Curt's Style Response 3
From Mizzou Wiki
The fifth chapter of Style is about the importance of cohesion and coherence. The chapter starts off by explaining that it is not just individual sentences that need to be clear, but also paragraphs as a whole. Several examples are given to show how to make sentence flow together well. The key is to have the end of one sentence and the beginning of the next sentence contain similar content. It is also important to start off with material that is easy for the reader to understand and then build off of that information. A few examples are then given to show the importance of coherence. The author shows that it is very possible to have sentences flow nicely together, but have a passage that makes no sense as a whole. The author sets up his next argument by giving several counter examples of the traditional idea of what a subject is. He explains that the subject is not always the topic of a sentence, but readers judge sentences to be clear when the subject and the topic are the same. The chapter ends with some tips on how to begin sentences so that they are easier to understand.
As in the previous chapters, the author gives many examples to help support his arguments. It is always helpful to see examples of what is being written about, as opposed to just reading the concepts. All of the topics are presented in a plain manner and are easy to understand. The blocks of text labeled “Here’s the point” seem to be the most helpful because they explain his argument in a short and simple way. The paragraph written by six different writers is the strongest example, because it clearly shows what coherence is and why it is important. Overall the chapter is very successful in presenting and explaining each argument.
I already had some knowledge of cohesion and coherence before reading this chapter, but I learned some tips that improved my understanding of cohesion and coherence. Previously I would word sentences based on what sounded good or not. Now I know some specific things to look for to improve the flow of my papers. I also learned the importance of making a paragraph easy to understand as a whole.
--you wanted plain. Otherwise, perfectly done.
