexual assaults in
communities. However, cases are difficult to ascertain through
retrospective population studies. For example, there is an inverse
association between study response rates and the estimated
prevalence of child sexual abuse.
Structural cohesion

= the use of parallel structures (repeated grammatical forms).

These structures:
 establish repetitive patterns helping to present ideas in a
consistent way;
 improve readability by creating a smooth, organised flow of
thought.

 Structural cohesion can be achieved by changing the

grammatical construction.
 Parallel structures: Sample sentences
 1 *To study mechanisms and *investigate risk factors will provide useful
information.
 Studying mechanisms and investigating risk factors will provide useful
information.
 To study mechanisms and to investigate risk factors will provide useful
information.

 2 Dr Smith's idea is brilliant, original, and *will work.

 Dr Smith's idea is brilliant, original, and practical.

 3 Disability was reported by 58% of the respondents as interfering with their

professional capacity and to be restricting leisure activities in 70% of the group.
 In this study, 58% of participants reported that their disability interfered with
their professional capacity and 70% reported that their disability restricted their
leisure activities.

 (The percentage is placed before the verb in both clauses rather than at the
beginning of one clause and end of the next.)
 Linking subjects to objects
 Useful strategy: linking the beginning (or subject) of the sentence to
the end (or object) of the previous sentence.

 1 Obesity is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In

Australia, over 50% of adults are overweight or obese.
 In Australia, over 50% of adults are overweight or obese. Being
overweight is a significant risk factor for the development of
cardiovascular disease.

 2 We conducted a study of children of whom 10% had diabetes.

We found a higher incidence of obesity in children with diabetes.
 We conducted a study of children of whom 10% had diabetes.
Children with diabetes have a higher incidence of obesity.
 References
de Chazal, E., & McCarter, S. (2012). Oxford EAP: A course in English for Academic Purposes Upper-
Intermediate/B2. Oxford: OUP.

Heasley, L. & Hamps-Lyons, B. (2006). Study writing. A course of writing skills for academic purposes.
Cambridge: CUP.

Hewings, M., & Thaine, C. (2012). Cambridge Academic English. An integrated skills course for EAP.
Student's Book. Advanced. Cambridge: CUP.

McCarthy, M. O’Dell, F. (2012). Academic Vocabulary in Use. Cambridge: CUP.

Peat, Jennifer: Scientific Writing: Easy When You Know How. (2002). London: BMJ Books.

Štěpánek Libor, de Haaff, Janice, et al. (2011): Academic English. Grada: Praha.

Yang, J. T. (1995). An Outline of Scientific Writing: For Researchers with English as a Foreign
Language. Singapore: World Scientific.

Zemach, D. E., & Rumisek L. A. (2005). Academic Writing from paragraph to essay. Oxford: Macmillan.