Recognising the mechanics

used in reading text

Cohesive devices and transitions
COHESIVE DEVICES
• Used to connect ideas between sentences and paragraphs in a
seamless way
• Cohesive devices can be taken as clues to understand and interpret a
text
• Readers can follow a writer’s flow of ideas by looking at the cohesive
devices used
• Cohesive devices can be transitional words or phrases
• They also allow you to see the logical sequence of the paragraph
Examples
1. Repetition of a key term or phrase
2. Pronouns
3. Synonyms
4. Sentence patterns
Repetition of a key term or phrase

• Writers often use repetition of a key term to ensure the readers’

concentration
• Eg. Many new university students face homesickness as they face
new challenges on campus. Homesickness as they face new
challenges on campus. Homesickness is often faced by students who
have never stayed away from their parents.
Pronouns
• Writers often use pronouns to refer to an idea/a thing/ a person that
is previously mentioned
• Eg. We wanted to visit Sydney with my mother. However, she
promised her brother to visit him in Tokyo. So, she went to Tokyo
without us.
Synonyms
• Synonyms ass coherence to a text and enrich the text with the usage
of rich vocabulary
• Eg. Parents expect their offspring to respect other people as a mark
that their children have been raised properly.
Sentence patterns
• Writers use parallel or repeated sentence patterns to link ideas
• Eg. Students are advised to sleep early. They are reminded to eat
properly. They are recommended to participate in the campus
activities.
TRANSITIONS
• Transition words are used in a sentence to connect two ideas. They
join clauses or sentences together to show a difference or a
connection.
• Example 1: We arrived late at the movie, so we didn’t understand the
ending.
• In Example 1, the word so connects two clauses to show a result. It
was because we were late that we didn’t understand the ending. The
meaning of the two clauses is clearer than if each stood alone
• Example 2: We arrived late at the movie. We didn’t understand the
ending.
• In Example 2, the two ideas are separate.
• There is no connection with arriving late and not understanding the
movie. Instead, it appears that not understanding the ending has
nothing to do with arriving late.
TRANSITIONS
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO SHOW A PROCESS 1. First, second, third, fourth
2. Firstly..
3. Secondly..
4. Thirdly..
5. At first..
6. In the beginning..
7. After that..
8. At first..
9. At last..
10.Meanwhile
11.Next
12.Soon
13.later
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO SHOW A CONDITION 1.If
2.As
3.Due to
4.Unless
5.As long as
6.In order to
7.In view of
8.Provided that
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO INDICATE MORE IDEAS 1.In addition
2.Moreover
3.Furthermore
4.Besides
5.In fact
6.Apart from that
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO COMPARE 1.Likewise
2.Similarly
3.Coincidentally
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO CONCLUDE 1.In summary
2.To recapitulate
3.To sum up
4.In conclusion
5.finally
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO MAKE SUGGESTION 1.To this end
2.For this purpose
3.With this in mind
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO SHOW TIME 1.Tomorrow
2.Afterwards
3.During
4.Today
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO PROVIDE EXAMPLES 1.For instance
2.For example
3.To illustrate
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO SHOW CAUSE AND EFFECT 1.With the result that
2.So that
3.Consequently
4.Therefore
5.So
6.Thus
7.As a result
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO SHOW CONTRAST OF 1.On the contrary
IDEAS 2.However
3.Notwithstanding
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO BRING ATTENTION TO 1.Especially
2.Specifically
3.In particular
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO CONCEDE TO A POINT 1.Although
2.At least
3.At any rate
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO CLARIFY 1.In other words
2.Anyway
3.By all means
4.In this case
FUNCTION TRANSITION
TO SHOW A LOCATION 1.Below
2.Beneath
3.Above
4.Across
Example 1
• Irsyad realises that his parents work hard to support his education.
Therefore, he studies hard and is awarded the Dean’s List every
semester.
• Therefore- a cohesive device to connect the first idea with the second
idea, thus, showing the cause-effect relationship

The First Idea The Second Idea

Irsyad realises his parents He studies hard and
work hard to support his achieves a Dean’s List
education award for every semester
Example 2
• Noreen does everything she can to ensure she gets good results. For
example, she attends extra classes during weekends.
• For example- a cohesive device to connect the first idea with the
second idea, thus, illustrating example.

The First Idea The Second Idea

Noreen does everything She attends extra classes
she can to ensure she gets during weekends.
good results
Exercise 1
• https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5bafafc3ba1022001907a683/cohesiv
e-devices
Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks with appropriate
cohesive devices.
• Hamdan woke up late for his morning lecture. When he left his dorm
room, the rain started to fall heavily. (1)_____________, he decided
to skip his lecture. (2) __________________, he lay on his bed. (3)
__________________, he felt that his lecturer would be angry with
him (4) ______________________ he did not attend the lecture. (5)
_____________________, he felt guilty as he promised his parents to
attend all his lectures. (6) ______________________, he decided to
attend the lecture. (7) _____________________, he took his
umbrella and walked to the lecture hall.
Exercise 3: Read the passage. Pay attention to
the three transitions in the passage.
• A rise in living expenses has forced some
university students to rethink their finances. For
instance, some of the students spend no money
at all for breakfast, choosing to load up during
lunch or dinner instead. As a result, they often
feel hungry in the morning. Although they are
hungry, they still manage to concentrate in class.
‘For instance’ in the paragraph joins two
ideas. Write them in the space given.
FIRST IDEA SECOND IDEA
‘As a result’ in the paragraph joins two ideas.
Write them in the space given.
FIRST IDEA SECOND IDEA
‘Although’ in the paragraph joins two ideas.
Write them in the space given.
FIRST IDEA SECOND IDEA