Lesson 4.4.1 Reviewing for Cohesion, Coherence, and Flow.

Once you have drafted your writing, it's crucial to refine it. Your ideas need to stick together (cohesion) and make sense logically (coherence).

1. Cohesion (Sticking Together): Cohesion refers to how well the different parts of your writing (sentences, paragraphs) are linked together. It's about the "glue" that holds your writing.
   • Repetition of Key Words/Phrases: Judiciously repeat important terms to reinforce your main idea, but avoid excessive, boring repetition.
   • Use of Pronouns: Use pronouns (he, she, it, they, this, that) to refer back to previously mentioned nouns, creating a smooth flow and avoiding awkward re-naming.
   • Transition Words and Phrases: These are words or phrases that show relationships between ideas and guide the reader.
     • Addition: also, moreover, furthermore, in addition
     • Contrast: however, on the other hand, nevertheless, but, yet
     • Cause & Effect: therefore, consequently, as a result, because, since
     • Sequence/Time: first, next, then, finally, meanwhile, subsequently
     • Example: for example, for instance, specifically
     • Summary: in conclusion, to summarize, in short
2. Coherence (Making Sense Logically): Coherence refers to the logical organization and clarity of your ideas. A coherent piece of writing makes sense as a whole; all parts contribute to a single, clear purpose.
   • Logical Order of Ideas: Ensure your ideas are presented in a sensible sequence (e.g., chronological, spatial, order of importance, cause and effect).
   • Consistent Point of View: Maintain a consistent perspective (e.g., first-person for diary, third-person for story narrative unless it's first-person).
   • Unified Theme/Dominant Impression: All sentences and paragraphs should contribute to the main idea or dominant impression you're trying to convey. Remove any irrelevant information.
3. Flow: Flow is the readability and smoothness of your writing. When your writing has good flow, the reader moves effortlessly from one idea to the next.
   • Sentence Variety: Avoid starting every sentence the same way or using only short, choppy sentences. Vary sentence length and structure.
   • Smooth Transitions: Ensure your transition words truly connect ideas logically, not just randomly.
   • Avoid Repetition of Structures: Don't use the same sentence pattern over and over.

Lesson 4.4.2 Self-Correction and Editing for Grammar & Spelling.

Editing is a crucial step to ensure your writing is clear, correct, and impactful.

1. A Systematic Approach to Editing:
   • Take a Break: After drafting, step away from your writing for a while (even 15-30 minutes). This helps you return with fresh eyes.
   • Read Aloud: This is incredibly effective for catching awkward phrasing, missing words, or grammatical errors that your eyes might skim over.
   • Check for One Thing at a Time: Instead of trying to find all errors at once, do separate passes for different types of errors.
     • Pass 1: Cohesion & Coherence (Does it make sense? Does it flow?)
     • Pass 2: Sentence Structure & Clarity (Are sentences clear? Any awkward phrasing?)
     • Pass 3: Verbs (Correct tense, subject-verb agreement)
     • Pass 4: Nouns/Pronouns (Correct usage, pronoun agreement)
     • Pass 5: Punctuation (Commas, periods, apostrophes, quotation marks, etc.)
     • Pass 6: Spelling (Proofread slowly, perhaps backward, or use a spell-checker as a first pass, then manual check).
2. Common Grammar & Spelling Errors to Look Out For (Grade 9 Level):
   • Subject-Verb Agreement: Ensure your verb matches its subject in number (singular/plural).
     • Incorrect: "The students is studying." Correct: "The students are studying."
   • Verb Tense Consistency: Stick to a consistent tense throughout your narrative (usually past tense for stories/diary, present for general descriptions), unless there's a clear reason to shift.
     • Incorrect: "He walks down the street and saw a dog." Correct: "He walked down the street and saw a dog."
   • Pronoun Agreement: Ensure pronouns agree in number and gender with the nouns they refer to.
     • Incorrect: "Each student should bring their own book." (If "each student" is singular). Correct: "Each student should bring his or her own book." (Or rephrase: "All students should bring their own books.")
   • Punctuation Errors:
     • Commas: Missing commas after introductory phrases, in lists, before conjunctions.
     • Periods: Missing end punctuation.
     • Apostrophes: For possession (e.g., boy's, girls') and contractions (e.g., it's, don't).
     • Quotation Marks: Correct placement around dialogue and with punctuation.
   • Spelling Errors: Carefully proofread. Pay attention to commonly confused words (e.g., "their/there/they're," "to/too/two," "its/it's," "your/you're").
   • Run-on Sentences: Two or more independent clauses joined incorrectly (e.g., without punctuation or with just a comma).
     • Incorrect: "The sun set the sky turned orange." Correct: "The sun set; the sky turned orange." OR "The sun set, and the sky turned orange."
   • Sentence Fragments: Incomplete sentences.
     • Incorrect: "Running quickly down the street. To catch the bus." Correct: "Running quickly down the street, he tried to catch the bus."
3. Proofreading Tips:
   • Read Slowly: Don't rush through it. Read word by word.
   • Read Backward (for spelling): Reading sentences backward can help you spot spelling errors because you're focusing on individual words rather than meaning.
   • Use a Checklist: Create a small checklist of your most common errors and check for those specifically.