Cohesion and Clarity
12- 15
Tips for Cohesive Writing
Here are some tips for making your writing more cohesive:
▪ Use transitional words and phrases to connect ideas. ▪ Repeat key terms as often as needed; do not substitute new words for terms already introduced. ▪ Use parallel structures in writing sentences and expressing thoughts in paragraphs.
Each tip is discussed in detail below.
√ Use transitional words and phrases.
A useful tool for connecting sentences and ideas, that is, for transitioning between them, is transitional words. Transitional, or connecting, words can help show the connection between a particular sentence and the sentences before and after it. Transitional words can be used within sentences, between sentences, and between paragraphs. Some of the most common ones are but, and, or, if, so, so that, first, second, last, although, however, moreover, also, in addition, for example, furthermore, therefore, thus, and finally. Even words like it/they and this/these can be used to connect words and ideas. In the example below, thus connects the 2 sentences, and although connects the 2 parts of the second sentence by contrasting 2 ideas: One example of abnormal molecular physiology is the missing link between genes and behavior. Thus, although it is becoming clearer how hypothalamic neuropeptides control the amount of food we eat, further investigation is needed to establish the role of neuropeptides in determining the amount we eat at one sitting. (From List & Habener, 2003)
In the following example, in fact emphasizes or intensifies what follows:
Neurons may be particularly sensitive to free radical damage during aging. In fact, overexpression of Cu/Zn SOD in only motor neurons can extend Drosophila life-span by 48%. (From Wolkow et al., 2000)
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