Chapter 10, Essay Essentials

NETA PowerPoint® Slides
to accompany
Copyright © 2015 by Nelson Education Ltd.
prepared by
Rhonda Dynes
Mohawk
College
10-1

Developing Unity, Coherence,
and Tone
Chapter 10
10-2

Writer’s Responsibilities
It is your responsibility to make it as easy as possible
for your readers to follow you through your essay.
Unity, coherence, and tone can make the difference
between a paper that confuses or annoys your
readers and one that enlightens and pleases them.
10-3

Unity
Unity means “oneness.” Just as the thesis of
your paper links all the paragraphs together,
the topic sentence of a paragraph links all
the other sentences to that single main idea.
10-4

Unity cont’d
When you’ve completed your first draft, you will
have your introduction and conclusion, and all
your quotations and ideas will have been put
into paragraphs. Then it’s time to revise and
ensure the paragraphs all work together, or
unite.
This is where real writing begins. Check each
paragraph carefully. Any material that does not
clearly and directly support the topic sentence
should be deleted; if it’s relevant elsewhere in
the essay, move it there.
10-5

Coherence
The sentences in the body of a paragraph are
individual points that support the controlling
idea of the topic sentence and link to your thesis.
But if a paragraph is just supporting points, then
it is little more than a shopping list. Good
paragraphs have coherence, which means that
the sentences “stick together.” The sentences
within a paragraph should read as a unit, with
one sentence flowing smoothly into the next.
10-6

Ensuring Coherence
There are two ways to ensure
coherence in your writing, and you
need to use both:
1. Arrange your ideas in an
appropriate order.
2. Use transitions to guide your
reader.
10-7

Transitions
Transitions are written cues that
connect one idea to the next. Whether
expressed or implied, transitions are
the sparks that jump the gaps
between sentences in a paragraph and
between paragraphs in an essay.
10-8

Five Transition Strategies
1. Repeat a Key Word
Repetition focuses the reader’s
attention on an idea and creates a
thread of meaning that runs through a
paragraph or a paper, tying the whole
thing together. (Don’t overdo it,
though.)
10-9

Five Transition Strategies cont’d
2. Use synonyms.
Frequent repetition of a keyword can
become monotonous after a while. You
can keep the reader both focused and
interested by using synonyms—
different words that convey the same
meaning.
10-10

3. Use pronoun references.
Another way of maintaining the focus
but varying the wording is to use
appropriate pronouns to refer back to
a key noun.
10-11

4. Use parallel structure.
Phrasing your sentences in parallel form
helps to maintain focus, reinforce the
unity of your thoughts, and add
emphasis. Parallelism adds “punch” to
your writing.
10-12

5. Use transitional words and phrases.
Transitional words and phrases show the
relationships between sentences in a
paragraph as well as between
paragraphs in an essay. They act like
tape, sticking together the elements of
a paragraph or a paper so your reader
does not misread the direction you
are taking.
10-13

Tone
As you write the paragraphs of your
paper, be especially conscious of your
tone. Your audience, purpose, and
subject will all influence the tone you
choose, which must be appropriate to
all three.
10-15

Finding and Maintaining Tone
● Be tactful. Avoid phrases such as “Any idiot can
see,” “No sane person could believe,” and “It is
obvious that….”
● Don’t talk down to your readers as though they
were children or hopelessly ignorant. Never
use sarcasm, profanity, or slang.
● Don’t apologize for your interpretation of your
subject. Have confidence in yourself. Present
your subject in a positive manner.
10-16

Tone and Online Writing
It is essential to discuss tone when it comes to
online writing (responding to others via email,
chat, blog, or other online forum).
Communicating clearly becomes notoriously
tricky when writers take shortcuts or use online
slang to try to get their points across. Be creative
but also make sure that your intentions don’t
require winks ;) or result in getting written up :( .
10-17

Tone in Writing versus Speaking
To expect our readers to “hear” us the way we
want to be heard isn’t really fair. This is why,
when writing, it is better to use appropriate
language, strong examples, and relevant
experiences.
In writing, the final interpretation is up to the
reader, and we need to be clear, be concise, and
convey the proper tone.
10-18

Summary
In this chapter, you’ve learned
•it is your responsibility to ensure that your paper has
unity, coherence, and the right tone
•unity is making sure that your paper links all your
ideas together
•coherence is about having your paper make sense and
using transitions effectively
•tone must take into account our audience and
purpose and be used correctly so that our ideas are
understood, whether on paper or online
10-19

Chapter 10, Essay Essentials

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