How a Text Holds Together
Cohesion — reference, substitution, and paragraph flow. Jess runs a writing workshop with two versions of the same paragraph; the difference between 'has the right ideas' and 'holds together' is one whiteboard rewrite away.
📖 Reading: What Makes a Great Text?
Jess had agreed to run a writing workshop for the group. She began with a question.
"What makes a piece of writing feel smooth?" she asked.
"Good sentences," said Leo.
"Good ideas," said Omar.
"Both of those," said Jess, "but there's something else. Something that holds them together."
She wrote two versions of the same paragraph on the whiteboard.
VERSION A: "Community cafés are important. Community cafés provide spaces. In community cafés, people connect. Community cafés help local identity. Community cafés are good for cities."
VERSION B: "Community cafés serve an important social function. Such establishments provide spaces for genuine human connection — something increasingly rare in urban environments. In turn, this contributes to local cultural identity and, consequently, to the overall wellbeing of the city."
"Version A has the right ideas," said Jess. "But Version B holds together. Why?"
"No repetition," said Maya immediately. "She replaced 'community cafés' with 'such establishments' and then 'this'."
"Exactly. That's cohesion. The ideas are linked by language — not just by logic."
"Is cohesion the same as flow?" asked Leo.
"Flow is the result," said Jess. "Cohesion is the mechanism."
🔑 Vocabulary Box
Eight key words from this lesson.
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cohesion | The way a text is linguistically held together | n. — Cohesion is achieved through reference and substitution. |
| coherence | The logical and conceptual consistency of a text | n. — Coherence is about meaning; cohesion is about language. |
| superordinate | A word that is more general than another word it includes | n. — 'Establishment' is a superordinate of 'café'. |
| lexical | Relating to vocabulary and word choice | adj. — Lexical cohesion uses synonyms and superordinates. |
| mechanism | The means by which something happens; the process involved | n. — Cohesion is the mechanism that creates flow. |
| synonym | A word with the same or similar meaning as another word | n. — Using synonyms avoids repetition. |
| collocation | Words that typically go together in natural usage | n. — 'Strong argument', 'reach a conclusion' are collocations. |
| diagnose | To identify the cause of a problem | v. — You can diagnose weak cohesion in a text. |
📚 Key Verbs & Structures in This Lesson | |
Reference: this/that/such/the latter | Such establishments... / This contributes to... / The latter refers to... |
Lexical cohesion: synonym/superordinate | café → establishment → venue → such places |
In turn / consequently / as a result | In turn, this contributes to... / Consequently,... |
Topic sentence + support + link | State → explain → connect to next idea. |
📚 Grammar Focus
📚 Types of Reference | |
Personal (pronoun) | Maya walked in. She looked tired. |
Demonstrative | The award was unexpected. This surprised Leo. |
Comparative | The café is well-known. Such places are rare. |
The former / the latter | Leo opened a café; Maya designed it. The former provides; the latter visualises. |
Lexical Cohesion
📚 Lexical Cohesion | |
Synonyms | community café → independent establishment → local venue |
Superordinates | espresso / latte / flat white → coffee → drink → product |
General words | Café Colibri → the place → this establishment → it |
Collocation chains | open → run → sustain → close a business |
Paragraph Flow — Structure
📚 Paragraph Flow — Structure | |
Topic sentence | States the main idea of the paragraph. |
Development | Explains or expands the idea with evidence or detail. |
Linking device | Connects to the next paragraph or idea. |
Flow connectors | In turn / as a result / consequently / moreover / this, in itself |
🎭 Dialogue: Does It Flow?
Jess takes Leo's repetitive first draft and rewrites it live. Five repetitions of 'great' become four sharp adjectives, and 'café' becomes 'such venues'.
Leo, read me your first draft of the café description.
"Café Colibri is a great café. Café Colibri has great coffee. The café has great design. The café has a great community."
How many times did you say "great"?
Four. And "café" three times.
Now try: use this, such, it, and swap "great" with different words.
"Café Colibri is an award-winning independent establishment. Such venues are rare in the city. Its coffee is outstanding, its design considered, and its community — perhaps its most distinctive quality — genuine."
That's cohesion. One paragraph. No repetition.
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
What question does Jess open the workshop with?
What is the main weakness of Version A of the paragraph?
What does Maya notice about how cohesion works in Version B?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Improve cohesion: 'Coffee is popular. Coffee is drunk by millions. Coffee has many varieties. Coffee is grown in warm climates.'
Improve cohesion: 'Maya is a designer. Maya is from Taiwan. Maya moved to Toronto. Maya works for several clients.'
Connect cohesively: 'The café opened in 2022. ___ it has won two awards.'
🎭 Now It's Your Turn — Role Play
Practice with a partner. Use the dialogue as a model and extend it.
- Student A: Write a paragraph (5 sentences) with very poor cohesion — repeat the same words and avoid connectors.
- Student B: Diagnose the cohesion problems and rewrite the paragraph using proper reference, lexical substitution, and connectors.
- Then swap. Compare both versions aloud: which flows better and why?