Senior High School

Reading and Writing

Quarter 3: Module 2 - Lesson 2
Stay Connected

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Reading and Writing – Senior High School
Module 2 - Lesson 2: Stay Connected
First Edition, 2020

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Editors: Liny B. Grefal

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 LESSON 1 – MODULE 1

Coherence and Cohesion

Welcome to your new lesson!
Every good writing needs to be reader friendly. It needs to be as clear as possible so
that the reader can easily follow sentences, ideas and details in the writing. One key aspect of
this feature of good writing is weaving through the connections and relationships that exist
between ideas.

Through this module, you will gain knowledge on coherence and cohesion as properties
of a well-written text.

Specifically, after working on this module, you should be able to:

 identify the features of a coherent and cohesive text

 evaluate a written text based on its coherence and cohesion

Now, let us begin.

As you start studying this module, you will encounter some difficult words that might
hinder you in understanding the lesson. Try to make yourself familiar with the words listed
below.
1. Coherence - the connection of ideas at the idea level.
2. Cohesion - the connection of ideas at the sentence level
3. Reference words - are words which are used to refer to something which is mentioned
elsewhere in the text usually in a preceding sentence
4. Transitional signals - are also called cohesive devices or linking words
5. Synonyms - are words that have the same or nearly the same meaning as another word
6. Parallelism - is the use of matching words, phrases, clauses or sentence structures to
express similar ideas
Be guided with the words
listed above. They are
important terms that will help
you to understand the lesson.
Good luck!

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 Read and analyze the short paragraphs below and underline one sentence in each
which is irrelevant or not related to the topic. Write your responses on a separate sheet.

1. I dislike being stressed in the morning. Therefore, I wake up two hours before leaving for
work. This means having to go to bed very early in the evening. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be well
enough rested. Eating my breakfast is a thing I should not forget.
2. Public transportation plays a pivotal role in human life nowadays. Many people use different
modes to travel between places, such as train, bus, and taxi. Fare should be taken into
consideration. However, using public transit has its own advantages and disadvantages.
3. My favorite color is blue. Blue sports cars go very fast. I like it because it is calming and it
relaxes me. I often go outside in the summer and lie on the grass and look into the clear sky
when I am stressed. For this reason, I’d have to say my favorite color is blue.
4. Mr. Park resisted pressure to take a job with a large corporation and rejected the security
and prestige that comes with such employment. He spent two years trying to convince his
wife and family that he had real entrepreneurial talent. His children are very supportive of
him. Finally, he entered the business plan in a competition and won.
5. International Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March of every year. It began as a
Socialist political event in several Western countries. Women are more powerful than men.
Then, other countries also started celebrating the holiday just as a way to express their love
for women. Currently, the United Nations observes the holiday as a way to bring to light
women’s issues around the world.

. It’s a difficult task, so don’t

worry if you make mistakes for
the first time. Surely, you’ll
learn as you proceed with the
module.

Read and analyze the given sentences in the box.

1. When cats are hungry, they rub on your leg and demand immediate attention. They
find a quiet place and sleep when they are satisfied?
2. When cats are hungry, they rub on your leg and demand immediate attention.
However, when they are satisfied, they find a quiet place and sleep.

.
What can you say
on the sample Good points. The two
sentences above? sentences are different from
Are they different? one another. The second
If yes, why did you sentence is more cohesive
say so? than the first one.

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What is Cohesion?
- it is the connection of ideas at the sentence level
- it focuses on the “grammatical” aspects of writing

Good cohesion is achieved through the following five main methods:

1. Repeated words/ideas – one way to achieve cohesion is to repeat words, or to repeat ideas
using different words.
Example:
Most students are intimidated by the works of William Shakespeare.
They believe Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays are far too
complicated to read and understand.

2. Reference words – are words which are used to refer to something which is mentioned
elsewhere in the text, usually in a preceding sentence. The most common type is pronoun.
Example:
Mr. Thompson agreed to meet with members of the worker’s union
before he signed the contract. He was interested in hearing their
concerns about the new insurance plan.
.
3. Transitional Signals – are also called cohesive devices or linking words. These are words or
phrases which show the relationship between ides. Some examples of transitional signals are:
a. Time – first, immediately, afterward, before, at the same time, after, earlier,
simultaneously, finally, next, in the meantime, later, eventually, then,
meanwhile, now, subsequent, etc.
b. Sequence – moreover, furthermore, next, also, finally, last, another, first,
second, third, besides, additionally, etc.
c. Space – above, next to, below, behind, beside, etc.
d. Illustration – for instance, specifically, for example, namely, in this case, to
illustrate, etc.
e. Comparison – similarly, also, in the same way, still, likewise, in
comparison, too, etc.
f. Contrast – but, despite, however, even though, yet, on the other hand,
although, on the contrary, otherwise, conversely, nevertheless, instead, in
spite of; etc.
g. Cause and effect – because, as a result, consequently, then, so, since,
etc.
h. Conclusion – thus, therefore, in conclusion, in short, etc.
Example:
.
Many students believe they cannot write a good essay because
they are not writers. However, as they practice writing and work on
developing their writing skills, most students are able to gain the
needed confidence to start thinking of themselves as writers
.

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4. Synonyms – are words that have the same or nearly the same meaning as another word.
They provide alternative word choices that can add variety to a text and can help eliminate
unnecessary repetition.

Example:
Teenagers face an enormous amount of peer pressure from
friends and schoolmates. As a result, many young adults are
exhibiting signs of severe stress or depression at an early age.
.

5. Parallelism – is the use of matching words, phrases, clauses or sentence structures to

express similar ideas. Parallel structures allow the reader to flow smoothly from one idea,
sentence or paragraph to the next and to understand the relationships and connections between
ideas.
Example:
Usually, the children spend the summer weekends playing
ball in park, swimming in the neighbor’s pool, eating ice cream under
the three, or camping in the backyard.
.

Below are examples of

paragraph with poor and strong
cohesion. Have a closer look on
how they differ.

Poor Cohesion Strong Cohesion

Thousands of people visit Yosemite National
Park each year. They come to experience
the natural beauties of the magnificent rock
cliffs and to enjoy the great outdoors. These
rock cliffs pose a great danger from
rockslides.
Thousands of people visit Yosemite National
Park each year. They come to experience
the natural beauties of the magnificent rock
cliffs and to enjoy the great outdoors.
However, what they do not realize is that as
beautiful as they are, these rock cliffs pose a
great danger from rockslides.

If there is Cohesion, there should be Coherence.

What is Coherence?
- it is the connection of ideas at the idea level
- “rhetorical” aspects of writing which include developing and
supporting arguments (e.g. thesis statement development,
synthesizing and integrating readings, organizing and clarifying
ideas)
- it is the overall sense of unity in a passage including both the main
point of sentences and the main point of each paragraph

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Coherence involves…

summarizing the overall

argument of an essay in presenting ideas in a
the introductory paragraph logical sequence

FEATURES
beginning each paragraph
putting separate, major
with a ‘topic sentence’,
points into separate
followed by supporting
paragraphs
sentences

Coherence can be achieved by:

 writing a concept map or outline

 write down the main idea of each paragraph – called a topic sentence
 check to see if the topic sentences are connected to the thesis statement
of the paper of have strayed from the main argument

How do you check whether you achieve coherence?

 Analyze the essay paragraph by paragraph.

.
Do the paragraph breaks come in natural places?
Does every paragraph focus only on one aspect of the problem?

 Read the paper from beginning until the end without any pauses.
Does it give you a sense of completeness and unity?

 Think about your impressions.

Can you tell straight away what the main idea of the text is after you
have read it?
It is clear what opinion the author sticks with?

Example:

Poor Coherence Strong Coherence

The industry has many advantages. It can
draw on great deal of research. It can also
export products to key trading partners. It has
significant growth potential in the medium to
long term. Workers within this industry need
training. It is important to keep staff up-to-date
with software used in this industry.
The industry has many advantages. It can
draw on great deal of research, particularly in
terms of strategies used for entering new
markets. While there is a significant growth
potential in the medium to long term, it is
clear that workers within this sector need
training. Therefore, it is important to keep staff
up-to-date with software used in this industry.

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Practice Task 1: Call to ORDER
Number the sentences in an appropriate order to form a coherent and cohesive
paragraph. Do this on a separate sheet of paper.

1) _____a. Therefore, I wake up two hours before leaving for work

_____b. Otherwise I wouldn’t be well enough rested
_____c. I dislike being stressed in the morning
_____d. This means having to go to bed very early in the evening

2) _____a. The set, sounds, and actors in the movie captured the essence of horror films.
_____b. The sounds, too, were appropriate; especially terrifying was the hard, hollow
sound of footsteps throughout the film.
_____c. The set was ideal: looming shadows of large and unlighted houses, deserted
streets, trees dipping their branches over the sidewalks, and mist hugging the
ground.
_____d. But the best feature of the movie was its actors, all of them, tall, pale and
extremely thin.

How did you find the activity?

Did you find it easy? If yes,
then you are now ready to do
the next task. Good luck!

Practice Task 2: Get LOGICAL

Read and analyze the given sentence in each item. Tick off (√) the sentence which
follows logically from the first sentence. Do this activity on a separate answer sheet.
1. Studying when you’re older should not be a problem.
____a. In fact, some say that the additional experience older people have is a plus.
____b. Despite this, there are many benefits to being a mature student.

2. Colleges recognize that not everyone can physically attend a course of study.
____a. For instance, online courses are now very popular.
____b. For this reason, many now offer study-at-home courses.

3. Going back to studying after a long gap can be problematic.

____a. As a result, people can greatly improve their job prospects.
____b. Mature students often have family commitments as well as academic difficulties.

4. Distance learning has been greatly helped by the internet.

____a. Due to its popularity, television soon became a popular medium for education.
____b. Advantages such as real-time communication make it much more effective than using
the radio, television or the postal service.

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5. Subjects such as philosophy and sociology are popular choices at degree level.
____a. Nevertheless, these subjects do not lead directly to a job.
____b. In addition, it is difficult to find work with a degree in either of these.

Fantastic! You’re doing

better. Get yourself ready
for the next task. Enjoy!

Practice Task 3: Get through the CONNECTIONS

This exercise will give you a chance to practice condensing and combining sentences
using transitional devices. Combine the sentences in each set into two clear sentences. Add a
transitional word or phrase to the second sentence to show how it relates to the first. Write your
responses on a separate sheet of paper.

1)
a. Retirement should be the reward for a lifetime of work.
b. It is widely viewed as a sort of punishment.
c. It is a punishment for growing old.

2)
a. There are differences in math performance between boys and girls.
b. These differences cannot be attributed simply to differences in innate ability.
c. If one were to ask the children themselves, they would probably disagree.

3)
a. We do not seek solitude.
b. If we find ourselves alone for once, we flick a switch.
c. We invite the whole world in. The world comes in through the TV or Internet.

Great job! You’re done with all

the tasks. Congratulations!

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 Use the checklist below and evaluate the following short paragraphs in terms of
Coherence and Cohesion. Write your responses on a separate sheet of paper.
Paragraph Features YES NO + …could be…
Transition
signals/linkers/devices have
been used effectively (e.g.
for example, for instance,
however, on the other hand,
in contrast)

The writer used reference

words to avoid unnecessary
repetition (e.g. it, this,
these…etc.)
The writer repeated some
words when necessary
Synonyms are used
effectively
Parallelism is used when
necessary
There is good coherence:
main idea and supporting
ideas are used effectively

1. Video game addiction is also known by the term gaming disorder. It is known as an irresistible
use of video games that promotes significant imbalance in the various life realms over a long
period of time. Too much indulgence into anything or work leads to addiction. Any kind of
addiction causes loss of health, money, relationship and respect for human being. World Health
Organization has described video gaming addiction as a mental disorder. The common children
will enjoy this most, but the truth is that gaming could lead to a level where one can feel lonely
and becomes an introvert personality. Instead of playing outside, the children have preferred
playing games on their electronic gadgets at home. This makes them physically unfit and it can
also cause problems in the eyes. Children who play games tend to talk less to the people
around them and in this way they get lonely because they spend most of their time at home with
their gadgets. Children become flabby with this habit and this also causes problems on their
careers in future. Many researchers have also revealed that men are more addicted to gaming
than women.

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2. Facebook is a social networking website intended to connect friends, family, and business
associates. There are many social networking sites in the world: Twitter, Google Plus, My
Space, etc. But it is the largest of the other networking sites in the world. Facebook was
founded in 2004 by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg and originally called Facebook. It began
as a college networking website and was quickly successful on campus and expanded beyond
Harvard into other schools. At that time, it was only available to schools, universities,
organizations, and companies in English speaking countries. Later, it was extended to include
anyone and everyone. Facebook users create a profile page that includes the following:
Information, Status, Friends, and Friends in Other Networks, Photos, Notes, Groups, and The
Wall. As a result, everyone within that network can view the profile. Users are able to search for
friends and acquaintances by e-mail address, school, university, or just by typing in a name or
location in the search box. When people become friends, they are able to see all of each other’s
profiles including contact information. A popular feature on Facebook is to share photographs
uploaded from a phone, camera, or computer. A person can make a video call to anyone of his
friend list. Nowadays, business has been largely dependent on Facebook for promotion and
marketing. But, with the advantage of Facebook, cybercriminals are committing many crimes.
Above all, Facebook has become part and parcel in the communication system.

Congratulations for completing

the module. I hope you enjoyed
the journey….

Rewrite the given paragraph to make it more coherent and cohesive. Use appropriate
transitional devices. Write your responses on a separate sheet of paper.

The Human Resources department is developing a plan to increase

employee retention. Three employees resigned from the accounting department
last month. We had to hire temporary staff to fill the positions until new
accounting staff could be hired. Many important accounting tasks went
unfinished. Employee retention has become a top priority for Human Resources.

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 Coherence refers to the overall sense of unity in a passage, including both the main
point of sentences and the main point of each paragraph. It is achieved when sentences and
ideas are connected and flow together smoothly. Cohesion is the connection of ideas at the
sentence level. It can be readily seen in a text through the smooth flow of the sentences and the
connection of the ideas. Cohesion can be achieved using five methods: repeated words,
reference words, transitional signals, synonyms and parallelism.

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Possible Answer:
Although it is widely believed that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, in
reality he was simply the one who created the first commercially viable light bulb.
Along with his team, Edison improved the previous works of inventors who also
worked on the same project. Compared to previous versions, what made his light
bulb successful was his use of carbonized bamboo as filament. This made the bulb
last longer and it was cheap enough to be available for the masses.
1. Answers vary
2. Answers vary
Practice Task 1: Call to ORDER
Paragraph 1: c, a, d, b
Paragraph 2: a, c, e, b, f , d
Practice Task 2: Get LOGICAL
1. / a. In fact, some say that the additional experience older people have is a plus.
2. / b. For this reason, many now offer study-at-home courses.
3. /b.Mature students often have family commitments as well as academic difficulties.
4. / b. Advantages such as real-time communication make it much more effective
than using the radio, television or the postal service.
5. / a. Nevertheless, these subjects do not lead directly to a job.
Practice Task 3: Get through the CONNECTIONS
Possible answers:
1. Retirement should be the reward for a lifetime of work. Instead, it is widely viewed
as a sort of punishment for growing old.
2. The differences in math performance between boys and girls cannot be attributed
simply to differences in innate ability. Still, if one were to ask the children themselves,
they would probably disagree.
3. We do not seek solitude. In fact, if we find ourselves alone for once we flick a
switch and invite the whole world in through the TV or Internet.
Possible answer:
1. Eating my breakfast is a thing I should not forget.
2. Fare should be taken into consideration.
3. Blue sports cars go very fast.
4. His children are very supportive of him.
5. Women are more powerful than men.
Answer Key
References

www.slideshare.net. “Properties of a Well-Written Text – Reading and Writing.” Published on

February 24, 2018. https://www.slideshare.net/aliciamargaretjavelosa/properties-of-a-
wellwritten-text-reading-and-writing

Monica Tan.www.academia.edu. “Properties Of A Well-Written Text.” Accessed date July

02,2020.https://www.academia.edu/34256187/READING_AND_WRITING_First_Quarter
_Period_ PROPERTIES_OF_A_WELL-WRITTEN_TEXT

KatrinaClaireLandich.www.slideshare.net.“Properties of a Well-Written Text.” Accessed date

July 02,2020.https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/KatrinaClaireLandich/properties-of-a-
well-written-text-88147656

Liza Mae Neis. “PROPERTIES OF A WELL-WRITTEN TEXT.” Updated December 08, 2016.
https://prezi.com/bhm-a9lxb8wu/properties-of-a-well-written-text/?fallback=1

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