Identify noun phrases and pronounsSuggest noun phrases

Use noun phrases and pronouns to avoid repetition

2: CohesionCan I use pronouns and noun

phrases to create cohesion in my writing?

Noun-phrases can be used instead of nouns to avoid repetition. Look at the opening of an article about Wrexham FC’s impressive victory over Wimbledon. How has the writer avoided repeating the (proper) noun

‘Wrexham’?

Wrexham move into third with Wimbledon win

WREXHAM banished the memory of Saturday’s Racecourse mauling in the best possible fashion by scalping Conference Premier leaders Wimbledon in front of their own fans at Kingsmeadow last night.

And it was no fluke, the Dragons an altogether more solid and impressive team than they had been against Gateshead three days before.

Mathias Pogba scored the vital goal 14 minutes from time to take Dean Saunders’ men into third place in the table above Luton Town who were not in action last night.

The proper noun ‘Wrexham’ has been swapped for the noun phrases ‘the Dragons’ and ‘Dean Saunders’ men’, to avoid repetition.

Wrexham move into third with Wimbledon win

WREXHAM banished the memory of Saturday’s Racecourse mauling in the best possible fashion by scalping Conference Premier leaders Wimbledon in front of their own fans at Kingsmeadow last night.

And it was no fluke, the Dragons an altogether more solid and impressive team than they had been against Gateshead three days before.

Mathias Pogba scored the vital goal 14 minutes from time to take Dean Saunders’ men into third place in the table above Luton Town who were not in action last night.

Imagine you’re writing a character study of Oliver Twist. What noun phrases could you use to avoid repetition of the proper noun ‘Oliver’?

Imagine you’re writing a character study of Macbeth. What noun phrases could you use to avoid repetition of the proper noun ‘Oliver’?

The character The protagonistShakespeare’s character The soldierThe heroThe manThe husband…

Look again at the report of Wrexham’s fine victory. In paragraphs 1 and 2, which single words have been used to refer to the teams? (i.e. What has

been swapped for the proper nouns)?

Wrexham move into third with Wimbledon win

WREXHAM banished the memory of Saturday’s Racecourse mauling in the best possible fashion by scalping Conference Premier leaders Wimbledon in front of their own fans at Kingsmeadow last night.

And it was no fluke, the Dragons an altogether more solid and impressive team than they had been against Gateshead three days before.

Mathias Pogba scored the vital goal 14 minutes from time to take Dean Saunders’ men into third place in the table above Luton Town who were not in action last night.

Words like ‘their’ and ‘they’ are pronouns. Pronouns are words like I, it, which, who, that, his, herself. They are used in place of

a noun or a noun phrase.

To avoid repetition, we use a pronoun for the second and subsequent mentions of the same person or thing...

• The dog was barking. It was annoying.• I heard the fire alarm. Did you hear it?• I was thinking about a quick snack. Were you thinking about that, too?• She had been dreading this moment. Farzana hated exams.• Romeo and Juliet were selfish and only pleased themselves.

Activity

Write a profile of your best friend. Talk about their likes and dislikes, and what makes them such a great person. Try to use their name only once per paragraph.

What kind of noun phrases could you use?“the thirteen year old”, “the Mulberry student”, “the keen scientist”...

What about pronouns?“she”, “her”, “herself”...

Complete the profile of your best friend.

After you’ve written it, highlight all the words you’ve swapped for their name (i.e. noun phrases and pronouns), so your teacher can see the range of words you use to create cohesion in your writing!