05 Paragraph Unity and Coherence
05 Paragraph Unity and Coherence
1. A Topic Sentence
2. Unity
3. Coherence
4. Adequate Development
A topic sentence
A topic sentence indicates in a general way what idea or thesis the paragraph is going to deal
with. An easy way to make sure your reader understands the topic of the paragraph is to put
your topic sentence near the beginning of the paragraph.
Unity
All sentences in the paragraph should have a single focus (should support the topic sentence).
Coherence
Coherence makes the paragraph easily understandable to a reader. You can help create
coherence in your paragraphs by connecting one sentence to another using:
1. Parallel constructions
2. Pronouns
3. Synonyms
4. Repetition of key words
5. Transitional words
6. Systematic sentence organization (see adequate development): from general to specific,
from specific to general, order of importance, chronological order, space order, steps,
cause – effect, comparison and contrasts.
Adequate development
The topic (which is introduced by the topic sentence) should be discussed fully and adequately.
Some methods can be used to make sure your paragraph is well-developed:
1
Definition terms in the paragraph
Descriptions or details
Steps
Logical divisions
Paragraph Analysis
2
Comparison and contrast: sentences 3 (comparison – on either side) and 6 (even
though)
Paragraph 2
1
Each of the U.S. manned space exploration projects had specific major goals. 2For example, the
Mercury project was designed to test whether or not human beings could survive and function
in outer space. 3In addition, the Mercury project tested rockets with the new Mercury space
capsule, which could hold one person. 4As another example, the Gemini project was intended to
find out whether two people could work in the weightless environment of space. 5One way of
doing this was by having Gemini astronauts take "spacewalks." 6That is, they floated outside
their spacecraft in a spacesuit, connected to it by a tether. 7This type of walk was developed into
the famous dancing move called ‘moonwalk’ by Michael Jackson. 8Finally, the Apollo project,
with three astronauts, had the goal of testing spacecraft and skills so that people could actually
fly to the Moon and land on it. 9Other goals included performing scientific experiments on the
lunar surface and collecting rocks for study on Earth. 10These three space projects have different
goals with different lessons for human beings. (Adapted from source:
http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/fwalters/cohere.html#unity)
2. Irrelevant sentence:
3
Causes and reasons:
Descriptions or details:
Logical divisions:
Chronology of events:
Paragraph 3
1
Dogs have an extreme antagonism toward cats. 2The enmity between these two species can be
traced back to the time of the early Egyptian dynasties. 3Archaeologists in recent years have
discovered Egyptian texts in which there are detailed accounts of dogs brutally attacking cats.
4
Today this type of cruelty between these two domestic pets can be witnessed in regions as
close as your own neighborhood. 5For example, when dogs are walked by their masters, and
they happen to catch sight of a stray cat, they will pull with all their strength on their leash until
the master is forced to yield; the typical result is that a cat is chased up a tree. 6The two types of
animals are the most popular pets in modern homes. 7The hatred between dogs and cats has
lasted for so many centuries; it is unlikely that this conflict will ever end.
2. Irrelevant sentence:
Parallel constructions:
Pronouns:
Synonyms:
Paraphrasing of phrase/sentence:
Repetition of key words:
Transitional words:
4
Descriptions or details:
Logical divisions:
Chronology of events:
5
Peer Evaluation
2. Irrelevant sentence:
Descriptions or details:
Logical divisions:
Chronology of events:
o Sentence organization?
o Easy to understand?
o Choice of words?
6
6. Your comments for improvement
7
Key:
Paragraph 2
Logical divisions: -
Paragraph 3
Logical divisions: -
8
Chronology of events: the time of the early Egyptian dynasties, today,