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Coherence means that all the parts of the essay fit together, or COHERE. An essay that lacks coherence is difficult to follow and can be quite frustrating for readers. As you revise, check for coherence on three levels: in the essay as a whole, within paragraphs, and between sentences.
The best way to test your essay for coherence is to make an outline after you have written your first draft. Write your thesis on a blank piece of paper. Under the thesis, write the topic sentence (main point) of each body paragraph. It should be clear how each topic sentence relates to your thesis. You should be able to state the function of each paragraph in your essay. If you can’t, then your own conception of the essay is probably fuzzy. You may have to eliminate irrelevant paragraphs, combine related material into new paragraphs, or sharpen the sentences that show how a particular paragraph relates to your thesis. You should also check to see that the order of your paragraphs makes sense.
Since paragraphs are mini-essays, the questions you need to ask are similar to those above. For each paragraph, identify the topic sentence (main point), and be sure that everything in the paragraph is clearly related to that main point.
To show how one paragraph is related to the next, you can add a transition sentence to the end of one paragraph and/or to the start of another. These sentences generally sum up what the essay has covered so far and/or point ahead to what is coming up. Here are some examples.
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Plant-eating dinosaurs displayed even more adaptive behaviors than meat-eaters. (previous paragraph discussed adaptive behaviors in meat-eating dinosaurs) |
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Now that we have examined the effects of UV rays, let’s look at the impact of gamma radiation. |
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Peer pressure, advertising, and movies all have an impact on teen drinking, but the strongest influence by far is parental behavior. |
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Although science test scores have risen, math scores continue to fall. |
In some ways, this is the most important level of coherence: this is where the words you choose create smooth links between sentences and paragraphs. You may see the connection between your ideas, but if you do not communicate that connection clearly, your readers may not follow your reasoning. There are three ways to achieve coherence at the sentence level:
Identify two or three key words in your thesis, and use these words frequently in your essay. In particular, it is important to use these key words within the topic sentences of each new paragraph. Doing so will make the link between body paragraphs and main idea clear.
Too much repetition of the same words can become tedious. To guard against this problem, substitute pronouns and synonyms for the key words in your thesis. If your main point addresses the issue of independence, for example, you can substitute words like self-determination, self-sufficiency, standing on one’s own, and independent action. Just be sure that the meaning of the synonym or the referent of any pronoun is unmistakably clear.
Transition words and phrases are essential to show how ideas are linked together. When we read, we automatically ask how one sentence is related to the next. The following list provides most common words and phrases that link sentences smoothly and logically.
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Now that you have completed Web Lesson 8 on Coherence, you should read pages 313-318 in the Sundance Reader on Analysis.
Once you have completed this reading, you will be ready to take Quiz 3: Coherence and Analysis. After you submit your quiz, use the Back button to return to this page.
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