Have you ever read something and immediately recognized it as good writing—clear, engaging, and easy to follow? Conversely, have you struggled through a piece that seemed jumbled and confusing? The difference lies in a few critical characteristics, often called the properties of a well-written text.
As you move from simply writing sentences to creating a meaningful connected discourse, you must focus on four foundational pillars. These pillars ensure your ideas are not only present but are also understandable and persuasive to your reader.
The four properties of a well-written text are:
- Organization
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Appropriate Language Use
- Proper Mechanics
Let’s break down each element to show you how to apply them to your own writing.
1. Organization
Organization refers to the structural arrangement of ideas in a text. Just as a building needs a blueprint or the human body needs a skeleton, your writing needs a logical framework. Good organization allows the reader to follow your flow from general concepts down to specific supporting details.
The best way to ensure strong organization is by creating an outline before you begin writing. An outline helps you:
- Determine Hierarchy: Distinguish between major points (main topics) and minor points (subordinating or supporting ideas).
- Establish Flow: Sequence your paragraphs and sections logically so that one idea naturally leads to the next.
When your text is well-organized, the structure itself reinforces the meaning, making the writing appear professional and authoritative.
2. Coherence and Cohesion
While often grouped together, coherence and cohesion serve slightly different purposes, both aimed at connection. They ensure that your text is truly a connected discourse where all parts stick together logically.
Cohesion (Connecting the Sentences)
Cohesion refers to the linking of sentences and paragraphs using specific words and phrases. These are the verbal glue that holds the text together at the surface level.
To achieve cohesion, use transitional and cohesive devices:
- Adding Information: in addition, moreover, furthermore.
- Contrasting: however, on the other hand, conversely.
- Illustrating: for example, specifically, such as.
- Referring Back: as mentioned earlier, therefore, consequently.
- You also achieve cohesion by linking old and new information using repetition of keywords, synonyms, antonyms, and pronouns.
Coherence (Connecting the Ideas)
Coherence refers to the overall sense of unity and logical progression of ideas in the text. It means that all sentences and paragraphs are thematically relevant and contribute to the single main idea or thesis of the text. Even if your sentences are grammatically correct and use transitions (cohesion), the text is not coherent if the ideas do not make sense together.
3. Appropriate Language Use
Appropriate Language Use dictates the acceptable style, tone, and vocabulary for a particular form of text, based on the context and the audience.
The language you use must adapt to the writing purpose:
- Formal/Business Writing: The style must be concise, professional, and courteous. Avoid slang, contractions, and overly wordy phrases. The tone should be objective.
- Creative/Literary Writing: The language may be less formal and often more figurative and creative, focusing on imagery and emotional impact.
- Academic Writing: Requires a formal and objective tone, using precise, domain-specific vocabulary and avoiding emotional or subjective language.
Always ask: Who is my audience, and what do they expect from this document?
4. Proper Mechanics
Mechanics refers to the established conventions of written language. Errors in mechanics can distract or confuse your reader, even if your organization is flawless.
These conventions include:
- Capitalization: Correct use of upper and lower case letters.
- Punctuation: Commas, periods, semicolons, and apostrophes (e.g., confusing its and it’s is a mechanical error, not a grammatical one).
- Spelling: Adherence to standard spelling conventions.
- Numerals, Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Contractions: Following rules for their proper inclusion and formatting in text.
Mastering mechanics is the final layer of polish that makes your text easy to read and shows respect for your audience’s time and attention. By consistently focusing on all four properties—Organization, Coherence/Cohesion, Language Use, and Mechanics—you transform simple writing into effective, well-crafted communication.
