PROPERTIES OF

WELL-
WRITTEN TEXT:

Organization,
Coherence
and Cohesion
Learning objectives:

1. Discuss the meaning and components of a well-

written text;
2. Explain the steps in achieving a well-written text;
3. Read and explore texts and determine if they are
well-written or not
4. Create a well-written text; and
5. Reflect on your learning on the properties of a well-
written text
For a text to be well-written, one must keep in mind these three
properties:
a) Organization - this is the structural framework for writing. It is
important to effective writing because it provides readers with a
framework to help them fulfil their expectations for the text. This is
the logical progression and completeness of ideas in a text.
Organization is achieved when ideas are logically and accurately
arranged.
b) Coherence – by coherence we mean that every part of a composition
must contribute to one main unifying thought, which means that the
various parts of a text must follow one another in an order which
makes their relationship clear.
c) Cohesion - means that the overall text has meaning.
• Text organization is the way a text is organized that
helps to guide the reader logically through it. This
property makes a text readable and its message
clear. Organization can be achieved through the
following techniques:

I. • Physical format
II. • Signal words
III. • Structure
I. Physical Format
• The format is an aspect of the organization
that is immediately apparent to the reader. It
is seen in how the text physically appears like
headings and subheadings, bullet points or
font emphasis. However, use this technique
with discretion as improper or superfluous
formatting can be confusing.
Example:
• Marxist ideology has three main theories.
Historical materialism purports that all the
features of society can historically be traced
back to economic activity. Social class in
capitalist societies is what produces unjust
structures of power that exist today. Socialism
would be the next rational step for the
development of human society.
II. Signal Words

• Signal words are textual cues that readers

can use to follow a text. They can “signal”
the transition from one point to another, the
ordering of events and concepts, or the
writer’s chosen text type (e.g., linear
narration, question and answer).
Example:
• Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Fight Club greatly
influenced me as a fictional writer. First, his use of
the unreliable narrator fascinated me, and I have
written similar characters in my works. Second, the
theme of patriarchal oppression can also be found in
the stories I write. Third, the novel’s stunning twist is
something that I have been trying to recreate. Thus, I
am extremely grateful to have encountered
Palahniuk’s genius early in my writing career.
III. Structure
• The structure provides the framework upon
which the text is organized. It consists of the
following:
a) Beginning: introduction, thesis statement, hook
b) Middle: supporting details
c) End: conclusion, summary, final message
Example:
• Ancient philosophies believe that a person has an
“aura,” this appears as a rainbow of light around the
body that can be seen by individuals with clairvoyant
abilities. The colors change depending on one’s mood,
health, and thoughts. Some scientists believe that the
existence of the aura has something to do with the
electromagnetic fields produced by cells and tissues in
the human body. Whether auras are real or not, the fact
remains that there are forces everywhere that are real
even though we cannot see them.
By adhering to the structure, the writer can produce a
text that is still easy to follow. The topic, supporting
details and concluding message is still clear to the
reader.
Text organization makes a text easy to read. It
prevents the reader from becoming confused by a jumble
of words, sentences, and paragraphs that are in no
particular order.
Organization can be achieved through the physical
format, signal words, and structure.
And if there is ORGANIZATION, there is…
Coherence and Cohesion – by coherence we mean that
every part of a composition must contribute to one main
unifying thought, which means that the various parts of a text
must follow one another in an order which makes their
relationship clear. On the other hand, cohesion means that the
overall text has meaning.
•A text with coherence has ideas that
are logically sequenced in a way that
is easy to follow for the reader.
Although without cohesion, no central
concept links all these ideas together.
The main point of the text remains
unclear for readers.
Example:
• My favorite painting is “The Weeping Woman”
by Pablo Picasso, which is an intriguing painting
that symbolizes suffering. As a result, I love
bright primary colors, so I wear a lot of shocking
yellows, blues, and reds. Also, as an outgoing
person, I enjoy performing for large crowds. In
the end, people should not judge an artist’s talent
based on one standard.
•A text with both cohesion and
coherence has a central concept
linking all the ideas in the text, and
these ideas are presented in a logical
manner. The main point is clear, and
the text is easy to follow and
understand.
Example:
• International Women’s Day is celebrated on the
8th of March of every year. It began as a
Socialist political event in several Western
countries. Then, other countries also started
celebrating the holiday just as a way to express
their love for women. Currently, the United
Nations observes the holiday as a way to bring
to light women’s issues around the world.
Reading &
Thinking
Strategies:
Language Use and
Mechanics
Language Use – refers to the
appropriateness of word/vocabulary
use.
An effective language is specific,
concise, familiar, correct and
appropriate.
 INFORMAL VS. FORMAL
•Informal language is usually used in
writing for oneself or in writing to
family, friends, and colleagues. On the
other hand, formal language is used in
writing academic, business, and official
texts.
Examples:

•“We asked the secretary to call the professor

and get her permission for us to continue
our research.”
•“We requested that the secretary contact the
professor and obtain her permission for us
to continue our research.”
• Why Sunglasses Are a Must-Have for Kids (An Excerpt)
(News USA) Most parents know how damaging the effects of
ultraviolet radiation (UVR) can be to our skin, which is why they
dutifully slather sunscreen on their kids during the summer. But one
thing that often gets overlooked is protecting their children’s eyes.
According to vision-care experts, kids receive three times more UV
exposure than adults annually, yet less than 30 percent of parents
currently protect their children’s eyes with sunglasses. The reason
for concern is that children and adolescents are particularly
vulnerable to the sun’s rays because their ocular lenses are not
mature enough to filter UV light as effectively as adults, causing
damage to the retina.
• You should also be sensitive enough to use unbiased
language so that you will not offend any individual
or any particular group of people. Unbiased language
is language that is free of racial bias, free of religious
bias, and free of gender bias.
• Examples:
• “A teacher should make it a point to motivate her
students.”
• “Teachers should make it a point to motivate their
students.”
Proper Language Use
• Proper language use allows you to capture the message
that you want to convey to your readers. It is all about
choosing the right words that accurately capture your
ideas.
• However, writers sometimes encounter problems with the
following:
 Misused Words
 Words with Unwanted Connotations
 Technical or Highfalutin Words
Misused Words
• A writer might sometimes use a word incorrectly, and
this occurs when the word does not mean what he or
she thinks it does. So, it is important to be certain of
the definition of a word before using it; this often
happens with words that sound or look alike.
Example:
• There are many behaviors that past societies
considered legal but are now deemed amoral including
slavery, sexism, and racism.
 “There are many behaviors that past societies
considered legal but are now deemed amoral
including slavery, sexism, and racism.”
• Explanation:
• The writer confused the word “amoral” with “immoral.” The
former means neither moral nor immoral (without moral quality)
while the latter means not moral. Sometimes, it is easy to guess the
correct meaning of a word just by looking at how it is spelled. The
prefix a- signals that something is without such as in “anarchy”
(without a government) or “atypical” (without typical features). On
the other hand, the prefix im- simply means not such as in
“imperfect” (not perfect) or “impossible” (not possible).
 Words with Unwanted Connotations
• There are words that take on a meaning specific to a
context. Some writers might not be aware of these
connotations, so they end up using language that is
unintentionally confusing, comical or even
offensive to readers.
• Example:
The coast guard salvaged Priscilla and her sister after
their fishing boat was damaged in the storm.
 “The coast guard salvaged Priscilla and
her sister after their fishing boat was
damaged in the storm.”
• To salvage is to save things from a wreckage, but
the visual similarity of the word to the Tagalog
salbahe (naughty, abusive), which is itself derived
from the Spanish salvaje (savage), inevitably led to
the present denotation of salvaging as extrajudicial
or summary execution of both criminal and
subversive elements.”
Technical or Highfalutin Words

•Writers want to sound smart by using words

that are very technical or have deep
meanings. Though some writing genres
require the use of such words, writers should
still be careful about using them since they
make readers work harder to understand
texts.
•Example:
“There is an ongoing discourse about the
ant disestablishment assemblage and the
administrative political body.”
Mechanics
• - refers to a set of conventions on how to spell,
abbreviate, punctuate and capitalize. Mechanics
are conventions that have to be considered in
writing. Some of these conventions are spelling,
punctuation, and capitalization. It is important
to know and observe these conventions in
writing to avoid confusion.
Spelling
•When you write, always make sure that
you are consistently using one standard
with regard to the spelling of your words.
Remember that there are slight differences
in American English spelling and British
English spelling.
 US UK

• COLOR COLOUR
• THEATER THEATRE
• METER METRE
• APOLOGIZE APOLOGISE
Punctuation
• Punctuation is the act of using a system of
symbols such as the comma, period, quotation
marks, question marks, etc. that are used to
give structure to and organize a text. The use
of punctuation guides the reader regarding
how the text should be read.
Examples:
• I love to paint portraits I would paint one every day if
I had the time.
• I love to paint portraits. I would paint one every day if
I had the time.
• This book is dedicated to my parents, Noel and
Corazon.
• This book is dedicated to my parents, Noel, and
Corazon.
Capitalization
• Capitalization is the act of writing the first letter of a word in
uppercase while the rest of the letters are in lowercase. There
are rules in capitalization that one has to remember. Below are a
few examples of words that require capitalization:
• Proper Nouns- It is always capitalized in English. It include
personal names, place names, names of companies and
organizations, and the titles of books, films, songs, and other
media. Alexa, Manila,
Proper Adjectives- This include words for nationalities,
languages, and ethnicities
Canadian, Filipino
• Days Of The Week
Sunday
• Months Of The Year
January
• Specific Course Titles
Theater 101
• Kinship names used in place of personal names and are
followed by personal names
Grandma, Dad, Aunt Paz, Uncle Alvin
• adjectives, verbs, adverbs, nouns, and
pronouns in a title and the first and last
word in a title
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice
Found There (literature)
• historical periods, events, documents
Great Depression, the Renaissance, the
Constitution, Era
• Here are six sentences with errors in punctuation, spelling, and
capitalization. Your students can correct them for practice.
[Link] you see the new movie about artificial inteligence last
night.
[Link] freind and i went to the library to study, but it was closed.
3."its important to proofread your work" said the teacher.
[Link] city of manila is the capital of the philippines.
[Link] going to visit their grandmother's house in baguio next
weekend
[Link] students' project was about "how climate change affect
our environment?"
1. Did you see the new movie about artificial intelligence
last night?
2. My friend and I went to the library to study, but it was
closed.
3. "It's important to proofread your work," said the
teacher.
4. The city of Manila is the capital of the Philippines.
5. They're going to visit their grandmother's house in
Baguio next weekend.
6. The students' project was about "How does climate
change affect our environment?"