Which field studies how stretches of language achieve both cohesion and coherence?

• A. Discourse analysis
• B. Sociolinguistics
• C. Pragmatics
• D. Semantics

Answer: (A)

Discourse analysis focuses on language beyond the sentence level, looking at how longer stretches of talk or text are organized to connect ideas and convey meaning. It examines cohesion, the surface ties that knit parts of the text together—things like pronouns that refer back to earlier nouns, repeated terms, and connective words that signal contrast or sequence. It also considers coherence, the reader’s or listener’s sense that the whole piece makes sense and hangs together, often achieved through logical progression, topic development, and shared knowledge or assumptions. Because it tackles both how parts of a discourse link up and how the overall message is interpreted, it’s the best fit for studying how stretches of language achieve cohesion and coherence.

In contrast, sociolinguistics focuses on how language varies with social factors; pragmatics studies meaning in context and how speakers use language to achieve effects like politeness or invitation; semantics deals with meaning at the level of words and sentences.