Coherence in Your Writing

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This week, we have studied coherence — the flow from one idea to the next — in writing. Let's practice introducing and recognizing coherence. We looked at four specific ways of improving coherence:

• Transitional words and phrases

Internet users do not always think about how their internet data is being used. Nonetheless, collecting and using data about search habits is big business.

• Repetition of key works and phrases

Companies are able to track the searches made by various demographics and use data about these searches to target advertisements to likely customers. Customers will see advertisements that match their interests, but they have give up some privacy in return.

• Pronoun reference

For some customers, this loss of privacy is acceptable, while others are deeply concerned.

• Parallelism

Customers may worry about their search data getting into the wrong hands or about further intrusion into their private lives.

Initial post (by Friday):

Select one paragraph of your research paper draft and examine it for examples of the above four coherence tools. If you do not find at least two of the tools in use, revise your paragraph so that it uses at least two of the tools. Post your paragraph here. Do not identify the coherence tools you used; you will be analyzing each other's paragraphs in your guided response.

Guided response (by Sunday):

Choose the paragraph posted by one of your peers, and try to identify the use of at least two coherence tools. Mention any ideas you have for improved coherence in the paragraph.

11Unread for topic Week 7, Discussion 1: Coherence in Your Writing:(1)View profile card for Marinellys SantiagocruzMarinellys Santiagocruzyesterday at 10:21 AM

Week 7, Discussion 2: Parallel Structure

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Initial post (by Friday): 

This week we have looked at the use of parallel structure in a list. You have seen several examples of sentences with lists that do not use parallel structure and thought about how to revise them. As you look back at some of those sentences, what effect do you think that parallel structure has? Does it make sentences easier to understand? Does it make the sentences sound more rhythmic? Or would you argue that parallel structure is not that important? Answer in a paragraph, and quote sentences that do or do not use parallel structure in your response.