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Writing
Coherent Paragraphs
When sentences in a paragraph are not logically linked together, or
if ideas do not flow smoothly from one to another, the paragraph is
said to be lacking coherence. Consider the analogy that constructing
a paragraph is like building a brick wall. The bricks are your ideas,
your points, the facts you are presenting. If you simply stack the bricks,
row on row, one on top of the other, without cementing them together,
your wall will not stand solidly for long. Bricks need mortar to hold
them together and to form them up properly; ‘bricks' of
thought, as well, need to be ‘mortared' together with connective
words and phrases. The appropriate connective word or phrase will depend
on how the sentences relate to one another.
Adding Further Points:
| When you want to add
one more point to an argument or discussion you are developing,
link sentences with words and phrases that simply indicate you
are adding more information. Some commonly used connectives
are Also, Then, Further, In addition, Next, Moreover, For
another thing, Besides, and And.*
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Further, we have a direct
stake in spreading the doctrine of ‘soft power' and
common security. |
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In addition, there
were reports of a lot of mental illness during Operation Harmony
9, and some cases of mental breakdown in-theatre similar to
those observed in previous wars or operations. |
* Contrary to what your
grade-school grammar teacher might have said, it is not a hard-and-fast
rule of grammar that sentences should not begin with And
(or with But, So, or Yet, for that matter).
This ‘false rule' was initiated to discourage elementary
students from writing sentence fragments. But if your sentence
is grammatically sound, opening with And or But where
appropriate is an effective and concise way to link sentence to
sentence. Be sparing in your use of these conjunctions as sentence
openers, however: too many And . . . sentences can be
deadening. |
Emphasizing or summarizing:
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Let the reader know that
you wish to emphasize a point or summarize your discussion by
using a signal word or phrase, such as one of the following: In
fact, In particular, Indeed, So, Thus, Therefore, For this reason,
In summary, On the whole.
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In fact,
in the early and middle 1990s, no Militia unit was capable of
providing a formed and fully trained section, let alone a platoon
or company.
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Therefore,
to violate human rights is to violate the principles you hold
dear. |
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Making a contrasting point:
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Frequently, you will be asked
in a writing assignment to compare and contrast two things—objects,
ideas, social and institutional practices, or tactical choices in
a military operation. Signal your contrasting point clearly with
words and phrases like the following: However, By contrast,
On the contrary, Nevertheless, Notwithstanding, On the other hand,
Although, Still, Yet, But.
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But only a few
of us tell lies as big as those told by Billy Bishop. |
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Nevertheless, the diagnosis
of 'nostalgia' was widely accepted until the First World War,
when dramatic changes took place in the diagnosis and treatment
of non-physical battle casualties. |
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Giving an example or illustration:
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When illustrating a point
or providing an example to support a particular claim, let your
reader know your intention by using connective phrases such as
For example, For instance, To illustrate, or longer phrases
if appropriate: This can be illustrated by . . . Evidence
of this can be found in . . .
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For example,
the victory at Chateauguay in 1813 came when Colonel de Salaberry
led the regiment he had raised and trained into battle against
superior American forces. |
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Transitions between paragraphs:
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The same connective words
that give coherence to sentences within a paragraph can also be
used to link paragraphs. Like individual sentences, your paragraphs
need to flow smoothly from one point or argument to the next.
Use connective words and phrases such as Furthermore, Another,
Similarly, In addition, Subsequently, Finally, Nevertheless, By
contrast, and the like at the beginning of a paragraph to
indicate how your next point relates to the previous one.
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This will reduce the potential
for failure when troops must be deployed on short notice.
Understandably,
strategic deployment posed the greatest challenge to mission
success. . . .
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On the following page, for your reference, you will find a list
of commonly used connective words and phrases.
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Connective
Words and Phrases
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