Effective Coherence Script 5
Good
writing needs to be a clear as possible so that the reader can easily
follow sentences, ideas and details. One of the most important
aspects is to show the connections and relationships between ideas.
Using particular types of words and phrases, known as ‘cohesive
devices’, to link individual sentences and parts of sentences,
helps the reader to follow the movement of ideas without any
difficulty. They help the writing to flow naturally, without
unnecessary repetition.
(http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/asu/download/Cohesion-flyer.pdf)
Script 6
Coherence
is product of many different factors, which combine to make every
paragraph, every sentence, and every phrase contribute to the meaning
of the whole piece. Coherence in writing is much more difficult to
sustain than coherent speech simply because writers have no nonverbal
clues to inform them if their message is clear or not. Therefore,
writers must make their patterns of coherence much more explicit and
much more carefully planned. Coherence itself is the product of two
factors – paragraph unity and sentence cohesion.
Paragraph Unity. To achieve paragraph unity, a writer must ensure two things only. First, the paragraph must have a single generalization that serves as the focus of attention, that is, a topic sentence. Secondly, a writer must control the content of every other sentence in the paragraph's body such that (a) it contains more specific information than the topic sentence and (b) it maintains the same focus of attention as the topic sentence. This generalization about paragraph structure holds true for the essay in particular.
Sentence Cohesion. To achieve cohesion, the link of one sentence to the next, consider the following techniques: Repetition. In sentence B (the second of any two sentences), repeat a word from sentence A. You can also use some other techniques, for example: synonymy, antonymy, collocation, enumeration, parallelism and transitions.
(http://papyr.com/hypertextbooks/comp1/coherent.htm)
Unit 2 Critical writing Script 7
Why study
critical thinking?
Critical thinking is a domain-general thinking skill. The ability to think clearly and rationally is important whatever we choose to do. If you work in education, research, finance, management or the legal profession, then critical thinking is obviously important. But critical thinking skills are not restricted to a particular subject area. Being able to think well and solve problems systematically is an asset for any career.
Critical thinking is very important in the new knowledge economy. The global knowledge economy is driven by information and technology. One has to be able to deal with changes quickly and effectively. The new economy places increasing demands on flexible intellectual skills, and the ability to analyze information and integrate diverse sources of knowledge in solving problems. Good critical thinking promotes such thinking skills, and is very important in the fast-changing workplace.
Critical thinking enhances language and presentation skills. Thinking clearly and systematically can improve the way we express our ideas. In learning how to analyze the logical structure of texts, critical thinking also improves comprehension abilities.
Critical thinking promotes creativity. To come up with a creative solution to a problem involves not just having new ideas. It must also be the case that the new ideas being generated are useful and relevant to the task at hand. Critical thinking plays a crucial role in evaluating new ideas, selecting the best ones and modifying them if necessary.
Critical thinking is crucial for self-reflection. In order to live a meaningful life and to structure our lives accordingly, we need to justify and reflect on our values and decisions. Critical thinking provides the tools for this process of self-evaluation.
(http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/ – critical thinking)