Writing: Cohesion and Coherence (B2) - Lesson 3: Maintaining a Consistent Viewpoint or Argument

✍️ B2 Lesson 3: Maintaining a Consistent Viewpoint or Argument

You have learned to structure paragraphs and connect them. Today, we focus on a higher-level skill: logical coherence¹. This means ensuring every single part of your essay works together to support one single, consistent² argument³.

A strong writer never confuses their reader. Your viewpoint must be clear from beginning to end.

Your Thesis Statement is Your Promise

The most important sentence in your essay is the thesis statement in your introduction. It is your promise to the reader. Every body paragraph you write must directly support and prove that thesis statement.

The Danger of Contradiction

A major error in argumentative writing is to include a paragraph that contradicts your thesis. Look at this example:

Thesis Statement: "Overall, social media is a negative influence on society."

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Good Supporting Paragraph ✅: A paragraph starting with, "First, it can lead to anxiety and lower self-esteem..." (This supports the thesis).

Bad Contradictory Paragraph ❌: A paragraph starting with, "On the other hand, social media is an excellent tool for connecting with family..." (This argues AGAINST the thesis and confuses the reader).

Aligning Your Topic Sentences

To maintain a consistent argument, you must ensure the topic sentence of each body paragraph is a specific reason that directly supports your thesis.

Thesis Statement: To be successful, university students require both strong self-discipline and excellent organizational skills.

Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 1:

First and foremost, strong self-discipline is essential because it allows students to stay focused on their studies without constant supervision.

Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 2:

Furthermore, excellent organizational skills are necessary for managing multiple assignments and deadlines effectively.

Analysis: Notice how each topic sentence picks up one key idea from the thesis statement and makes it the focus of the entire paragraph. The argument is perfectly aligned.

✍️ B2 Argument Consistency Checklist

• ✔️ Does my thesis statement make a clear argument?
• ✔️ Does the topic sentence of every body paragraph directly support the thesis?
• ✔️ Does all the evidence within each paragraph support its topic sentence?
• ✔️ Have I avoided any ideas or paragraphs that contradict⁴ my main argument?

🧠 Practice Quiz: Does it Support the Thesis?

Read the thesis statement below. Which of the topic sentences does NOT support the thesis?

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Thesis Statement: Governments should invest more money in public transportation to reduce traffic congestion and protect the environment.

1. Firstly, an efficient public transport system, such as a city metro, can significantly decrease the number of cars on the road, which reduces traffic jams.
2. In addition, building more roads is a very expensive and long-term project.
3. Furthermore, a modern public transport network helps lower air pollution by reducing the total number of vehicles being driven each day.

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Answer: B. This topic sentence is about the cost of building roads, not about the benefits of public transport. It is off-topic and does not support the thesis statement. A and C are both good supporting topic sentences.

📝 Homework: Plan a Coherent Argument

Your homework is to plan the "skeleton" of a consistent, coherent essay.

Choose ONE of the thesis statements below:

• The best way to see a new country is by traveling with a tour group.
• The best way to see a new country is by traveling independently.

In your notebook, write an outline for a short essay that supports your chosen thesis. Your outline must include:

1. The Thesis Statement you chose.
2. A Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 1 that supports the thesis.
3. A Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 2 that also supports the thesis.

Make sure your two topic sentences present two different, logical reasons that prove your thesis is true.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Coherence: (Noun) - ភាពស៊ីសង្វាក់គ្នា (pʰiep si sangvak khnea) - The quality of being logical, consistent, and easy to understand as a whole. ↩
2. Consistent: (Adjective) - ជាប់លាប់ (choăpleăp) - Acting or done in the same way over time; not changing. ↩
3. Argument: (Noun) - ការ​ជជែក​វែកញែក (kar chochek vek'nheak) - The main point or claim that you are trying to prove in a piece of writing. ↩
4. To contradict: (Verb) - ផ្ទុយគ្នា (phtoy khnea) - To state the opposite of what someone has said; to be in conflict with. ↩
5. To align: (Verb) - ស្របគ្នា (srorp khnea) - To be in agreement with; to line up with.