Language Proficiency Discourse Organization and Cohesion

Question 1

In the sentence pair 'The experiment failed. It had not been properly calibrated,' what cohesive device links the two sentences?

Accepted Answer

Pronoun reference — 'it' refers back to 'the experiment'

Answer

A logical connector (however)

Answer

Lexical repetition of a key noun

Answer

Ellipsis — a word has been omitted

Question 2

Which transitional expression signals a CONCESSION — acknowledging an opposing point before continuing with the main argument?

Accepted Answer

Admittedly

Answer

Furthermore

Answer

As a result

Answer

In other words

Question 3

A paragraph begins: 'Renewable energy offers significant economic benefits.' The sentences that follow discuss job creation, reduced fuel costs, and long-term investment returns. What structural role does the opening sentence play?

Accepted Answer

Topic sentence — it states the main idea that the rest of the paragraph develops

Answer

Concluding sentence — it wraps up the paragraph's argument

Answer

Supporting detail — it provides evidence for a broader claim

Answer

Transitional sentence — it connects this paragraph to the next

Question 4

What is the difference between cohesion and coherence in a text?

Accepted Answer

Cohesion refers to surface-level linguistic links (pronouns, connectors, repetition); coherence refers to the logical flow and relevance of ideas

Answer

Cohesion refers to spelling accuracy; coherence refers to grammar accuracy

Answer

Cohesion refers to paragraph length; coherence refers to sentence length

Answer

They are synonymous terms used interchangeably in linguistics

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of lexical cohesion through COLLOCATION?

Accepted Answer

Using the word 'conducted' alongside 'research' because they frequently co-occur

Answer

Using 'she' to refer to 'Maria' mentioned in the previous sentence

Answer

Writing 'However, the results differed' to contrast two paragraphs

Answer

Repeating the phrase 'climate change' three times across one paragraph

Question 6

A student's essay jumps from discussing the causes of deforestation to the history of paper manufacturing without any linking sentence. This is primarily a problem of:

Accepted Answer

Coherence — the text lacks a clear logical connection between the two topics

Answer

Vocabulary range — the student needs more academic words

Answer

Grammar accuracy — the student is making tense errors

Answer

Cohesion — the student needs more pronouns to connect the sentences