Soal uraian Bab I

1.Differentiate the text and nontext ! Then, give the examples!

2.Elaborate the meaning of context by giving the example!

3.Give the examples of coherence and cohesion in one text, then analyze them.

2. Text and Context

1. Introduction

Text: linguistic realization of propositional meanings as connected passage that is situationally

relevant.

Characteristics:

essentially a semantic unit as a form of interaction;

cohesive and coherent: not random but connected;

spoken or written: mode of linguistic realization;

of any length

creates and/or created by context (situationally relevant)

Context: verbal & non-verbal environment of speech, including 3 types:

a. linguistic context (co-text): (McCarthy: 64);

b. context of situation: non-verbal immediate environment of speech (Halliday; Hymes)

c. context of culture: general, non-verbal permanent environment of speech including

background cultural knowledge (Hymes: -N- )

Appropriate interpretation of text depends on co-text and context.

 (1) He doesn't know what that is.

(2) Four hearts.

(3) Did you shut the door?

(4) Japanese marriage proposal: silence as acquiescence

(5) a. He put on his pajamas, got into bed, turned off the light and went to sleep.

b. He put on his pajamas, got into bed, went to sleep and turned off the light.

Summary:

relationship among text, co-text and context can be represented as in Fig.1;

context may be viewed as text, as situation, and/or as knowledge (cognitive, sociocultural);

different approaches emphasize different aspects of context. (cf. Halliday & Hymes)

we can make predictions or inferences from text to context and from context to text:

In-class exercise:

Make inferences about the context of situation for each of the following. Tell how you arrived at your
inferences (through field, tenor, mode, content, cultural knowledge, particular structures, forms of
the sentences, and/or lexical relationships)?

1. Once upon a time... (... and they lived happily ever after)

2. This is to certify that....

3. Four hearts.

4. Just a trim, is it?

5. Post strike threat vaverted

6. Hands up all those who've finished.

7. Add the eggs one at a time beating well in between....

8. From here, a short walk takes you to the subway station....

9. Move battery holding down bolts, or hook bolts at both ends of battery....
2. Textuality: Cohesion and Coherence

(6) a. John wants to visit his girlfriend. Mr. Smith lives in a small village nearby. The vacuum cleaner
didn't work.

The barber down the street couldn't help. The last paper had been sold. It is going to be a
long dull talk.

b. John wants to visit his girlfriend. Mary lives in a small village nearby. The car wouldn't start.

The garage down the street couldn't help. The last bus had already left. It is going to be a
long hot walk.

coherence connection through non-textual pragmatic knowledge: concepts & relationships must
be relevant to each other (e.g. car-garage);

cohesion: lexicogrammatical connection through dependency of one textual element on

another:

(7) The store no longer sold porcelain figurines. It used to, but they didn't sell very well...

(8) A: I have a 6-year old kid.

B: That's all right.

A: I also have a dog.

B: I'm sorry.

Relationship between cohesion and coherence:

(9) A week has seven days. Every day I feed my cat. Cats have four legs. The cat is on the mat. Mat
has three letters.

(10) A: Can you go to Vancouver tomorrow?

B: The Air Canada pilots are on strike.

(11) A: Can you go to Vancouver tomorrow?

B: Yes, I can.

most texts are both coherent and cohesive (11); however,

 coherence does not have to be accompanied by cohesion (10);

cohesion does not necessarily cause or creates coherence (9);

cohesion is the means whereby to highlight the presence of coherence.

Characteristics of cohesion (Halliday)

Cohesion is part of the text-forming component in the linguistic system. It is the means whereby
structurally unrelated elements are linked together, through the dependence of one on the other for
its interpretation. That is,

not a structural relation: not necessarily S-bound

semantic concept which refers to relations of meaning within a text, i.e. text-bound;

relational: one item is interpreted by reference to another

(12) a. They said so.

b. A: Did John and Tom finish their project?

B: They said so.

expressed partly through grammar (reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction) and partly
through vocabulary (reiteration, collocation)

Tie: a set of cohesively related items, which enable us to give a systematic account of
patterns of texture. (e.g. John and Tom - they: above)

3. Types of cohesion

A. Grammatical Cohesion

(i) Reference

reference refers to the dependent relationship between the referring and the referred in a text;

the referred item is usually a full NP, a sentence, or a passage;

the referring item can be pronouns; demonstratives; the article the, and such.

(13) The schoolmaster was leaving the village, and everybody seemed sorry. The miller at
Cresscombe lent him the small white tilted cart and horse to carry his goods to the city of his
destination, about twenty miles off, such a vehicle proving of quite sufficient size for the departing
teacher's effects.

Reference:

within text > anaphoric (backward pointing)

cataphoric (forward pointing)

outside text > exophoric (outward pointing)

Anaphoric reference: backward pointing within text; expressed in several ways:

personal pronouns: referring back to an earlier NP (e.g. (13))

it, this, that: referring to a NP or a situation expressed by a S or a series of Ss:

(14) It rained day and night for two weeks. The basement flooded and everything was under water. It
spoilt all our calculations.

(15) a. And the living room was a very small room with two windows that wouldn't open and things
like that. And it/?that looked nice. It/?That had a beautiful brick wall.

b. You entered into a tiny little hallway and the kitchen was off that.

(16) a. ?Introduction: It traces the developments in dialectology in recent years...

b. Introduction: This traces...

Table 2: Comparison between it, that, and this as referring items

Referential Item Discourse Function

it to established topic

that to refer across different topics

this to refer to new topic

Grammatical choices are pragmatically determined.

Cataphoric reference: forward pointing within text; reference to oncoming item in text
(17) This is how to get the best results. You let the berries dry in the sun, till all the moisture has gone
out of them. Then you gather them up and chop them very fine.

(18) Dear Abby: There's this guy I've been going with for near three years. Well, the problem is that he
hits me. He started last year. He has done it only four or five times, but each time it was worse than
before. Every time he hits me it was because he thought I was flirting (I wasn't). Last time he accused
me of coming on to a friend of his. First he called me a lot of dirty names, then he punched my face so
bad it left me with a black eye and black-and-blue bruises over half of my face. It was very noticeable,
so I told my folks that the car I was riding in stopped suddenly and my face hit the windshield.

Abby, he's 19 and I'm 17, and already I feel like an old married lady who lets her husband push her
around. I haven't spoken to him since this happened. He keeps bugging me to give him one more
chance. I think I've given him enough chances. Should I keep avoiding him or what?

- Black and Blue -

(19) A guy I haven't seen in years has just called me and ...

Exophoric reference: outward pointing

referent in immediate context of situation (e.g. setting):

(18) Can you show me that?

referent as part of a shared world, such as social institutions (i.e. context of culture):

(19) a. The government are to blame for unemployment.

b. The sun came out.

c. She went into a restaurant and asked the waiter for the menu.

(ii) Substituion: use of pro-forms

(20) a. one(s): She likes red ribbons, but her sister likes green ones.

b. do: A: Did John take the letter?

B: He might have done.

c. so/not: Do you need help? If so, I'll stay; if not, I'll go.
 d. same: They went to the cafeteria, and I did the same.

Table 2: Comparison between reference and substitution

Reference Substitution

Pronouns definite

coreferential indefinite

not coreferential

Pro-verbals - +

(iii) Ellipsis: omission of elements which are retrievable from context

(21) If you take the green tie, I'll take the blue _.

(22) a. A: Will anyone be waiting?

B: John will _, I think.

b. A: Have you considered my proposal?

B: No, but I will _.

(23) He said he would consider my proposal as soon as he could _ but he hasn't _.

(iv) Conjunction: signals relationship between discourse segments (and, but, or, though, then,
because...)

(24) a. She's honest. And she's reliable.

b. I've lived here ten years and I've never heard of him.

c. He stayed in the snow for a hour and caught a cold.

d. They came in and sat down.

Other examples: apposition: or, in other words;

clarification: or rather;
 variation: alternatively;

spatio-temporal: there/previously;

causal-conditional: consequently/in that case

B. Lexical cohesion

(i) Reiteration: repetition of a lexical item in various forms

repetition: same word(s)

(25) There was a large mushroom growing near her, about the same height as herself; and, when she
had looked under it, it occurred to her that she might as well look and see what was on the top of it...
She stretched herself up on tiptoe, and peeped over the edge of the mushroom...{}

synonym:

(26) Accordingly... I took leave, and turned to the ascent of the peak. The climb is perfectly easy...

superordinate: as summation of hyponyms

(27) There was a fine old rocking-chair that his father used to sit in, a desk where he wrote letters, a
nest of small tables and a dark, imposing bookcase. Now all this furniture was to be sold, and with it
his own past.

general word:

(28) Can you tell me where to stay in Vancouver? I've never been to the place before.

Other examples: Human: people, person, man, woman, child, boy, girl

Non-human animate: creature

Inanimate concrete count: thing, object

Inanimate concrete mass: stuff

Inanimate abstract: business, affair, matter

 Action: move

Place: place

Fact: question, idea

(29) There's a boy climbing that elm.

a. The boy's going to fall if he doesn't take care.

b. The lad's going to fall if he doesn't take care.

c. The child's going to fall if he doesn't take care.

d. The idiot's going to fall if he doesn't take care.

e. That elm isn't very safe.

f. That tree isn't very safe.

g. That old thing isn't very safe.

(ii) Collocation: association of lexical items that regularly co-occur due to some recognizable
lexico-semantic relation, such as

synonym & superordinate e.g. co-hyponyms: red: green

opposites

complementarities: boy: girl; stand up: sit down

antonyms: like: hate; large: small

converses: order: obey; buy: sell

same order series e.g. Monday, Tue., Wed.; north, south

part-whole

part-to-whole: brake: car; lid: box

part-to-part: mouth: chin; verse: chorus

General principle: Lexical cohesion is created if items which tend to appear in the same lexical
environment (i.e. sharing similar patterns of collocation) occur in adjacent sentences.
4. Cohesion and coherence analysis in applied linguistics

(30)

"... I had stroke... blood pressure... low pressure... period... Ah... pass out... Uh... Rosa and I, and...
friends... of mine... uh... uh... shore... uh drink, talk, pass out..."

"...Hahnemann Hospital... uh, uh I... uh uh wife, Rosa... uh... take... uh... love... ladies... uh Ocean
uh Hospital and transfer Hahnemann Hospital ambulance... uh... half'n hour... uh... uh it's... uh...
motion, motion... uh... bad... patient... I uh... flat on the back... um... it's... uh... shaved, shaved...
nurse, shaved me... uh... shaved me, nurse... [sigh]... wheel chair... uh... Hahnemann Hospital... a
week, a week... uh... then uh... strength... uh... mood... uh... up... uh... legs and arms, left side uh...
weak... and... Moss Hospital... two week... no, two months..."

Conclusion:

Lexical cohesion is more basic than grammatical cohesion;

However, without grammatical cohesion, even coherent discourse becomes laborious, clumsy,
and faltered;

Possible project: analyze cohesion & coherence of child language, second language, aphasics,
or pidgin

References

Givon, T. 1995. "Coherence in text vs. coherence in mind". In M.A. Gernsbacher & T. Givon (eds.)

Coherence in Spntaneous Text, 59-115. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. {P 302.2 C6 1995}

Halliday, M. 1989. Chap 1-3.

Halliday & Hasan 1976.

McCarthy, 1991. Chap. 2-3.

Salkie, R. 1995. Text and Discourse Analysis, chap 1. London: Routledge. {P 302 S25 1995}

Van Dijk, T. 1977. Text and Context: Explorations in the semantics and pragmatics of discourse. chap 4:
98-99. London: Longman. {P 302 D5 1980}

Coherence
Coherence is sometimes called cohesion, even though some would claim that the two
terms denote phenomena that are obviously related, but clearly different. We use
coherence to cover both the extent to which a text hangs together, as it were, and the
various linguistic and structural means of achieving this coherence.

In a coherent text, there are logical links between the words, sentences, and
paragraphs of the text. The term comes from the Latin verb co-haerere, which means
'to stick together' (OED). Another way to describe coherence is to say that it has to do
with good and smooth text flow. A writer must maximise understanding of a text by
making it as clear and logical as possible.

Coherence can be achieved in a number of ways. Oshima & Hogue (2006) suggest the
following four:

Repeating key nouns

Using consistent pronouns
Using transition signals to link ideas
Arranging your ideas in logical order

Starting with the last point, for the reason that it is a paramount aspect, any academic
text will be incomprehensible unless the ideas expressed in it are arranged in some
sort of logical fashion.

There are several different kinds of logical order, but some of the more frequently
used are chronology, importance, and contrast. Chronology, firstly, has to do with
time, and in terms of logic, events are ordered in a sequence. Secondly, importance
means that ideas are discussed in a sequence which implies either a increasing or
decreasing order of importance. Thirdly, contrast has to do with ordering ideas by
contrasting or comparing them.

The last but one point - transition signals (sometimes called linking words or
linking adverbials) - has to do with the use of specific words and phrases that evoke
links and transition between ideas.

As was emphasised above, there is no substitute for ordering the various ideas and
parts of a text in a logical way. However, even when this is done in a satisfactory
manner, there is often a need to strengthen the organisational pattern of a text passage
by inserting logical markers.

There is a multitude of words and phrases like these, and they can be grouped in
different classes based on the function they serve. The link below will take you to a
list of different transitional and linking words.
 A list of linking words for different purposes
(Bjrk & Risnen 1997) (click to
expand/contract)
Purpose/function Connective words (linking words)

addition and, also, moreover, in addition, furthermore, besides

but, however, in contrast, on the one hand - on the other

contrast hand,
the former - the latter, actually, nevertheless, while
similarity such, similarly, the same, equally

exemplification for example, for instance, in other words

first, second, then, afterwards, thereafter, meanwhile, at

chronology the
same time, next, later, finally, at last, ultimately
so, consequently, therefore, thus, accordingly, although,
causality
because of, hence, as a result, since
of course, naturally, obviously, fortunately, unfortunately,
attitude
certainly, admittedly
summary to summarise, to sum up, in conclusion, in brief

Bjrk & Risnen (1997,

p.186-187)

The point called using consistent pronouns has to do with substituting nouns with
pronouns in an effective way. A text that does not use pronouns to some extent will
come across as overly repetitive. The important part when using pronouns is to be
consistent by using the same person and number throughout the paragraph or text.
Click on the link below to see a comparison between a text with and without
pronouns.

Example: The effect of presence and absence of

pronouns in a text (click to expand/contract)
Absence of suitable pronouns

The director said that the director was in a hurry. The director was late for picking the
director's sister up at the airport, but the director did not know where the airport was.
Presence of suitable pronouns

The director said that he was in a hurry. He was late for picking his sister up at the
airport, but he did not know where it was.

The fourth way to achieve coherence in a text passage is to repeat key nouns.
However, even if nouns typically are the words that should be repeated, also words
from other word classes can be repeated if they are central to the topic of the text.
There is no set rule as to how often a key noun can be repeated - the guiding principle
must be clarity and an avoidance of making the reader feel that there is too much
repetition.

An alternative to repeating a key noun over and over is to use another noun that has
the same, or at least very similar, meaning: a synonym.

Click on the link below to see an example of effective repetition of key nouns.

Example: The repetition of key nouns in a text

(Oshima & Hogue 2006) (click to
expand/contract)
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has
a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins
and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful
forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was
made 25 centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to
industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial
applications, such as photography and dentistry. The most recent use of gold is in
astronauts' suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection when they go
outside spaceships in space. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but
also for its utility.

Oshima & Hogue (2006, p. 22)

Definition of coherence

1 : the quality or state of cohering: such asa : systematic or logical connection or consistency
The essay as a whole lacks coherence.b : integration of diverse elements, relationships, or values

The various parts of this housediscrete in color, in shape, in placementjoin together with
remarkable coherence. Paul Goldberger
2: the property of being coherent a plan that lacks coherence

coherencenoun [ U ] uk /kh.rns/ us /kohr.ns/

C2 the situation when the parts of something fit together in a natural or reasonable way:

There was no coherence between the first and the second half of the movie.

Coherence (kohrns )

uncountable noun

Coherence is a state or situation in which all the parts or ideas fit together well so that they form a
united whole.

The anthology has a surprising sense of coherence.

More Synonyms of coherence

COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright HarperCollins Publishers

coherence

(khrns ) or coherency (khrns ) noun

1. logical or natural connection or consistency

2. another word for cohesion (sense 1)

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright HarperCollins Publishers coherence in American English

(kohrns ; khirns; kohrns ; kherns) noun

1. the act or condition of cohering; cohesion

2. the quality of being logically integrated, consistent, and intelligible; congruity his story lacked
coherence

3. Physics that property of a set of waves or sources of waves in which the oscillations maintain a
fixed relationship to each other Also coherency

Websters New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
All rights reserved.

From the ESL Student Handbook by Young Min, PhD

Coherence means the connection of ideas at the idea level, and cohesion means the
connection of ideas at the sentence level. Basically, coherence refers to the rhetorical
aspects of your writing, which include developing and supporting your argument (e.g.
thesis statement development), synthesizing and integrating readings, organizing and
clarifying ideas. The cohesion of writing focuses on the grammatical aspects of
writing.

One of the practical tools that can help improve the coherence of your writing is to
use a concept map. The concept map is also known as reverse outline since you
make an outline of your paper after you have finished the main ideas of your paper.
Write down the main idea of each paragraphwhich is called a topic sentenceon a
blank piece of paper. Check to see if the topic sentences are connected to the thesis
statement of your paper or if you have strayed from your main argument. As you
repeat this process, it will help you become more aware of how to develop your
argument coherently and how to organize your ideas effectively. Here is a concept
map template you can use.

Cohesion is also a very important aspect of academic writing, because it immediately

affects the tone of your writing. Although some instructors may say that you will not
lose points because of grammatical errors in your paper, you may lose points if the
tone of your writing is sloppy or too casual (a diary-type of writing or choppy
sentences will make the tone of your writing too casual for academic writing). But
cohesive writing does not mean just grammatically correct sentences; cohesive
writing refers to the connection of your ideas both at the sentence level and at the
paragraph level.

Here are some examples that illustrate the importance of connecting your ideas more
effectively in writing.

The hotel is famous. It is one of the most well-known hotels in the country. The latest
international dancing competition was held at the hotel. The hotel spent a lot of
money to advertise the event. Because the hotel wanted to gain international
reputation. But not many people attended the event. (The connection of ideas is not
very good.)

The hotel, which is one of the most well-known hotels in this region, wanted to
promote its image around the world by hosting the latest international dancing
competition. Although the event was widely advertised, not many people participated
in the competition. (The connection of ideas is better than in the first example.)

The latest international dancing competition was held at the hotel, which is one of the
most well-known hotels in this region. The hotel spent a lot of money on advertising
the event since it wanted to enhance its international reputation; however, it failed to
attract many people. (The connection of ideas is better than in the first example.)

Coherence & Cohesion

Coherence and cohesion are essential for aiding readability and idea
communication. Coherence is about the unity of the ideas and cohesion the unity of
structural elements. One way to do this is through the use of cohesive devices: logical
bridges (repetition), verbal bridges (synonyms), linking words, and clear back
referencing. If these types of devices are missing in the text, it not only becomes more
difficult to read the text, but also to understand its contents since the reader must guess
how the various parts of the paragraph or text are connected, which will involve re-reading
sentences or larger sections more than once.

With logical bridges, the same idea of a topic is carried over (repeated) from sentence to
sentence, and successive sentences can be constructed in parallel form. With verbal
bridges, key words or synonymous words can be repeated, pronouns can replace nouns
and transition words (as shown below) can be used. In the paragraph below, words and
phrases that serve to increase the coherence of the paragraph are highlight and
underlined. As this sample paragraph indicates, coherence and cohesion in a paragraph
is established by combining more than one device.

Example Remarks

The topic sentence

introduces the three
stages which are then
explained in more
detail.

There are three components to a typical modern catalytic Verbal bridge:

converter: one to effect the reduction of nitrogen The second sentence
oxides, another to facilitate the oxidation of carbon monoxide and includes a key word
hydrocarbons, and the third to maintain the correct abundance of reduced, linking the
oxygen. In the first stage the nitrogen oxides are reduced using a idea to the previous
platinum catalyst, which facilitates their decomposition into sentence though in a
nitrogen and oxygen. In the next stage the carbon fragments different form from
are oxidized over a platinum/rhodium catalyst. Finally, the correct earlier (reduction). A
amount of oxygen is ensured by monitoring the amount of oxygen similar repetition occurs
passing into the engine, and by incorporating into the catalyst a in the third sentence.
metal oxide that absorbs oxygen (by reacting with it to form a
higher oxide) when the fuel mixture has too much oxygen and Logical bridge:
reverts to the lower oxide, releasing oxygen, when the mixture has The processes of the
too little (Atkins. P.W, 1991) first two stages are
described in parallel
form.

The final sentence sums

up this process, clearly
signalled by finally.
A more direct way of emphasizing the inherent logic of a paragraph is through the use of
linking words and phrases which mark transitions within and between sentences. The
table below gives a sample of such linking words and groups them based on the
connection they illustrate/indicate

Example / Result /
Addition Attitude Contrast / Comparison
Explanation Reason

however,
so,
nevertheless,
naturally,
consequently,
on the contrary,
moreover,
for example, certainly,
thus,
in contrast,
furthermore,
for instance, fortunately,
as a result,
on the one hand, . . . on
in addition,
that is, undoubtedly, the other hand,
for this reason,
additionally,
In other strangely in comparison,
owing to this,
words, enough,
and
of course, still,
therefore,
predictably,
yet,
accordingly,
but
Time Summary Order Back reference

at first, finally, this

first(ly), second(ly),
next, in that
third(ly),
then, conclusion, these
last(ly),
later, in short, those
finally,
in the end, to sum up, such

Back referencing is another effective device for creating coherence, but this device must
be used carefully because it can cause confusion rather than create clarity. Consider
whether or not the use of back referencing is clear in the following example
Example Remarks

The back references are vague

and bring up questions such as
Plagiarism is a recurrent problem, which is considered an
what does that refer to?
important matter in university education. Chalmers is no exception
Be more specific:
to that and therefore has a strict policy regarding how it should be
that could be "this situation"
dealt with.
it could be "the issue of
plagiarism"

It is perfectly acceptable to use back referencing, just be sure to make it clear. One way to
do this, as exemplified in the remarks above, is to add a summary word to the back
reference (e.g. this situation, where situation is the summary word). Using a summary
word specifies the back reference, often making it much clearer.

In Summary

Connect ideas, sentences and paragraphs using a variety of cohesive devices:

logical bridges (parallel construction)

o carry the same idea of a topic over from sentence to sentence, i.e.
successive sentences are constructed in parallel form

e.g. In the first stage, an idea can be generated by using a mind-map and some
discussion. In the next stage, a clear plan of action can be produced in the form of a list.

verbal bridges (back referencing/linking words)

o key words/phrases might be repeated in a number of sentences, or

synonyms utilised instead to avoid exact repetition.

e.g. There are three stages to the pre-writing process: one to effect the generation of ideas,
another to facilitate an action plan, and the third to research the information to be included
in your text. In the first stage, an idea can be generated by using a mind-map and some
discussion.

words/phrases to link ideas between sentences for smooth transition

e.g. writing is a process, which can take a long time and involve many
obstacles. However, when you are finished, youll see that it was worth the effort.

Word origin of 'coherence'

Example sentences containing 'coherence'

The report claimed the existing system lacked coherence and has failed to embrace changes in
technology. Times, Sunday Times (2009)Its approach is reactive and lacks coherence. Times, Sunday
Times (2016)It may well be successful but it has contributed to a party that lacks coherence. Times,
Sunday Times (2013)Fans have talked of a team that is rudderless and lacking coherence. Times,
Sunday Times (2013)It aimed to bring national coherence to the governing bodies. Judith Flanders
Consuming Passions: Leisure and Pleasure in Victorian Britain (2006)Media studies is a subject with
little intellectual coherence and meagre relevance to the world of work. Times, Sunday Times
(2009)Little thought was given to visual coherence. Susie Gilbert and Jay Shir A TALE OF FOUR
HOUSES: Opera at Covent Garden, La Scala, Vienna and the Met since 1945 (2003)They have a sense
of coherence and an ability to manage their own and others' emotions. Times, Sunday Times (2012)It
has no coherence, no sense of itself. Times, Sunday Times (2016)We didn't care about narrative
coherence. John Walsh ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?: A Life Through the Movies (2004)I think our
challenge for the year ahead will be to bring some coherence to this. Times, Sunday Times
(2009)Sometimes they talk about themselves the way she thinks about them - you feel that these
people lack coherence. Times, Sunday Times (2007)Trading lacked coherence and conviction. Times,
Sunday Times (2013)Then the universe is seen as infinite in all directions, but without any backbone
of mathematical structure to give it coherence. Dyson, Freeman Infinite in All Directions (1989)What
the understandable'something must be done' angst of recent days lacks is coherence. Times, Sunday
Times (2015)And how can anyone be sure, when the Tory programme lacks all coherence. Times,
Sunday Times (2009)The obvious bias in this particular outline is it lifts up and encourages creativity
and innovation, and it also encourages a sense of internal coherence. Christianity Today (2000)Such a
text, though external to the picture, provided it with narrative coherence and aesthetic unity. The
Times Literary Supplement (2013)The by-election shows Labour making no progress at all in
prosperous areas and with a lack of coherence at the top. Times, Sunday Times (2014)And try as they
might, the charm of the leads can't hide the lack of coherence or overbearing sentimentality. The Sun
(2014)And what if the highest goal achievable, as a result, is simply the internal coherence of a
speculative argument? The Times Literary Supplement (2010)British policing lacks consistency and
coherence, with different forces buying different equipment, failing to share information and
engaging in petty geographical rivalries. Times, Sunday Times (2009)The current party system, with its
dominant leaders, strong party whipping and internal coherence is at least partly a product of
technological change. Times, Sunday Times (2014)And the film, while it suffers from a lack of
coherence and focus, has enough brutally perceptive and hilarious moments to gloss over the rough
edges. Times, Sunday Times (2014)