ESL Writing: Cohesion and Coherence, Transition Words, Repetition, Pronouns

What It Is

Cohesion and coherence are important in writing and speaking to connect ideas and make them easy to understand. Transition words help us move from one idea to another, while repetition and pronouns help us refer to people, places, and things without repeating their names. ESL learners often struggle with these because their first language may not use them in the same way.

Key Rules

• Transition words connect ideas:
• However, I like coffee, but I don't like tea.
• In addition, I like reading books.
• Use first and second to refer to people or things:
• I met my first friend in the class.
• The second book I read was interesting.
• Repetition is used for emphasis:
• I really love my family.
• This is the best restaurant in town.
• Pronouns replace nouns:
• He is my brother.
• They are my friends.
• Use this and that to refer to things close or far:
• This book is interesting.
• That car is expensive.
• Here and there refer to places:
• Here is my house.
• There is the park.
• Use some and any to talk about things:
• Some people like coffee.
• Any of these books is good.
• Much and many are used with uncountable and countable nouns:
• Much water is needed.
• Many books are on the shelf.
• Use a and an before nouns:
• I have a book.
• I have an apple.
• The is used for specific things:
• The book is on the table.
• A and an are used for general things:
• I like a good movie.
• Use my, your, his, her, its, our, and their to show possession:
• My car is red.
• Your phone is ringing.
• Its is used for animals and things:
• Its eyes are blue.
• Use me and I to talk about yourself:
• Me and my friend are going to the movies.
• Use him and her to talk about someone else:
• Him and his friend are going to the movies.
• Use us and them to talk about groups:
• Us and our friends are going to the movies.

Common ESL Errors

• Error: I go to the store yesterday. Why it happens: Interference from L1 (verb tense). Correction: I went to the store yesterday. (past simple tense)
• Error: The book is on the table, it's mine. Why it happens: Overgeneralization of possessive pronouns. Correction: The book is on the table, it's mine. (contraction)
• Error: Me and my friend are going to the movies. Why it happens: Interference from L1 (word order). Correction: My friend and I are going to the movies. (subject-verb order)

Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the blank: I like a good movie. Correct answer: I like a good movie. Reason: A is used for general things.
2. Fill in the blank: The book is on the table, it's mine. Correct answer: The book is on the table, it's mine. Reason: It's is a contraction of "it is".
3. Fill in the blank: My friend and I are going to the movies. Correct answer: My friend and I are going to the movies. Reason: I is a subject pronoun.

Last-Minute Revision

Its vs. it's (contraction vs. possessive)
Me vs. I (object pronoun vs. subject pronoun)
A vs. an (before nouns starting with vowels)
Some vs. any (quantifiers)
Much vs. many (quantifiers)
The vs. a (definite vs. indefinite article)
My vs. mine (possessive pronoun vs. possessive adjective)
Him vs. he (object pronoun vs. subject pronoun)
Us vs. we (object pronoun vs. subject pronoun)
Them vs. they (object pronoun vs. subject pronoun)
Here vs. there (adverbs of place)
This vs. that (demonstrative adjectives)
First vs. second (ordinal numbers)
However vs. but (conjunctions)
In addition vs. also (conjunctions)