Introduction
1.0 Preamble
This initial chapter is an introduction to the research on text coherence as a component of discourse analysis in linguistics.The main focus of the study is on the analysis of relatedness of the elements of writing in newspaper essays in the Nigerian context. It is, therefore, worthwhile to note from the onset that good writing is that in which ideas are properly connected so that readers can move easily from one thought to the other. As such, the appropriate usage of organizational signals or, more precisely, transitional words or linkers by journalists to portray the movement of ideas in a text is one of the intricacies in the use of written language which this thesis attempts to investigate. Hence, this chapter contains the general background to the study, the statement of the research problem, the research questions and the scope of the study.
1.1 Background to the Study
As an aspect of knowledge, writing constitutes a critical nexus in the linguistic and communicative development of mankind because unlike speaking, writing needs to be taught and learnt formally. In spite of its complexities, writing documents ideas, which are usually meant to educate, convince, persuade, entertain or inform. All these can only be achieved by the unity of the topic through the use of cohesive devices to attain coherence. Thus, meaning is effectively realised. The success of any piece of writing, therefore, depends on the effective organisation of all its parts: letters, words, sentences and paragraphs through which ideas flow.
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