SECTION A QUESTION 1: COHESION BASIC FACTS ABOUT COHESION
Cohesion refers to the parts of the language system which tie sentences and clauses together.
Basically, cohesion refers to the relationship and connections which exist between ideas in a
paragraph, essay or novel. Cohesion also describes the patterns of language created within a text,
mainly within and across sentence boundaries. More importantly, cohesion mark up the organisation
of larger units of the text such as paragraphs. More importantly, cohesion is the glue that brings
sentences together.
Types of cohesion
There are two major classes or categories of text cohesion in English. These are:
Grammatical cohesion refers to the use of grammatical elements to tie a text together. Reference
cohesion
The principle of reference within text tells the reader that they can only make complete sense of a
word or structure they are looking at it if they look elsewhere in the text to get a fuller picture.
Personal pronoun reference
Personal pronouns are words that can substitute nouns. These are as follows:
I; you (singular); she; it; one; we; you (plural); they
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, Other forms of pronouns: me; him; her; us; them
When one of these pronouns occurs in a text, readers expect to have to link it with something –
either an item that has already been mentioned or something that is coming up.
ANAPHORIC REFERENCE- a pronoun referring back something
CATAPHORIC REFERENCE – the pronoun referring to something coming later
EXAMPLES
• Tom said that he was going home (anaphoric reference)
• I couldn’t believe it – the house was a complete wreck (cataphoric reference.)
EXOPHORIC reference: This is a reference item which moves the reader outside a text so that he\
she can make full sense of the text by referring to its context.
For example, the use of ‘you’ on a text as a direct address to the reader tells the reader to use
himself as the reference point.
The use of ‘l’ in a text tells the reader that the writer or the narrator is being self- referential.
N.B. The pronouns ‘you’ and ‘l’ function as signposts leading out of the text and they make the
reader to focus on the human agents who are producing and receiving the text.
ENDOPHORIC REFERENCE – This is a reference item which allows the reader to stay within a
text, so the reader do not need any supporting details from outside
DEMONSTRATIVE REFERENCE (DEICTICS)
It is carried by the following terms: the; this; that; these; those; here; and there.
These terms demonstrate where something is - they are verbal pointers. Demonstrative pronouns
can work backwards (anaphoric) or forwards (cataphoric)
For example:
l went to Italy last year, and l want to go there again soon (anaphoric)
But the problem is this: how can l afford it? (cataphoric)
This; these and here- all mean near the writer/ speaker.
COMPARATIVE REFERENCE tells the reader to look elsewhere for information with a particular
aim in mind – to compare the items that are being linked.
Look for the use of ‘er’ to compare two items e.g. taller, healthier.
Also look for the use of ‘est’ which is used to compare more than one item.
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