Cohesive devices

Cohesive devices are like the glue that holds sentences together in a text, making it feel like a
coherent and connected piece of writing. They help us understand how different parts of a
text relate to each other. There are several types of cohesive devices, and I'll explain them in
simple terms with examples.
1. References: These are words that point to other parts of the text for their meaning.
There are three types of references:
• Personal References: Words like "she," "my," "theirs" refer to specific people
or things. Example: She loves to read books. ("She" refers to a specific person)
• Demonstrative References: Words like "this," "those," "here" point to specific
things. Example: I like this car. ("This" refers to a specific car)
• Comparative References: Words like "same," "more," "fewer" compare things.
Example: He wants more candy. ("More" compares the amount of candy)
2. Substitution: This involves replacing one word or phrase with another. There are
three types of substitution:
• Nominal Substitution: Replaces a noun phrase. Example: She'll eat the
grapes—especially the seedless ones. ("Ones" substitutes for "grapes")
• Verbal Substitution: Replaces a verb phrase. Example: I'd be happy to help,
but I can't do Mondays. ("Do" substitutes for "help")
• Clausal Substitution: Replaces a clause. Example: Do you think we'll get the
grant? Hope so. ("So" substitutes for "we'll get the grant")
3. Ellipsis: This involves leaving out certain words in a sentence when their meaning is
clear from the context. You can omit nouns, verbs, or clauses:
• Nominal Ellipsis: Omitting a noun phrase. Example: Nelly liked the green tiles;
I preferred the blue (tiles).
• Verbal Ellipsis: Omitting a verb phrase. Example: The children will carry the
small boxes, the adults (will carry) the larger ones.
• Clausal Ellipsis: Omitting a clause. Example: She said she would speak up as
soon as she could (speak up), and he has (spoken up).
4. Conjunction: These are words that connect different parts of a text. They include
words like "and," "but," "because," and "then." They help show the relationships
between ideas. Example: I like chocolate, and my brother prefers vanilla.
5. Lexical Cohesion: This is about using different words that have a connection in
meaning. It includes:
• Repetition: Repeating the same word or phrase. Example: She loved books.
Books were her passion.
 • Antonyms: Using words with opposite meanings. Example: The weather was
hot, while inside it was cold.
• Metonyms: Using a word that stands for something related. Example:
Washington D.C. (the city) for the United States government.
• Hyponyms: Using a more specific word. Example: The animal (hyponym) was
a cat (more specific).
In the passage from C.S. Lewis's book "The Four Loves," you can see examples of these
cohesive ties. For instance, "his" in the second sentence refers to "St. John" in the first,
showing reference. And, "his maxim" is a substitution for "God is love." This use of
cohesive devices makes the text feel connected and understandable.