Lexicogrammatical Issues at the Discourse Level

How to make texts cohesive

Power is often a matter of perception. Even a great army with powerfulweapons can be defeated by civilians if the civilians change their perception of their own power. However, perception of power and powerlessness is multifaceted. It is also possible for an entity that perceives itself as powerful to be blinded to the power of an entity that it sees as less powerful and therefore undermine its own actual power. An example of this would be the Ottoman Empire’s poor estimation of the power of the infidels, before the Empire had its power stripped from it. In the modern Middle East, power hasonly reinforced itself as a complex concept. In the case of the Israelis and the Palestinians, each side perceives itself as being powerless and the otheras having the power.

The paragraph below was written by a native English speaker and earned an A/B from the teacher.

One striking quality of the paragraph is its cohesion, which is

accomplished because it… a. repeats key words / makes lexical chains b. uses parallel structure c. uses pronouns that consistently refer to antecedents d. uses transitions e. moves from known or given information to new

information in the sentences f. uses passive at appropriate times g. keeps verbs in the same time frame except when

appropriate to switch

A. Repeats key words / makes lexical chains

Key Idea #1: power

Power is often a matter of perception. Even a great army with powerful weapons can be defeated by civilians if the civilians change their perception of their own power. However, perception of power and powerlessness is multifaceted. It is also possible for an entity that perceives itself as powerful to be blinded to the power of an entity that it sees as less powerful and therefore undermine its own actual power. An example of this would be the Ottoman Empire’s poor estimation of the power of the infidels, before the Empire had its power stripped from it. In the modern Middle East, power has only reinforced itself as a complex concept. In the case of the Israelis and the Palestinians, each side perceives itself as being powerless and the other as having the power.

A. Repeats key words / makes lexical chains

Key Idea #2: Perception

Power is often a matter of perception. Even a great army with powerful weapons can be defeated by civilians if the civilians change their perception of their own power. However, perception of power and powerlessness is multifaceted. It is also possible for an entity that perceives itself as powerful to be blinded to the power of an entity that it sees as less powerful and therefore undermine its own actual power. An example of this would be the Ottoman Empire’s poor estimation of the power of the infidels, before the Empire had its power stripped from it. In the modern Middle East, power has only reinforced itself as a complex concept. In the case of the Israelis and the Palestinians, each side perceives itself as being powerless and the other as having the power.

A. Repeats key words / makes lexical chains

Key Idea #3: People

Power is often a matter of perception. Even a great army with powerful weapons can be defeated by civilians if the civilians change their perception of their own power. However, perception of power and powerlessness is multifaceted. It is also possible for an entity that perceives itself as powerful to be blinded to the power of an entity that it sees as less powerful and therefore undermine its own actual power. An example of this would be the Ottoman Empire’s poor estimation of the power of the infidels, before the Empire had its power stripped from it. In the modern Middle East, power has only reinforced itself as a complex concept. In the case of the Israelis and the Palestinians, each side perceives itself as being powerless and the other as having the power.

A. Repeats key words / makes lexical chains

Key Idea #4: War

Power is often a matter of perception. Even a great army with powerful weapons can be defeated by civilians if the civilians change their perception of their own power. However, perception of power and powerlessness is multifaceted. It is also possible for an entity that perceives itself as powerful to be blinded to the power of an entity that it sees as less powerful and therefore undermine its own actual power. An example of this would be the Ottoman Empire’s poor estimation of the power of the infidels, before the Empire had its power stripped from it. In the modern Middle East, power has only reinforced itself as a complex concept. In the case of the Israelis and the Palestinians, each side perceives itself as being powerless and the other as having the power.

A. Repeats key words / makes lexical chains

All 4 key ideas together

Power is often a matter of perception. Even a great army with powerful weapons can be defeated by civilians if the civilians change their perception of their own power. However, perception of power and powerlessness is multifaceted. It is also possible for an entity that perceives itself as powerful to be blinded to the power of an entity that it sees as less powerful and therefore undermine its own actual power. An example of this would be the Ottoman Empire’s poor estimation of the power of the infidels, before the Empire had its power stripped from it. In the modern Middle East, power has only reinforced itself as a complex concept. In the case of the Israelis and the Palestinians, each side perceives itself as being powerless and the other as having the power.

b. Uses parallel structure for parallel ideas

Power is often a matter of perception. Even a great army with powerful weapons can be defeated by civilians if the civilians change their perception of their own power. However, perception of power and powerlessness is multifaceted. It is also possible for an entity that perceives itself as powerful to be blinded to the power of an entity that it sees as less powerful and therefore undermine its own actual power. An example of this would be the Ottoman Empire’s poor estimation of the power of the infidels, before the Empire had its power stripped from it. In the modern Middle East, power has only reinforced itself as a complex concept. In the case of the Israelis and the Palestinians, each side perceives itself as being powerless and the other as having the power.

Notice also that there is a repeated pattern of putting the more powerful entity first (until the last sentence.)

More powerful vs. Less powerful

Power is often a matter of perception. Even a great army with powerful weapons can be defeated by civilians if the civilians change their perception of their own power. However, perception of power and powerlessness is multifaceted. It is also possible for an entity that perceives itself as powerful to be blinded to the power of an entity that it sees as less powerful and therefore undermine its own actual power. An example of this would be the Ottoman Empire’s poor estimation of the power of the infidels, before the Empire had its power stripped from it. In the modern Middle East, power has only reinforced itself as a complex concept. In the case of the Israelis and the Palestinians, each side perceives itself as being powerless and the other as having the power.

c. Uses pronouns that consistently refer to antecedents.

Power is often a matter of perception. Even a great army with powerful weapons can be defeated by civilians if the civilians change their perception of their own power. However, perception of power and powerlessness is multifaceted. It is also possible for an entity that perceives itself as powerful to be blinded to the power of an entity that it sees as less powerful and therefore undermine its own actual power. An example of this would be the Ottoman Empire’s poor estimation of the power of the infidels, before the Empire had its power stripped from it. In the modern Middle East, power has only reinforced itself as a complex concept. In the case of the Israelis and the Palestinians, each side perceives itself as being powerless and the other as having the power.

d. Uses transitions

Power is often a matter of perception. Even a great army with powerful weapons can be defeated by civilians if the civilians change their perception of their own power. However, perception of power and powerlessness is multifaceted. It is also possible for an entity that perceives itself as powerful to be blinded to the power of an entity that it sees as less powerful and therefore undermine its own actual power. An example of this would be the Ottoman Empire’s poor estimation of the power of the infidels, before the Empire had its power stripped from it. In the modern Middle East, power has only reinforced itself as a complex concept. In the case of the Israelis and the Palestinians, each side perceives itself as being powerless and the other as having the power.

e. Moves from known or given information to new information in the sentences also known as theme and rheme.

Power is often a matter of perception. Even a great army with powerful weapons can be defeated by civilians if the civilians change their perception of their own power. However, perception of power and powerlessness is multifaceted. It is also possible for an entity that perceives itself as powerful to be blinded to the power of an entity that it sees as less powerful and therefore undermine its own actual power. An example of this would be the Ottoman Empire’s poor estimation of the power of the infidels, before the Empire had its power stripped from it. In the modern Middle East, power has only reinforced itself as a complex concept. In the case of the Israelis and the Palestinians, each side perceives itself as being powerless and the other as having the power.

f. Uses passive at appropriate times

Power is often a matter of perception. Even a great army with powerful weapons can be defeated by civilians if the civilians change their perception of their own power. However, perception of power and powerlessness is multifaceted. It is also possible for an entity that perceives itself as powerful to be blinded to the power of an entity that it sees as less powerful and therefore undermine its own actual power. An example of this would be the Ottoman Empire’s poor estimation of the power of the infidels, before the Empire had its power stripped from it. In the modern Middle East, power has only reinforced itself as a complex concept. In the case of the Israelis and the Palestinians, each side perceives itself as being powerless and the other as having the power.

g. keeps verbs in the same time frame except when appropriate to switch. (ie.,to move from a general statement to a specific example, to show a contrast between one time and another, or to make a general statement of truth.)

Power is often a matter of perception. Even a great army with powerful weapons can be defeated by civilians if the civilians change their perception of their own power. However, perception of power and powerlessness is multifaceted. It is also possible for an entity that perceives itself as powerful to be blinded to the power of an entity that it sees as less powerful and therefore undermine its own actual power. An example of this would be the Ottoman Empire’s poor estimation of the power of the infidels, before the Empire had its power stripped from it. In the modern Middle East, power has only reinforced itself as a complex concept. In the case of the Israelis and the Palestinians, each side perceives itself as being powerless and the other as having the power.

Cohesion between Paragraphs Guiding Language – phrases and

sentences that show how paragraphs are connected

They can be topic sentences at the beginnings of paragraphs or transition sentence at the end of paragraphs or both. One reason… Another reason…. Not only…but…., In

addition to…., Although…..

Look at the guiding language in an excerpt from the same paper by going to the next slide.

The Palestinians have never had a defined Palestine, although it is important to note R. Stephen Humphrey’s reference to a definite sense of Palestine and the Palestinian identity always having been present among the Palestinian people. Up until the last century, Palestinians had simply seen themselves as part of a greater whole, the Ottoman Empire. As a part of that empire, they had shared in its power and culture. When Britain said it supported the creation of a Palestinian state during World War II, many Palestinians must have felt that they would be able to reclaim the power that they had once felt under the Empire by governing themselves. Of course, this was not to be. Before the Palestinians had a chance to organize, their land began to be “invaded” by large numbers of Jewish refugees from Europe. At first the Palestinians did not perceive the settlers as a threat to them, but as the numbers of Jewish immigrants swelled, the Palestinian perception changed. They began to feel that their power was being threatened, and after the war of 1948 and later the war of 1967, their own sense of power reached an all-time low. They no longer saw themselves as having power in their own home.

The years that came did not do much to help restore that lost sense of power. With the Pan-Arab movement the Palestinians believed they could regain their power, but those hopes never panned out. The Jews had control of the state, they monitored entrance to many cities, and many Palestinians were expelled from their homes. Ajami comments that the “refugees of 1948 had been shipwrecked by peace, robbed of the idea of ‘return’.” The Israelis had the United States in their back pocket and negotiations were never seen as favoring the Arabs. Although the Palestinian government was very wealthy in the 1980’s, the wealth was squandered by a corrupt bureaucracy and the people of Palestine fell further into a powerless economic downslide.

On the flip side, the Jewish settlers fleeing Europe and entering Israel saw…

Created by Darby SmithFebruary 17, 2010