Cohesion and Coherence

Lesson 1

Understanding Cohesion and Coherence

Read the following passages aloud. Which one is more clearly stated? The Gateway Arch at the edge of the Mississippi River in St. Louis is the worlds tallest monument. Eero Saarinen designed the stainless steel structure that commemorates the Westward Movement. At the edge of the Mississippi River in St. Louis stands the Gateway Arch, the worlds tallest monument. This stainless steel structure, designed by Eero Saarinen, commemorates the Westward Movement.
What makes the second seem to flow more easily?

Cohesion and Coherence

We feel a sentence is cohesive with the one before it when we see at the beginning of the second sentence information that appeared toward the end of the first. Thats what gives us our experience of flow. In fact, thats the biggest reason the passive is in the language: to arrange sentences so that they flow from one to the next easily.

Two Principles for Revision

1: Begin sentences with information that is familiar to your readers, usually information youve just given them. 2: End sentences with information that is new to your readers.
This is called The Known-New Contract. Information moves from familiar to unfamiliar.

An Example

How might you fix the following sentences so that they are more coherent? Some astonishing questions about the nature of the universe have been raised by scientists studying black holes in space. The collapse of a dead star into a point perhaps no larger than a ________________________________________ marble _________ creates a black hole. So much matter __________________ compressed into so little volume changes the fabric of space around it in puzzling ways.

An Example

Some astonishing questions about the nature of the universe have been raised by scientists studying black holes in space. A black hole is created by the collapse of a dead star into a point perhaps no larger ___________________________________ than a marble. So much matter ____________________ _______________________ compressed into so small a volume changes the fabric of space around it in puzzling ways.

Another Example

The relentless heat of Californias great Central Valley makes the summer almost unbearable at times. Over 110 degrees is not an unusual temperature reading from June through September. Bakersfield often records the hottest temperature in the valley.
The relentless heat of Californias great Central Valley makes the summer almost unbearable at times. Its not unusual for the temperature to reach 110 degrees in Bakersfield, often the hottest spot in the valley.

Note that summer in the first sentence makes June through September redundant.

Leave

Come to class Thursday with your outline completely filled out. Also bring one piece of research, formal or informal.