Reading: Understanding Text Structure, Cohesion & Coherence (Advanced): B2 Lesson 2: Understanding Complex Cohesive Devices and Reference Systems

Reading: Text Structure & Cohesion

B2 Lesson 2: Advanced Cohesive Devices

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to recognize and understand advanced cohesive devices, including substitution, ellipsis, lexical cohesion, and complex referencing.

Before You Read 🧠

Key Vocabulary

These terms describe the "invisible glue" that holds a text together.

Cohesive Devices

Words and grammar that link a text together to make it smooth and logical.

Substitution

Replacing a word/phrase with a shorter one (like 'one' or 'do so').

Ellipsis

Omitting (leaving out) words when the meaning is already clear.

Lexical Cohesion

Using synonyms or related words to avoid repeating the same word.

Advanced Cohesive Devices

Fluent writers use sophisticated techniques to connect ideas smoothly. Let's look at four common types.

1. Substitution

A writer uses a simple word (like `one` or `so`) to replace a longer phrase that was just mentioned.

"I need to buy a new phone, but I haven't decided which one to get."
(Here, `one` replaces `phone`.)

"The government promised to improve the roads, and they plan to do so next year."
(Here, `do so` replaces `improve the roads`.)

2. Ellipsis

A writer leaves words out of a sentence because the meaning is clear from the context. The reader must mentally "fill in the blank."

"Some people prefer to holiday in the mountains, while others prefer the sea."
(The phrase "to holiday in" is omitted from the second part.)

3. Lexical Cohesion

This involves referring to a central idea using different but related vocabulary to avoid sounding repetitive.

"The rapid development in Kampot is creating opportunities. However, managing this level of growth requires careful planning. Such a fast expansion could harm the town's character."
(`development`, `growth`, and `expansion` all refer to the same core idea.)

4. Advanced Referencing

Sometimes, words like `this` or `that` don't refer to a single noun, but to an entire situation or idea from the previous sentence.

"More than 50% of the town's electricity was cut off during the storm last night. This caused significant problems for local businesses."
(`This` refers to the entire idea of "the electricity being cut off".)

Practice What You Learned 🎯

Quiz: What is it referring to?

1. "There are several good coffee shops in town, but my favorite is the one on the riverfront."

What does "one" refer to in this sentence?

→ Answer: It refers to "coffee shop." This is an example of substitution.

2. "The company failed to meet its environmental targets and did not invest in cleaner technology. That was a major disappointment for its investors."

What does "That" refer to in this sentence?

• A. The investors
• B. The cleaner technology
• C. The company's failure to meet targets and invest

→ Answer: C. This is advanced referencing, where 'That' refers to the entire situation in the previous sentence.

Key Vocabulary Reference

• Cohesive Devices
  Words and grammatical structures that link a text together to make it smooth and logical.
• Substitution | ការជំនួស
  Replacing a word or phrase with a shorter word (like 'one' or 'do so') to avoid repetition.
• Ellipsis | ការលុបពាក្យ
  Omitting words from a sentence when the meaning is already clear from the context.
• Lexical Cohesion
  Connecting ideas by using synonyms or topically-related words to avoid repetition.
• Reference System
  The way pronouns and words like 'this' or 'that' point back to other words or ideas in a text.

Your Reading Mission ⭐

Be a Cohesion Detective!

Find a short English news article (2-3 paragraphs).

1. Read it carefully and find one example of substitution or ellipsis.
2. Find one example of lexical cohesion (where the author uses a synonym or related word).
3. Find one example of this, that, these, or those referring back to a whole idea.