Textual Cohesion: Lexical and Grammatical Procedures
These are mechanisms that provide a continuity of meaning from the text of the meanings of the main procedures for granting words. The lexical cohesion to a text are repetition, reiteration, and association.
Repetition
This is the exact replica of the same word or expression in different parts of the text.
Reiteration
The meaning of a term is repeated through different words or expressions. The reiteration may contain synonyms (words that are different but have similar or identical meanings) or hypernyms (words for words that appear in the text maintaining a link as opposed or complementary sense (“it was neither high nor low, and brought in the hand the role that days before had been”)) or by referring to the same field of reality.
Grammatical Procedures
Apart from lexical procedures, the cohesion of a text is performed by repeating procedures or anticipating these elements and others to be mentioned (anaphora and cataphora) and by the use of connectors.
Anaphora
Anaphora is the inclusion of words that refer to items already mentioned in the text (“This village belongs to the castle; it is home or sleep…”).
Cataphora
The cataphora is the incorporation of other terms that will advance to state (“I speak thus: ‘This village is Castle property'”).
Anaphora and cataphora procedures are conducted through various kinds of words: personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, indefinite pronouns, relative pronouns, possessive pronouns, adverbs, etc. The theme of a text is developed through various statements which maintain various relationships with each other. For example, a statement may extend, explain, or correct what was said at the last. The connectors of speech are words or expressions that make explicit the relationship between the contents of a text.
Consistency in Text
Consistency is the linguistic process by which a text develops a given topic in a clear manner and through sentences that are linked through thematic progression (theme/rheme). Overall consistency (general) of a text is given by the thematic progression (theme/rheme) and controlled by the overall theme of a text, which unfolds in pyramid fashion, paragraph by paragraph. Each paragraph in a text must be connected to the overall structure or general topic of a speech. Linear coherence is established when there are semantic links with a clear sense among the various propositions of a text. Thus, each new sentence or idea explains, contrasts, corrects, or presents an alternative with respect to the previous proposition.
- Juan arrived late. He had to go through his grandmother’s house before coming here. (explains).
- John could not go to the movies. Miguel did. (contrast)
- I do not despise your invitation. I feel bad, and I’m not able to get out. (corrected).
- Peter studied all night. He could have studied tomorrow. (presents an alternative)
It’s called conditional coherence where there is a proposition that follows or introduces causal links or consequences. John had come home late because he ran into friends. (causation). Mary danced until her feet were blistered. (consequence)