flow and cohesive writing

FlowCohesive writing

Consider this…

• Low interest rates generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices will result in a loss of purchasing power.

What is the first sentence about?

• Low interest rates generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices will result in a loss of purchasing power.

It is about “interest rates”

• Low interest rates generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices will result in a loss of purchasing power.

“Low interest rates” is the theme…

• Low interest rates generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices will result in a loss of purchasing power.

• We call this phrase (“Low interest rates”) the “theme” of the sentence. The theme is often a short phrase that offers information that is familiar and therefore accessible to the reader. New information is rendered at the end of the sentence, in the focus position.

The focus?

• Low interest rates generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices will result in a loss of purchasing power.

The focus adds new information.

• Low interest rates generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices will result in a loss of purchasing power.

• The rest of the sentence is called the “focus.” It adds new information to the theme. Notice how the theme should be a concept familiar to the reader, while the focus introduces new information.

What is the second theme?

• Low interest rates [T1] generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices will result in a loss of purchasing power.

What is the second theme?

• Low interest rates [T1] generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion [T2] tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices will result in a loss of purchasing power.

… and the third?

• Low interest rates [T1] generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion [T2] tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices will result in a loss of purchasing power.

… and the third?

• Low interest rates [T1] generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion [T2] tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices [T3] will result in a loss of purchasing power.

Can you see a pattern here?

• Low interest rates [T1] generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion [T2] tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices [T3] will result in a loss of purchasing power.

The themes are “borrowed”…

• Low interest rates [T1] generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion [T2] tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices [T3] will result in a loss of purchasing power.

… from a previous focus…

• Low interest rates [T1] generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion [T2] tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices [T3] will result in a loss of purchasing power.

This progression pattern is called…

• Low interest rates [T1] generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion [T2] tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices [T3] will result in a loss of purchasing power.

Linear progression

• Low interest rates [T1] generally lead to an expansion of the money supply. This monetary expansion [T2] tends to lead to higher prices. When wages or pensions are not indexed for inflation, rising consumer prices [T3] will result in a loss of purchasing power.

Now consider this passage…

• William Shakespeare was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564. The bard wrote sonnets and plays. He died in 1616.

A short biography… Theme?

• William Shakespeare was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564. The bard wrote sonnets and plays. He died in 1616.

Of course…

• William Shakespeare [T1] was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564. The bard wrote sonnets and plays. He died in 1616.

The focus?

• William Shakespeare [T1] was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564. The bard wrote sonnets and plays. He died in 1616.

The first focus [F1]…

• William Shakespeare [T1] was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564 [F1]. The bard wrote sonnets and plays. He died in 1616.

The second theme?

• William Shakespeare [T1] was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564 [F1]. The bard wrote sonnets and plays. He died in 1616.

“The bard”…

• William Shakespeare [T1] was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564 [F1]. The bard wrote sonnets and plays. He died in 1616.

… and the third theme?

• William Shakespeare [T1] was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564 [F1]. The bard wrote sonnets and plays. He died in 1616.

“He”…

• William Shakespeare [T1] was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564 [F1]. The bard wrote sonnets and plays. He died in 1616.

So the passage reads like this…

• William Shakespeare [T1] was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564 [F1]. The bard [T1] wrote sonnets and plays [F2]. He [T1] died in 1616 [F3].

The same theme…

• William Shakespeare [T1] was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564 [F1]. The bard [T1] wrote sonnets and plays [F2]. He [T1] died in 1616 [F3].

• The theme [T1] stays the same throughout the short paragraph, while the focus changes in each sentence. This progression pattern is called…

Continuous progression

• William Shakespeare [T1] was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564 [F1]. The bard [T1] wrote sonnets and plays [F2]. He [T1] died in 1616 [F3].

Continuous progression

• William Shakespeare was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564. The bard wrote sonnets and plays. He died in 1616.

• Notice how “the bard” is an elegant variation describing the same person, while “he” is a personal pronoun that also refers to William Shakespeare.

• Let’s now look at some exercises…