Mastering Textual Cohesion and Connectors

Textual Connectors and Their Functions

To enter an item, use connectors such as: main objective, the paper discusses, or on a.... To organize by brand or order distinctions, use phrases like one part of the one side. To emphasize a point, use that is or keep in mind. To provide examples, use for example or such as. To summarize, use in short or globally. Finally, to indicate a conclusion, use finished.

Cohesion and Logical Relationships

• Reason: because, thanks to.
• Consequence: so, therefore.
• Purpose: so that.
• Opposition: instead, on the contrary.
• Objection: even though, despite.

Connectors for Argumentation

Summative Connectors

Use terms like and, equally, and furthermore.

Contrastive Connectors

• Opposition: but, yet, however, on the contrary.
• Concession: although, however, anyway, after all.
• Refutation: actually, in fact.
• Restrictions: at least, if not.

Causal and Conditional Connectors

Causal: because, as, since, thanks to the fact that. Consecutive: so, therefore, why. Conditionals: if, only if, in the case that, always.

Temporal and Spatial Markers

Time: now, then, while, at the same time, suddenly, later, before, after. Space: front, rear, top, bottom, center, sides, right, left.

Cohesion Mechanisms in Text

Cohesion is the internal characteristic of a text that relates each particular piece of text.

Lexical Relationships

These establish semantic links between lexical items:

• Repetition: Using the same word for stylistic necessity.
• Synonyms/Antonyms: Referring to a single reality.
• Encapsulation: Summarizing a segment of text in a word or phrase.
• Hyponymy/Hypernymy: Using specific vs. general names.
• Association: Words belonging to the same field of experience.

Reference Mechanisms

Deixis: A linguistic function used to point to something present in the act of communication (e.g., here, there, I, he).

• Anaphora: A relationship between elements where a reference is made to something previously mentioned.
• Cataphora: A reference to elements provided later in the text.
• Ellipsis: The omission of an element (zero substitution) where no lexical item is required.