Index
Textual cohesion: reference pronouns and adverbs
The cohesion (cohesion) is the way different parts of a text (phrases and paragraphs) sono legate together. The uso of pronouns and adverbs of reference (also called deictic words or cohesive devices) allows us to avoid annoying repetitions, making the text more elegant and easier to follow.
Rifpronominal reference
The most common way to create cohesion is to use pronouns to Replace nouns, phrases or entire clauses that sohave been mentioned previously.
Pronouns sosubject and object
These pronouns (as he, she, it, they, him, her, them) soreplace i sostants main.
| Type of pronoun | Name soformed | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | The new manager | The new manager arrived. She is starting her work tomorrow. |
| Object | The report | The have finished the report. I will email it to you shortly. |
| Plural | My colleagues | My colleagues are busy. I’ll speak to them later. |
Beware of ambiguity: Always make sure it is clear what the pronoun refers to.
Ambiguous example: John spoke to Mark about his new car.
(Whose new car is it? John's or Mark's?)
Demonstrative pronouns (This, That, These, Those)
Demonstratives soare excellent tools of cohesion because they cansonot refer not to a single name, but to entire ideas or situations.
| Pronoun | Rifreference | Example |
|---|---|---|
This / That | Singular idea or fact | The company decided to close the branch. This came as a shock to all employees.(This = the decision to close the branch) |
These / Those | Ideas, elements, or things plural | Training, motivation, and support are essential. These are the keys to success. |
Relative pronouns (Which, Who, Whose, That)
The relative pronouns they tie one phrase subordinate to phrase main and sono a pillar of cohesion.
The project, which started last week, is already behind schedule.(whichyes riferifies aThe project.)The CEO, who is known for his calm nature, handled the crisis well.(whoyes riferifies aThe CEO.)
Rifadverbial reference
Adverbs of reference (or Adverbs of place and time) so Constitute whole phrases prepositional phrases of place or time, avoiding repeating context information.
| Adverb | Replaces | Example |
|---|---|---|
Here (Here) / There (There) | Place | We held the conference in Rome. The atmosphere there was fantastic.(there soreplaces in Rome) |
Then (At that time) | Time/Moment | The announcement was made at 3 PM. Then, everyone started cheering.(Then soreplaces at 3 PM) |
Thus (As) / Hence (Therefore) | Manner/Conclusion | The budget was approved. Thus, the construction can begin.(Thus it rifresults in the approval of the budget as cause.) |
Riflexical reference and substitution
In addition to pronouns and adverbs, cohesion is also strengthened by the use of synonyms, hyperonyms and the soinstitution of a name with another more generic term.
Replacement with verbal adverbs
They are used auxiliary verbs or the word do to soreplace an entire verb phrase or clause.
A: Did you finish the report? B: Yes, I did.(didsoreplacesfinished the report.)She can speak French, and her husband can too.(can toosoreplacescan speak French.)
Replacement with common names
Use a more general name to refer to a specific name mentioned.
I bought a new laptop. The machine is incredibly fast.
(machinesoreplaceslaptop.)The team made a significant mistake. This problem must be addressed immediately.
(problemsoreplacesmistake.)
Consolidation exercise
In the following phrase, identifies the cohesive pronoun/adverb and what it refers to:
The annual review was extremely detailed, and it required three hours to complete. This is why we need to review our procedures.
| Cohesive word | Rifreference (Antecedent) | Category |
|---|---|---|
it | The annual review | Object pronoun |
This | The annual review was extremely detailed, and it required three hours to complete. (The whole idea) | Demonstrative pronoun |
The careful handling of these tools elevates the quality of your text, ensuring that your ideas flow logically from one to the next.