Abstract:
The main objective of this research is to identify the types of cohesion and
coherence made by the students in their writing texts and how are the cohesion
and coherence are used by the students’ writing. This study use descriptive
qualitative approach. The object of the study is 30 descriptive texts written by the
9
th
grade students’ of SMP PGRI 3 Medan. The data are collected through
documentation. Furthermore, the data are analyzed using qualitative content
analysis. The technique of analysis involved observation and test. To find the
results tabulation is used in counting the data, then the results show that there are
519 instances of cohesion from the total of occurrences. The types of cohesion are
reference (58,76%), substitution (2,90%), ellipsis (0%), conjunction (27,74%),
reiteration (10,60%), and collocation (0%). And 476 instances of coherence from
the total of occurrences, the types of coherence are repeat key noun (11,55%),
Using Consistent Pronoun (50,42%), and using the transition of signal (31,72%)
in 30 of the students’ descriptive texts. And from the data analysis in type of
cohesion shows that in the grammatical cohesion, reference occurs 15 times and
the lowest one was ellipsis that was 0 (zero). In lexical cohesion, the most
frequent occurences was reiteration that is 7 times and the lowest one was
collocation that was 0 (zero). From the data analysis in type of coherence shows
that the most frequent occurences using consistent pronoun that is 15 times and
the logical order was the least frequent that is 1 times. It can be concluded that
the students are competent in producing cohesion and coherence in their writing
texts. They utilize all the types of cohesion in their writing texts except ellipsis,
and they apply all the types of coherence
