Coherent Paragraph

Page 1 of 2

Dear Parents and Students: I have composed two sample paragraphs: coherent and incoherent. Unfortunately, most students’ works, at all levels, fall into the latter. The samples given are elementary, but I see incoherence in business reports and literary analyses as well.

My teaching experience tells me that less than 5% of students, at all levels, are willing to make a conscious effort to write coherently.

I stress the importance of coherence and organization every lesson, and I have covered the techniques students can use to help them create coherent paragraphs.

All students need to do is be diligent when composing works at home.

To create a coherent paragraph requires students to exercise strong mental discipline—That’s the hard part, but everyone can do this.

When you are practicing coherence, you “should” feel tired, mentally. If you are

Depending on your age and level, you should break each sitting into 20, 30, and 45 minutes. not feeling tired, you are not doing a good exercise.

Most native professionals cannot write more than three or four hours a day, because writing is an exhausting activity.

Learning to write coherently is NOT an exercise you can rush through. But most try to rush through, despite how I repeatedly tell them not to. Once your brain gets used to connecting ideas to a single theme, speed will develop, naturally.

Thanks for taking the time to read my advice.

_____________________________________________________________ Gloria Luk, M.A., B.A. WhatsApp: 6386 9319 Office: Unit 1906, Progress Commercial Building, 9 Irving Street, Causeway Bay Email: gloria.luk.en@gmail.com Website: www.glorialuk.com

© 2019 GLORIA LUK ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Page 2 of 2

Topic: Describe your favourite teacher and explain why you like him or her? _____________________________________________________________

Coherent Paragraph

Grade:

A

My favourite teacher is Ms. Chan because she makes learning words fun. I used to find learning new vocabulary boring, and I saw it as a chore, a memory exercise. But Ms. Chan made learning words a creative exercise. She, for example, asks us to describe colours by putting two words together, such as “tiger-brown” and “rosy-red”, and to pay attention to the surprising ways writers use words to hold their readers’ attention. Since, I have enjoyed learning and creating words, and I hope I, too, can become an interesting writer.

Comment: This paragraph focuses on one idea: I like Ms. Chan because Ms. Chan makes learning words fun.

Examples are given to support the premise: that is, the ways Ms. Chan makes learning words fun. _____________________________________________________________

Incoherent Paragraph

Grade:

D

My favourite teacher is Ms. Chan. Ms. Chan makes me laugh all the time.

She is funny. She teaches me Maths. I used to hate Maths before meeting Ms. Chan. Many of my classmates also love Ms. Chan. Once I fell down on a field trip. I cried and Ms. Chan came to comfort me. Ms. Chan is the best teacher ever.

Comment: This paragraph is incoherent: see how most sentences do not flow to the next: “She is funny. She teaches me Maths.” The main idea, moreover, is unclear: Is Ms. Chan a fun person or a fun “teacher” making learning interesting? To tie this paragraph to the subject of learning, the main idea should be the latter. In addition, the example is off-topic because it only shows Ms. Chan as a nice person. Moreover, this paragraph lacks specific descriptions and examples that sketch out Ms. Chan’s character. We see no effort to connect these small ideas into a big one, nor any effort to describe the subject in-depth.

© 2019 GLORIA LUK ALL RIGHTS RESERVED