Writing a unified, coherent, and cohesive text in English, especially in the context of written discourse, involves several key strategies. These strategies help ensure that your writing flows logically and clearly from one idea to the next. Here’s a guide on how to achieve this:

1. Unity

• Focus on a Central Theme or Idea: Your text should revolve around a single main idea or theme. Each paragraph should support or develop this central idea.
• Topic Sentences: Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of that paragraph.
• Relevance: Ensure every sentence contributes to the development of your central idea. Avoid digressions or irrelevant details.

2. Coherence

• Logical Order: Organize your ideas logically. Use chronological order, order of importance, or another logical sequence to guide your reader through your text.
• Transitional Devices: Use words or phrases to connect ideas and paragraphs, such as “however,” “furthermore,” “as a result,” and “in contrast.”
• Consistent Point of View and Tense: Maintain a consistent point of view (first person, third person, etc.) and tense (past, present, future) throughout your text.

3. Cohesion

• Direct Repetition: Repeat key words or phrases to reinforce the main idea and to help the reader follow your argument.
• Pronouns: Use pronouns effectively to avoid repetition. Pronouns (he, she, it, they, this, etc.) refer back to earlier mentioned nouns and help in maintaining the flow.
• Hypernyms and Hyponyms: Use hypernyms (words for general categories) and hyponyms (words for specific items in a category) to build relationships between ideas. For example, “vehicles” (hypernym) and “cars” (hyponym).
• Synonyms: Use synonyms to avoid repetitive language while keeping the meaning consistent.
• Parallel Structure: Use similar grammatical structures for similar ideas, which aids in the readability and flow of the text.

4. Written Discourse

• Purposeful Paragraphing: Each paragraph should serve a specific purpose in your argument or narrative. Ensure a clear structure within each paragraph – beginning, middle, and end.
• Theme & Rheme: In each sentence, establish the “theme” (what the sentence is about, usually introduced at the beginning) and the “rheme” (what is being said about the theme, typically following the theme).
• Cohesive Devices: Beyond just pronouns and transition words, use other cohesive devices like ellipsis (omitting words when the meaning is clear) and substitution (using words like ‘one’, ‘do’, etc., in place of a noun).

Examples

1. Direct Repetition: “Sustainable energy is important. Sustainable energy sources like solar and wind have numerous benefits.”
2. Pronouns: “The government announced a new policy. It will be implemented next year.”
3. Hypernyms And Hyponyms: “Fruit is essential for a healthy diet. For example, apples and bananas are packed with nutrients.”
4. Synonyms: “Education is crucial. This essential aspect of personal development leads to numerous opportunities.”

Remember, good writing often requires revision. Re-read your work to check for unity, coherence, and cohesion, and adjust as needed. Effective written discourse not only conveys information but also engages and guides the reader through your argument or narrative seamlessly.

Shifting verb tenses

Maintaining consistency in verb tense is crucial in English writing to ensure clarity and coherence. The general rule is to choose a tense and stick to it throughout your piece unless there is a specific reason to change. Here are some guidelines for managing verb tenses in writing: ### 1. Consistency Within the Same Time Frame – Stick to the same tense when discussing events that occur within the same time frame. – Example: “She walks to the store and buys some milk.” (Both actions are in the present tense.)

2. Changing Tense for Different Time Frames

• Change tense to reflect shifts in the time frame.
• Example: “She walked to the store (past) and is now making dinner (present).”

3. Writing in Specific Genres or Contexts

• Narrative Writing: Often uses past tense for events that have already happened. However, some narratives may use present tense to create a sense of immediacy.
• Academic Writing: Generally uses present tense when discussing established facts or the content of published works, but past tense may be used when referring to specific studies or historical events.
• Fiction Writing: Both past and present tenses are common, depending on the style and narrative technique.

4. Shifting Tenses for Specific Reasons

• Flashbacks or Reflections: Shift to past tense when reflecting on past events.
• Predictions or Hypotheticals: Future tense or conditional structures are used for discussing future events or hypothetical situations.
• Example: “She will go to college next year. If she gets the scholarship, she will study marine biology.”

5. Maintaining Subject-Verb Agreement

• Ensure that your verb tenses agree with the subjects in terms of singular/plural and time.
• Example: “He sings well” (singular subject and verb) vs. “They sing well” (plural subject and verb).

6. Compound Sentences and Complex Structures

• In sentences with multiple clauses, keep tense consistent for each action unless there’s a specific reason to change.
• Example: “She started cooking (past), but she is still chopping vegetables (present).”

Tips for Keeping Tenses Consistent

• Plan Your Writing: Decide on the tense you want to use based on your topic and stick to it.
• Proofread: After writing, review your work to check for accidental shifts in tense.
• Contextual Cues: Pay attention to time markers and contextual cues that might necessitate a change in tense.

In summary, the key to managing verb tenses is to maintain consistency within the same temporal context and to change tenses logically when shifting between different time frames or contexts. This practice ensures clarity and coherence in your writing. # Most appropriate verb tenses when writing a research paper When writing an academic empirical research paper, the choice of verb tense is crucial in each section to convey the timing and nature of your research accurately. Here’s a guide on the most appropriate verb tenses to use in different sections of such a paper: ### 1. Abstract – Present tense is often used when stating general facts and the implications of the research. – Past tense may be used to describe specific methods and results of your study. – Example: “This study investigates… It is found that… The data were collected…”

2. Introduction (i.e., literature review, theoretical framework, etc.)

• Present tense is commonly used to discuss general background information and the purpose of the study.
• Past tense can be used when referring to specific studies or historical data.
• Present perfect can be used as well.
• Example: “Ellis (2010) states… The current study aims to… Many studies have shown…”

[!NOTE] The present tense is the preferred verb tense when writing a literature review. – Benjamin L Stewart.

3. Method

• Past tense and the present perfect are generally appropriate here, as this section describes what was done during the research.
• Example: “Participants were selected… Others have used similar approaches…”

4. Results

• Past tense is used to report the findings of your study since the results have already been determined when you are writing.
• Example: “The results indicated… The majority of respondents reported…”

5. Discussion

• Past tense is suitable for discussing the specific results or findings.
• Present tense may be used to interpret the results and to suggest theoretical implications or generalizations.
• Example: “The findings suggest (present) that… The data showed (past) that

6. Conclusion and Implications

• Present tense is often used to discuss the significance of the findings, broader implications, and future directions.
• Past tense may be used for specific summaries of the findings or methodologies.
• Example: “This study demonstrates (present)… It was observed (past) that…”

General Tips

• Consistency is key. Stick to the same tense within sections unless there is a strong reason to switch.
• Be aware of the nuances: use the present tense for general truths and current discussions; use the past tense for describing specific methods and results of your study.
• The choice of tense can also be influenced by the norms of your specific academic discipline, so it’s a good idea to consult recent papers in your field as examples.

Following these guidelines helps ensure that your research paper is clear, coherent, and appropriately conveys the timing and nature of your research.