The Use of Coherence and Cohesion in Composition Writing Among Botswana Primary School Pupils

Abstract

The researcher analyzed selected pupils' compositions which they wrote as a class
exercise. The study aimed at investigating the use of coherence and cohesion in composition writing among Botswana primary school pupils. The purpose of the study was to find out the extent to which the pupils could produce a coherent text. Twenty scripts were chosen through purposive sampling from standard seven pupils of two primary schools: school A and school B. Data were collected by visiting the schools and asking the class teachers to select 10 scripts from each class. The data were then analyzed using a taxonomy that reflected organization in a text in terms of tense and aspect. The findings of the study reveal that some of the pupils do not produce or write a coherent text at all. The study further reveals that there is a problem of not using the right tenses and a failure to sequence events. It was noted that incoherent paragraphs contributed to the students' inability to produce good texts. The failure to write coherent paragraphs is a result of their inability to sequence events chronologically. It is therefore recommended that the use of tense be taught before writing a composition in class. Further, pupils should be exposed to sequencing events logically as this will help them in the use of aspect.

LWATI: A Journal of Contemporary Research Vol. 5 2008: pp. 154-164