COHERENCE

By now you should realize that an effective paragraph needs a clear topic, adequate support and unity. One more component of a good paragraph is coherence. In a coherent paragraph, the sentences are arranged so that the ideas are in a logical order. In order to achieve coherence, you need:

1. A clear plan of arrangement
2. Transitions to connect your ideas

1. Arrangement

There are several standard ways to arrange your information so that your writing will be coherent. Three of the most basic ways are time order, spatial order and order of importance.

The way you choose to arrange your information depends on the kind of paragraph you are writing. If you are explaining a sequence of events or telling a story, the logical arrangement of ideas and sentences will be chronological, that is, according to time order. If you are describing the way something looks or its physical characteristics, you will arrange your details according to the position of objects being described or where they are located. In this case you will use spatial order. Finally if you are listing examples, cause, effects, reasons, or purposes you will probably use order of importance. In this type of paragraph you either begin with the least importance item and end with the most important one, or vice versa.

2. Transition

Transitions are signals that show the connection between one idea and the next. They are important because they guide the reader through a paragraph. The following lists give some common transitions that will help make your paragraph more coherent.

To the memory of Michael Blanchard: For his enthusiasm toward writing and his enduring spirit.
Karen Blanchard and Christine Root, Longman.