Definition: The quality or state of cohering, especially a logical, orderly, and aesthetically consistent relationship of parts.

Coherence in writing: if you are 'coherent' in the way you write it means everything in your writing is logically layed out and connected. If it was an essay, one thing leads on to another, for example one paragraph leads on to another-the main ideas of each paragraph seem to connect but still make sense. This makes the reader feel that your writing is constantly flowing.it also means you are very consistent in your writing. Consistently and continuously through your writing you can connect each paragraph somehow, that you can consistently write concisely as well. you can also consistently write in formal English. You can express yourself clearly and continuously through youre essay for example. ___I assume you do not simply mean coherence in contrast to incoherence. Continuity is the key to coherence. Some very well written scholarly works read seamlessly from the first sentence to the last. Coherence in writing means presenting our ideas so that our audience more easily understands them. Create coherence during the revision process. The creation of coherence in our writing is a key element of the revision process. The time to revise for coherence is after ideas are on paper and organized. Learn techniques to create coherence: Use key words. (For example, if we are writing about hybrid cars, we should make sure to repeat this topic word or synonyms for it several times throughout a paragraph.) Example: See how the underlined key words are used in the following paragraph for the environmentally conscious, hybrid cars are of interest. They use less gasoline than traditional cars and so create less pollution and so are better for the environment. However, although many in the United States say they would like to own a hybrid car, not many do. This is because hybrids currently cost more to buy than traditional gasoline engine cars of the same model. Hopefully, as more people become environmentally conscious these environmentally friendly vehicles will be seen more frequently on the roadways. Use pronouns to refer back to important nouns. (For example, if in one sentence we write, Hybrid cars save on gasoline consumption. we can begin the next sentence with They to help the reader knows that the writer is referring back to hybrid cars.)

Example: The following paragraph is an example of a paragraph where pronouns are used repeatedly to refer back to bats. They are underlined. Also, building on the last example, notice how the italicized key words are used in this paragraph. Bats frighten many people, and the mere mention of them in the vicinity can cause panic. But are they all that dangerous? I have lived in areas where bats come out every night at dusk to soar through the sky looking for food. Most of these flying mammals are insect eaters, and others are fruit eaters. Only a few of them suck mammalian blood, and so it is only these bats that we need to avoid. Use transitional words and phrases. (Transitional words such as however, therefore, in addition, are great signals to our audience of relationships between ideas in paragraphs, and also of relationships between ideas in one sentence and the next sentence. We need to use them frequently to help our readers follow our reasoning. We also need to use them correctly, because using the wrong transitional word can totally confuse our readers.) Example: Notice how the underlined transitional words and phrases in the following paragraph help guide the reader from one idea to the next. Another reason people like to use cell phones where driving is because it is a convenient and efficient way to keep in touch with family and friends and make plans with them. Before cell phones, drivers had to pull off the road and use a pay phone, which took time. But, the alternative was to wait until they got home to call. However, to use a cell phone while driving can be dangerous. A recent study has shown drivers talking on cell phones can be as dangerous as drunken drivers. As a result, lawmakers have started to discuss banning cell phone use while driving. There are many good sites on the Web which offer lists of transitional words and phrases and explanation of how they can be used appropriately. These are some websites dealing with transitional words: Coherence of technical writing: Coherence is the unifying element in good writing. It refers to the unity created between the ideas, sentences, paragraphs and sections of a piece of writing. Coherence is what gives a piece of writing its flow. It also gives the reader a sense of what to expect and, therefore, makes the reading easier to follow as the ideas appear to be presented in a natural, almost automatic, way. When writing lacks coherence, the reader is forced to stop and reread. Occasionally, the reader may just give up out of frustration. Definition: A quality of sentences, paragraphs, and essays when all parts are clearly connected. Adjective: coherent.

http://www.dmc.utep.edu/eng0310/handout1.html http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr6.htm http://www.virtualsalt.com/transits.htm http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_transition.html