All the details in a paragraph must fit together and function as a connected unit of information. When a paragraph has coherence, its ideas flow smoothly, allowing readers to follow its progression with ease. Two useful devices for linking details are transitions between sentences and repetition of key terms.

Transitions are words, phrases, or clauses that lead your reader from one idea to another. Think of transitions as guideposts, or signals, of what is coming next in a paragraph. Some commonly used transitions are shown in Table 8.1, which groups transitions according to the type of connections they show.

In the two examples that follow, notice that the first paragraph is disjointed and choppy because it lacks transitions. The revised version is more coherent and therefore easier to follow.

WITHOUT TRANSITIONS

Most films are structured much like a short story. The film begins with an opening scene that captures the audience’s attention. The writers build up tension, preparing for the climax of the story. They complicate the situation by revealing other elements of the plot, perhaps by introducing a surprise or additional characters. They introduce a problem. It will be solved either for the betterment or to the detriment of the characters and the situation. A resolution brings the film to a close.

WITH TRANSITIONS

Most films are structured much like a short story. The film begins with an opening scene that captures the audience’s attention. Gradually the writers build up tension, preparing for the climax of the story. Soon after the first scene, they complicate the situation by revealing other elements of the plot, perhaps by introducing a surprise or additional characters. Next, they introduce a problem. Eventually the problem will be solved either for the betterment or to the detriment of the characters and the situation. Finally, a resolution brings the film to a close.

Notice that the repetition of key terms (film(s), writers), as well as pronouns that stand in for the key terms (they for writers), also lends coherence to the paragraph.