Identification of Cohesion and Coherence Devices in Texts for SS 1

Class: SS 1
Term: First Term
Week: 8
Age: 15 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: English Language
Curriculum Theme: Writing
Focal competence: Using coherence and cohesive devices in writing
Key competencies/values: Communication; ICT and Digital Competencies; Digital Competencies; Collaboration
Skills:

• Using cohesion and cohesive devices in writing

Previous Lesson: Answering Questions on Mood, Tone, Purpose and Meaning
Topic: Cohesion And Coherence In Writing: Identification Of Cohesive And Coherence Devices In Texts
Subject Matter: Identification of cohesive and coherence devices in texts

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the major cohesive devices in a given text.
• Identify the major coherence devices in a given text.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the importance of cohesion and coherence in effective writing.
• Participate actively in group discussions to identify cohesive and coherence devices.

Psychomotor Domain

• Point out examples of cohesive devices in sample passages.
• Point out examples of coherence devices in sample passages.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• New Oxford Secondary English Course for Senior Secondary Schools 1
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work For The New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Flash cards with examples of cohesive and coherence devices
• Sample passages from textbooks, newspapers, and magazines
• Whiteboard and markers
• Projector (optional)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important because it teaches students how to recognize the elements that make written texts flow smoothly and logically. Understanding cohesion and coherence devices helps students not only to comprehend what they read better but also to produce clearer, more organized, and more effective written communication in their own work.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have a basic understanding of sentence structure, paragraphing, and the use of conjunctions in English language.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Cohesion And Coherence In Writing: Identification Of Cohesive And Coherence Devices In Texts

What are Cohesion and Coherence?

Cohesion refers to the grammatical and lexical links that connect different parts of a text, making it hang together. It is about the “glue” that holds sentences and paragraphs together, often through specific words or phrases.

Coherence refers to the overall sense of unity and logical connection within a text. It is about the text making sense as a whole, with ideas flowing smoothly and logically from one to another, making it easy for the reader to follow the main argument or narrative.

Major Cohesive Devices

Cohesive devices are specific linguistic elements that create links within a text. They include:

1. Reference: Using pronouns (he, she, it, they), demonstratives (this, that, these, those), or articles (a, an, the) to refer back to previously mentioned nouns or ideas.

   Example: “John went to the market. He bought some fruits.” (He refers to John)

2. Substitution: Replacing a word or phrase with a shorter word or phrase to avoid repetition.

   Example: “Do you need a pen? I have one.” (One substitutes “a pen”)

3. Ellipsis: Omitting words or phrases that are understood from the context.

   Example: “Did you finish your homework? Yes, I did (finish my homework).”

4. Conjunctions/Connectives: Words or phrases that link sentences, clauses, or paragraphs, showing relationships such as addition, contrast, cause and effect, or sequence.
   1. Additive: and, also, in addition, moreover, furthermore
   2. Adversative (Contrast): but, however, nevertheless, on the other hand
   3. Causal (Cause and Effect): so, therefore, because, consequently, as a result
   4. Temporal (Sequence): then, next, finally, meanwhile, afterwards

   Example: “It was raining heavily; however, they decided to go out.”

5. Lexical Cohesion: Links created by the choice of vocabulary.
   1. Repetition: Repeating key words or phrases for emphasis or clarity.
   2. Synonyms: Using words with similar meanings.
   3. Antonyms: Using words with opposite meanings.
   4. Hyponyms/Hypernyms: Using general terms (hypernyms) and specific terms (hyponyms) within a category. (e.g., “fruit” is a hypernym for “apple”, “banana”).
   5. Collocation: Words that frequently occur together (e.g., “heavy rain,” “make a decision”).

   Example (Synonyms): “The house was enormous. It was a truly huge building.”

Major Coherence Devices

Coherence devices ensure that the overall meaning of a text is clear and logical. They include:

1. Logical Ordering of Ideas: Presenting information in a sequence that makes sense (e.g., chronological order, order of importance, cause and effect).
2. Consistent Point of View/Tense: Maintaining the same narrative perspective (first person, third person) and verb tense throughout the text unless there is a clear reason to change.
3. Clear Topic Sentences: Each paragraph starting with a sentence that clearly states its main idea, guiding the reader through the text’s structure.
4. Appropriate Paragraphing: Grouping related ideas into distinct paragraphs, with each paragraph focusing on a single main point.
5. Transitional Phrases: Words or phrases that signal shifts in ideas or logical connections between paragraphs (e.g., “In conclusion,” “To summarize,” “On the other hand,” “Firstly, secondly”). These often overlap with conjunctions but operate at a broader textual level.
6. Repetition of Key Concepts: Reintroducing main ideas or themes to reinforce understanding and maintain focus.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Group Work, Guided Practice, Text Analysis

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating Prior Knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them to recall what makes a good piece of writing. The teacher then introduces the topic of cohesion and coherence, explaining that these are key to good writing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions and listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Importance of good writing

Step 2: Explanation of Cohesion and Coherence

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher defines cohesion as the grammatical and lexical links within a text and coherence as the logical flow of ideas. The teacher provides simple examples to illustrate the difference.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, ask questions for clarification, and take brief notes.

Learning Point: Meaning of cohesion, coherence

Step 3: Identification of Cohesive Devices (Reference and Conjunctions)

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Analysis

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes short passages (e.g., from flash cards or projected text) and guides students to identify examples of reference (pronouns, demonstratives) and conjunctions. The teacher explains how these devices link sentences.

Pupils’ Activity: Students work in pairs to identify and circle the devices in the given passages, then share their findings with the class.

Learning Point: Reference and conjunctions

Step 4: Identification of Cohesive Devices (Lexical Cohesion, Substitution, Ellipsis)

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents more passages and focuses on identifying lexical cohesion (repetition, synonyms), substitution, and ellipsis. The teacher provides clear examples for each.

Pupils’ Activity: Students identify these devices in new passages, explaining their choices.

Learning Point: Lexical cohesion, substitution

Step 5: Identification of Coherence Devices (Logical Ordering, Tense Consistency)

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher discusses how logical ordering of ideas and consistent tense/point of view contribute to coherence. The teacher presents a short, slightly disordered passage and asks students to identify how it could be made more coherent.

Pupils’ Activity: Students discuss in groups how to improve the coherence of the passage, focusing on logical flow.

Learning Point: Logical flow of ideas

Step 6: Identification of Coherence Devices (Topic Sentences, Paragraphing, Transitions)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Textual Analysis

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher provides a passage with clear topic sentences and appropriate paragraphing. The teacher highlights these features and discusses how transitional phrases connect paragraphs.

Pupils’ Activity: Students identify topic sentences, paragraph breaks, and transitional phrases in the given text.

Learning Point: Paragraph structure, transitions

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What is the difference between cohesion and coherence?
2. Mention two examples of cohesive devices.
3. How does a clear topic sentence contribute to coherence?
4. Identify a cohesive device in the sentence: “She was tired, so she went to bed.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Cohesion and coherence identification

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on cohesion and coherence devices into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson summary

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly recaps the main points of the lesson, emphasizing that both cohesion and coherence are essential for clear and effective written communication. The teacher encourages students to pay attention to these devices in their own writing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and ask any final questions.

Learning Point: Importance of cohesive writing

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Read a short article from a newspaper or magazine. Identify and list at least three different cohesive devices and two different coherence devices used in the article. For each device, write down the sentence where it appears and explain how it contributes to the text’s flow or meaning.

1. Select an article of about 200-300 words.
2. Underline all pronouns and conjunctions you find.
3. Identify any repeated words or synonyms used to link ideas.
4. Note how paragraphs are organized and if topic sentences are clear.
5. Write a short paragraph explaining why the article is coherent.

Lesson Keywords

• Cohesion – The grammatical and lexical links that connect different parts of a text.
• Coherence – The logical flow and overall sense of unity within a text.
• Reference – Using words like pronouns or demonstratives to refer to other parts of the text.
• Conjunctions – Words that link sentences, clauses, or paragraphs (e.g., and, but, so).
• Lexical Cohesion – Links created by vocabulary choices such as repetition, synonyms, or antonyms.
• Topic Sentence – A sentence that expresses the main idea of a paragraph.
• Transition – Words or phrases that connect ideas between sentences or paragraphs.

Differentiation

For struggling learners: Provide simpler, shorter passages with clearly marked cohesive and coherence devices. Focus on identifying only one or two types of devices at a time. Use flashcards for matching devices with their definitions.

For advanced learners: Challenge them to analyze more complex texts, identify subtle coherence issues, and suggest ways to improve coherence in poorly written passages. Encourage them to explain the *effect* of specific devices on the reader’s understanding.

Suggested Lesson Videos

Search YouTube for: “cohesion and coherence in writing SS1” or “identifying cohesive devices English language”