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How to Use Cohesive Devices Correctly [for IELTS Writing]

Posted by David S. Wills | Dec 7, 2020 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 0

If you look at IELTS websites and YouTube videos, you might learn that cohesive devices are very important and that you should use as many of them as possible. However, this is incorrect. You should use them when necessary, but you should not overuse them.

Cohesive devices certainly are important for IELTS writing but you should aim to use them sparingly and accurately. This article will tell you everything you need to know about them.

What are Cohesive Devices?

A cohesive device is a word that helps join parts of your essay together. They are also known as linkers, linking devices, transitions, transitional phrases, or signposting language. However, as the IELTS marking rubric refers to them as “cohesive devices,” then I shall also use that term today.

There are different types of cohesive devices because technically any word that joins ideas or clauses is cohesive by nature. However, in most cases we mean conjunctive adverbs. These are words that link two independent clauses in a compound sentence or else introduce an independent clause at the start of a new sentence.

Conjunctive adverbs include:

Consequently
For example
As a result
In conclusion
On the one hand

How to Use Cohesive Devices

As I mentioned above, there are different types of cohesive devices. For this reason, you should use them according to the grammatical rules required. For example, a conjunctive adverb would be used differently from a subordinating conjunction, and these would each be different from a coordinating conjunction.

You can see the difference between those three types of cohesive device here:

Today, we will mostly focus on conjunctive adverbs. These begin an independent clause and that will come after a full stop or a semi-colon. For example:

She’d had a bad morning; however, she stayed positive and hoped the afternoon would be better.
She’d had a bad morning. However, she stayed positive and hoped the afternoon would be better.

The meaning is basically the same. We use a semi-colon when the connection between the two clauses is close and obvious. Sometimes they are interchangeable.

For IELTS essays, conjunctive adverbs most commonly are used as signposting language to guide the reader logically from one point to the next. It is very common to see these cohesive devices in task 2 essays:

To begin with
On the other hand
In other words

You always need to keep in mind that these must be both logical and grammatical . That is really important if you want a good score for Coherence and Cohesion.

Problems with Cohesive Devices in IELTS Essays

Let’s now look at some problems people face with cohesive devices in IELTS essays.

Overusing Cohesive Devices

There are various problems that IELTS candidates face when using cohesive devices. The most common problem is overusing them. This is due to a misunderstanding of how English works and the fact that most IELTS tutors say, “Use as many cohesive devices as possible!”

In fact, you should use device devices sometimes in order to logically link parts of your writing, but you should definitely avoid using them too much or your work will sound mechanical and dull. Look at an essay by a native speaker of English. How many cohesive devices do they use? Not many.

The IELTS marking rubric specifically states that you will not score more than band 7 for Coherence and Cohesion if you overuse cohesive devices:

uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use British Council

You can see how strange it sounds to overuse them in this example:

I have a full lesson on the overuse of cohesive devices here .

Picking the Wrong Cohesive Device

Another problem is that people often pick the wrong cohesive device. This is a bit less common than overusing them, but I still see it pretty frequently when marking essays for my IELTS writing correction service .

Here is an example:

Many people believe that governments should increase taxes on electrical devices in order to fund disposal programmes to ensure that they are recycled. For example, many devices are just thrown away with other trash, contributing to the destruction of the environment.

The problem here is that the cohesive device “for example” is not really appropriate. The second sentence is not actually an example of the first. It is related to the first but it further explains the ideas of the first sentence rather than providing any sort of example. To fix this, we might say:

Many people believe that governments should increase taxes on electrical devices in order to fund disposal programmes to ensure that they are recycled. For example, a small tax levied on all electrical goods could be used to establish drop-off points in easily accessible locations, where electrical goods are collected and sent to specialist sites to be re-used or broken into component parts that can be safely disposed.

Now, the second sentence gives a full example of the idea expressed in the first sentence.

Another commonly misused cohesive device is “meanwhile.” People seem to confuse this with “however” or “therefore.” It really means “at the same time as.” You can see that here:

To solve the trash crisis, we need to take various approaches. Perhaps the most important one is educating people of the damage that they are doing to our planet. Meanwhile, we also need to punish people who drop litter or dump chemicals because we cannot just wait for education to have an impact. That could take years.

In this case, “meanwhile” shows that punishment needs to happen at the same time as education .

Altering the Form of Cohesive Devices

One really common problem is people changing cohesive devices. Perhaps they just misremember them, but sometimes people try to be creative. Unfortunately, these parts of speech should be changed or else they become incorrect.

As you can see from the above picture, it is quite common for people to make an error with “On the one hand… On the other hand…” When you change either of these, the result is an incorrect phrase. There is no way to change them correctly, so don’t bother.

I also see people trying to be creative with other cohesive devices, like “in conclusion” or “for example.” They say things like “to be conclusion” or “for examples.” However, both of these are totally incorrect. Another strange one that I have seen is “first and most of all.”

Informal or Outdated Devices

It is also common to see people misusing cohesive devices by picking really informal ones or really old and unusual ones.

One of the most common mistakes is saying “to recapitulate.” This is a term that almost no native speaker would use nowadays. You can see here on Google that it is no longer a commonly used term:

Unfortunately, many IELTS candidates use this because lots of uninformed teachers tell them that it is a special word to dazzle the examiner.

Similarly, people use phrases like “last but not least.” This is a way of introducing people in spoken English. We might use it to introduce a speaker who has come last in a list of people. It is a comical and friendly way of saying “He’s last but that is just a random order.” It is totally inappropriate for an IELTS essay because it is so informal .

Confusing Types of Cohesive Devices

Another quite common problem is mixing up the different types of cohesive device. I stated earlier that we would focus on conjunctive adverbs in this lesson, but cohesive devices can technically include subordinative conjunctions or coordinating conjunctions. These are different parts of speech with different grammatical rules to govern them.

We use conjunctive adverbs after a period or semi-colon and follow them with a comma, but subordinating conjunctions do not have a comma after them. Conjunctive adverbs link two independent clauses but subordinating ones begin a dependent clause:

INCORRECT: Although, the Earth is warming at an alarming temperature, some people refuse to admit that climate change is real.
CORRECT: Although the Earth is warming at an alarming temperature, some people refuse to admit that climate change is real.
CORRECT: Some people refuse to admit that climate change is real although the Earth is warming at an alarming temperature.
ALSO CORRECT: Some people refuse to admit that climate change is real; however, the Earth is warming at an alarming temperature.

I have a full lesson on the difference between conjunctive adverbs and subordinating conjunctions here .

Most Common Cohesive Devices

It is honestly better to stick with standard language. The people who regularly are disappointed by their IELTS results are the ones who try to use fancy language as a means of taking a shortcut. Instead, stick with the most frequently used cohesive devices and make sure that you use them correctly:

Additionally

These words and phrases are really useful and can help you to link your ideas logically. Don’t worry about them being “basic” or “boring.” They are important words and as long as you don’t overuse them in your essay then there is no problem.

Cohesive Device Examples

Finally, let’s look at a list of cohesive devices, divided by type. This is not an exhaustive list, of course. It is just a small sample of the vast array of cohesive devices that exist. However, maybe you will find it useful.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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Cohesive Devices in IELTS Writing – Types, Tips, and Examples

Updated On Feb 23, 2024

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Cohesive Devices in IELTS Writing – Types, Tips, and Examples

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Cohesive devices, also known as linking words or connecting words, are an important part of academic writing. Using them properly helps organize your ideas and create logical connections between sentences and paragraphs. This improves the flow and coherence of your writing, which is necessary to get a high score on the IELTS Writing test. In this blog, we will look at the meaning and types of cohesive devices, examples of how to use them, and tips to employ them effectively in your IELTS essay writing.

What Are Cohesive Devices?

Cohesive devices, also known as ‘ Linking Words ’ are words or phrases that link different parts of a text together and allow it to flow logically. They help show the connection between ideas acting as a connector by signaling additions, contrasts, cause and effect, and other relationships. For example, words and phrases like ‘however’, ‘therefore’, ‘in addition’, ‘for example’, ‘to conclude’ etc. are cohesive devices. Using them properly makes your writing more coherent and easier to follow.

Types of Cohesive Devices

There are several types of cohesive devices:

Reference words: Pronouns like ‘it’, ‘this’, ‘that’, and ‘which’ refer back to something already mentioned.
Substitution words: Words like ‘do’, and ‘one’ that replace a noun.
Conjunctions: Words like ‘and’, ‘but’, and ‘so’ that join clauses.
Repetition: Repeating keywords and ideas across sentences and paragraphs.
Synonyms: Using different words with the same meaning.
Antonyms: Contrasting words and ideas using opposites.
Collocation: Using words that commonly go together.
Discourse markers: Phrases like ‘in conclusion’, and ‘on the other hand’ that organize text.

Examples of Cohesive Devices

Here are some examples of how different types of cohesive devices can be used:

Referencing: Smoking has many health risks. This habit should be avoided.
Substitution: Doctors advise patients to exercise daily. Doing so improves health.
Conjunction: Smoking causes cancer, and it also increases the risk of lung disease.
Repetition: Daily exercise helps us stay fit. Exercise also reduces stress levels.
Synonyms: Doctors advocate physical activity. Exercise has many benefits.
Antonyms: Some people love jogging daily. Others dislike running intensively.
Collocation: She played a starring role in the movie. Her performance was praised.
Discourse Markers: However, smoking remains common despite its risks. Therefore, more education is needed.

Tips for Using Cohesive Devices

Here are some tips to use cohesive devices effectively:

Don’t overuse them. Using too many can make writing seem unnatural.
Be consistent. Don’t jump between different devices randomly.
Use a variety. Relying only on basic conjunctions like ‘and’, ‘but’, and ‘so’ is repetitive.
Choose devices appropriately. Use contrasting words for opposing ideas, and linking words for related ideas.
Pay attention to order and placement. Put them at the right spot in a sentence or paragraph.
Vary length. Alternate between single-word devices and longer phrases.
Check for grammar. Make sure the device fits correctly in the sentence structure.

Why Coherence and Cohesion Matter in IELTS Writing?

Using cohesive devices properly is key to getting a high band score for ‘Coherence and Cohesion’ which carries 25% weight in the IELTS Writing test criteria. The band descriptors state that a high-scoring essay should use ‘a range of cohesive devices appropriately’ while a low-scoring one has ‘little or no cohesion’. So mastering cohesive devices can significantly impact your writing score.

Learn more about IELTS Writing band descriptors and criteria here .

Example Essay Using Cohesive Devices

This sample IELTS essay shows how cohesive devices can be used to logically link ideas and improve coherence:

Some people think sports help society, while others argue they are a waste of time. In my opinion , sports offer benefits like health, socializing, and stress relief but they can also lead to injuries and obsession in some cases.

On the one hand , participating in sports provides exercise which improves fitness. Moreover , sports like football, cricket, and hockey build teamwork as they require cooperation. Another benefit is that sports offer a way to unwind and manage anxiety. However, on the other hand , sports carry risks like career-ending injuries. Furthermore , becoming consumed by sports fandom negatively affects work and studies. Although sports have advantages, in certain situations they can be detrimental.

In conclusion , sports are beneficial for society if practiced moderately but harmful if taken to extremes. Therefore , a balanced approach is necessary to utilize their advantages and avoid downsides. The key is moderation.

This essay uses cohesion and coherence in paragraph writing with examples. A variety of cohesive devices like referencing words (this, they), conjunctions (but, moreover), discourse markers (In conclusion), repetition (sports), synonyms (fandom/obsession), antonyms (advantages/detrimental), and collocations (career-ending injuries) are used to organize the ideas logically and make the writing more coherent.

Check out: IELTS Writing Task 2: Coherence & Cohesion (Tricks for BAND 8)

Learning to use cohesive devices properly is an important skill that can improve your IELTS Writing score by making your essay flow better. Start by learning the main types of devices and examples of how to use them. Pay attention to using an appropriate variety and following the tips above. Refer to sample essays to see how devices are used in context. With practice, using cohesive devices will become second nature and boost your writing coherence.

For more help with the IELTS Writing test, check out our Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2 tips and sample answers. Also, solve these practice tests .

Take a look at our IELTS Grammar Workbook

Also, Check:

Top 10 IELTS Grammar Books
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Advanced Grammar for IELTS with Comparison
Emphatic structures exercises and inversion
Advanced Grammar for IELTS: Modal Verbs (1)

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Cohesion and Coherence In Essays

Introduction.

What is coherence?
What is cohesion?
Lexical cohesion
Grammatical cohesion
Cohesive but not coherent texts
1. Start with an outline
2. Structure your essay
3. Structure your paragraphs
4. Relevance to the main topic
5. Stick to the purpose of the type of essay you”re-writing
6. Use cohesive devices and signposting phrases
7. Draft, revise, and edit

Coherent essays are identified by relevance to the central topic. They communicate a meaningful message to a specific audience and maintain pertinence to the main focus. In a coherent essay, the sentences and ideas flow smoothly and, as a result, the reader can follow the ideas developed without any issues.

To achieve coherence in an essay, writers use lexical and grammatical cohesive devices. Examples of these cohesive devices are repetition, synonymy, antonymy, meronymy, substitutions , and anaphoric or cataphoric relations between sentences. We will discuss these devices in more detail below.

This article will discuss how to write a coherent essay. We will be focusing on the five major points.

We will start with definitions of coherence and cohesion.
Then, we will give examples of how a text can achieve cohesion.
We will see how a text can be cohesive but not coherent.
The structure of a coherent essay will also be discussed.
Finally, we will look in detail at ways to improve cohesion and write a coherent essay.

Before illustrating how to write coherent essays, let us start with the definitions of coherence and cohesion and list the ways we can achieve cohesion in a coherent text.

Definitions Cohesion And Coherence

In general, coherence and cohesion refer to how a text is structured so that the elements it is constituted of can stick together and contribute to a meaningful whole. In coherent essays, writers use grammatical and lexical cohesive techniques so that ideas can flow meaningfully and logically.

What Is Coherence?

Coherence refers to the quality of forming a unified consistent whole. We can describe a text as being coherent if it is semantically meaningful, that is if the ideas flow logically to produce an understandable entity.

If a text is coherent it is logically ordered and connected. It is clear, consistent, and understandable.

Coherence is related to the macro-level features of a text which enable it to have a sense as a whole.

What Is Cohesion?

Cohesion is commonly defined as the grammatical and lexical connections that tie a text together, contributing to its meaning (i.e. coherence.)

While coherence is related to the macro-level features of a text, cohesion is concerned with its micro-level – the words, the phrases, and the sentences and how they are connected to form a whole.

If the elements of a text are cohesive, they are united and work together or fit well together.

To summarize, coherence refers to how the ideas of the text flow logically and make a text semantically meaningful as a whole. Cohesion is what makes the elements (e.g. the words, phrases, clauses, and sentences) of a text stick together to form a whole.

How To Achieve Cohesion And Coherence In Essay Writing?

There are two types of cohesion: lexical and grammatical. Writers connect sentences and ideas in their essays using both lexical and grammatical cohesive devices.

Lexical Cohesion

We can achieve cohesion through lexical cohesion by using these techniques:

Repetition.

Now let”s look at these in more detail.

Repeating words may contribute to cohesion. Repetition creates cohesive ties within the text.

Birds are beautiful. I like birds.

You can use a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word to achieve cohesion.

Paul saw a snake under the mattress. The serpent was probably hiding there for a long time.

Antonymy refers to the use of a word of opposite meaning. This is often used to create links between the elements of a text.

Old movies are boring, the new ones are much better.

This refers to the use of a word that denotes a subcategory of a more general class.

I saw a cat . The animal was very hungry and looked ill.

Relating a superordinate term (i.e. animal) to a corresponding subordinate term (i.e. cat) may create more cohesiveness between sentences and clauses.

Meronymy is another way to achieve cohesion. It refers to the use of a word that denotes part of something but which is used to refer to the whole of it for instance faces can be used to refer to people as in “I see many faces here”. In the following example, hands refer to workers.

More workers are needed. We need more hands to finish the work.

Grammatical Cohesion

Grammatical cohesion refers to the grammatical relations between text elements. This includes the use of:

Cataphora .
Substitutions.
Conjunctions and transition words.

Let us illustrate the above devices with some examples.

Anaphora is when you use a word referring back to another word used earlier in a text or conversation.

Jane was brilliant. She got the best score.

The pronoun “she” refers back to the proper noun “Jane”.

Cataphora is the opposite of anaphora. Cataphora refers to the use of a word or phrase that refers to or stands for a following word or phrase.

Here he comes our hero. Please, welcome John .

The pronoun “he” refers back to the proper noun “John”.

Ellipsis refers to the omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are superfluous or able to be understood from contextual clues.

Liz had some chocolate bars, and Nancy an ice cream.

In the above example, “had” in “Nancy an ice cream” is left because it can be understood (or presupposed) as it was already mentioned previously in the sentence.

Elliptic elements can be also understood from the context as in:

A: Where are you going?

Substitutions

Substitutions refer to the use of a word to replace another word.

A: Which T-shirt would you like?
B: I would like the pink one .

Conjunctions transition words

Conjunctions and transition words are parts of speech that connect words, phrases, clauses, or sentences.

Examples of conjunctions: but, or, and, although, in spite of, because,
Examples of transition words: however, similarly, likewise, specifically, consequently, for this reason, in contrast to, accordingly, in essence, chiefly, finally.

Here are some examples:

I called Tracy and John.
He was tired but happy.
She likes neither chocolates nor cookies.
You can either finish the work or ask someone to do it for you.
He went to bed after he had done his homework.
Although she is very rich, she isn’t happy.
I was brought up to be responsible. Similarly , I will try to teach my kids how to take responsibility for their actions.

Cohesive But Not Coherent Texts

Sometimes, a text may be cohesively connected, yet may still be incoherent.

Learners may wrongly think that simply linking sentences together will lead to a coherent text.

Here is an example of a text in which sentences are cohesively connected, yet the overall coherence is lacking:

The player threw the ball toward the goalkeeper. Balls are used in many sports. Most balls are spheres, but American football is an ellipsoid. Fortunately, the goalkeeper jumped to catch the ball. The crossbar in the soccer game is made of iron. The goalkeeper was standing there.

The sentences and phrases in the above text are decidedly cohesive but not coherent.

There is a use of:

Repetition of: the ball, goalkeeper, the crossbar.
Conjunctions and transition words: but, fortunately.

The use of the above cohesive devices does not result in a meaningful and unified whole. This is because the writer presents material that is unrelated to the topic. Why should a writer talk about what the crossbar is made of? And is talking about the form balls in sports relevant in this context? What is the central focus of the text?

A coherent essay has to be cohesively connected and logically expressive of the central topic.

How To Write A Coherent Essay?

1. start with an outline.

An outline is the general plan of your essays. It contains the ideas you will include in each paragraph and the sequence in which these ideas will be mentioned.

It is important to have an outline before starting to write. Spending a few minutes on the outline can be rewarding. An outline will organize your ideas and the end product can be much more coherent.

Here is how you can outline your writing so that you can produce a coherent essay:

Start with the thesis statement – the sentence that summarizes the topic of your writing.
Brainstorm the topic for a few minutes. Write down all the ideas related to the topic.
Sift the ideas brainstormed in the previous step to identify only the ideas worth including in your essay.
Organize ideas in a logical order so that your essay reflects the unified content that you want to communicate.
Each idea has to be treated in a separate paragraph.
Think of appropriate transitions between the different ideas.
Under each idea/paragraph, write down enough details to support your idea.

After identifying and organizing your ideas into different paragraphs, they have to fit within the conventional structure of essays.

2. Structure Your Essay

It is also important to structure your essay so that you the reader can identify the organization of the different parts of your essay and how each paragraph leads to the next one.

Here is a structure of an essay

3. Structure Your Paragraphs

Paragraphs have to be well-organized. The structure of each paragraph should have:

A topic sentence that is usually placed at the beginning,
Supporting details that give further explanation of the topic sentence,
And a concluding sentence that wraps up the content of the paragraph.

The supporting sentences in each paragraph must flow smoothly and logically to support the purpose of the topic sentence. Similarly, each paragraph has to serve the thesis statement, the main topic of the essay.

4. Relevance To The Main Topic

No matter how long the essay is, we should make sure that we stick to the topic we want to talk about. Coherence is about making everything flow smoothly to create unity. So, sentences and ideas must be relevant to the central thesis statement.

The writer has to maintain the flow of ideas to serve the main focus of the essay.

5. Stick To The Purpose Of The Type Of Essay You”Re-Writing

Essays must be clear and serve a purpose and direction. This means that the writer’s thoughts must not go astray in developing the purpose of the essay.

Essays are of different types and have different purposes. Accordingly, students have to stick to the main purpose of each genre of writing.

An expository essay aims to inform, describe, or explain a topic, using essential facts to teach the reader about a topic.
A descriptive essay intends to transmit a detailed description of a person, event, experience, or object. The aim is to make the reader perceive what is being described.
A narrative essay attempts to tell a story that has a purpose. Writers use storytelling techniques to communicate an experience or an event.
In argumentative essays, writers present an objective analysis of the different arguments about a topic and provide an opinion or a conclusion of positive or negative implications. The aim is to persuade the reader of your point.

6. Use Cohesive Devices And Signposting Phrases

Sentences should be connected using appropriate cohesive devices as discussed above:

Cohesive devices such as conjunctions and transition words are essential in providing clarity to your essay. But we can add another layer of clarity to guide the reader throughout the essay by using signpost signals.

What is signposting in writing?

Signposting refers to the use of phrases or words that guide readers to understand the direction of your essay. An essay should take the reader on a journey throughout the argumentation or discussion. In that journey, the paragraphs are milestones. Using signpost signals assists the reader in identifying where you want to guide them. Signposts serve to predict what will happen, remind readers of where they are at important stages along the process, and show the direction of your essay.

Essay signposting phrases

The following are some phrases you can use to signpost your writing:

It should be noted though that using cohesive devices or signposting language may not automatically lead to a coherent text. Some texts can be highly cohesive but remain incoherent. Appropriate cohesion and signposting are essential to coherence but they are not enough. To be coherent, an essay has to follow, in addition to using appropriate cohesive devices, all the tips presented in this article.

7. Draft, Revise, And Edit

After preparing the ground for the essay, students produce their first draft. This is the first version of the essay. Other subsequent steps are required.

The next step is to revise the first draft to rearrange, add, or remove paragraphs, ideas, sentences, or words.

The questions that must be addressed are the following:

Is the essay clear? Is it meaningful? Does it serve the thesis statement (the main topic)?
Are there sufficient details to convey ideas?
Are there any off-topic ideas that you have to do without?
Have you included too much information? Does your writing stray off-topic?
Do the ideas flow in a logical order?
Have you used appropriate cohesive devices and transition words when needed?

Once the revision is done, it is high time for the editing stage. Editing involves proofreading and correcting mistakes in grammar and mechanics. Pay attention to:

Verb tense.
Subject-verb agreement.
Sentence structure. Have you included a subject a verb and an object (if the verb is transitive.)
Punctuation.
Capitalization.

Coherent essays are identified by relevance to the thesis statement. The ideas and sentences of coherent essays flow smoothly. One can follow the ideas discussed without any problems. Lexical and grammatical cohesive devices are used to achieve coherence. However, these devices are not sufficient. To maintain relevance to the main focus of the text, there is a need for a whole process of collecting ideas, outlining, reviewing, and editing to create a coherent whole.

More writing lessons here .

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Achieving coherence

“A piece of writing is coherent when it elicits the response: ‘I follow you. I see what you mean.’ It is incoherent when it elicits the response: ‘I see what you're saying here, but what has it got to do with the topic at hand or with what you just told me above?’ ” - Johns, A.M

Transitions

Parallelism, challenge task, what is coherence.

Coherence in a piece of writing means that the reader can easily understand it. Coherence is about making everything flow smoothly. The reader can see that everything is logically arranged and connected, and relevance to the central focus of the essay is maintained throughout.

Repetition in a piece of writing does not always demonstrate cohesion. Study these sentences:

So, how does repetition as a cohesive device work?

When a pronoun is used, sometimes what the pronoun refers to (ie, the referent) is not always clear. Clarity is achieved by repeating a key noun or synonym . Repetition is a cohesive device used deliberately to improve coherence in a text.

In the following text, decide ifthe referent for the pronoun it is clear. Otherwise, replace it with the key noun English where clarity is needed.

Click here to view the revised text.

Suggested improvement

English has almost become an international language. Except for Chinese, more people speak it (clear reference; retain) than any other language. Spanish is the official language of more countries in the world, but more countries have English ( it is replaced with a key noun) as their official or unofficial second language. More than 70% of the world's mail is written in English ( it is replaced with a key noun). It (clear reference; retain) is the primary language on the Internet.

Sometimes, repetition of a key noun is preferred even when the reference is clear. In the following text, it is clear that it refers to the key noun gold , but when used throughout the text, the style becomes monotonous.

Improved text: Note where the key noun gold is repeated. The deliberate repetition creates interest and adds maturity to the writing style.

Gold , a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewellery, coins and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was made 23 centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold -plated shields when they go outside spaceships in space. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also its utility.

Pronoun + Repetition of key noun

Sometimes, greater cohesion can be achieved by using a pronoun followed by an appropriate key noun or synonym (a word with a similar meaning).

Transitions are like traffic signals. They guide the reader from one idea to the next. They signal a range of relationships between sentences, such as comparison, contrast, example and result. Click here for a more comprehensive list of Transitions (Logical Organisers) .

Test yourself: How well do you understand transitions?

Which of the three alternatives should follow the transition or logical organiser in capital letters to complete the second sentence?

Using transitions/logical organisers

Improve the coherence of the following paragraph by adding transitions in the blank spaces. Use the italicised hint in brackets to help you choose an apporpriate transition for each blank. If you need to, review the list of Transitions (Logical Organisers) before you start.

Using transitions

Choose the most appropriate transition from the options given to complete the article:

Overusing transitions

While the use of appropriate transitions can improve coherence (as the previous practice activity shows), it can also be counterproductive if transitions are overused. Use transitions carefully to enhance and clarify the logical connection between ideas in extended texts. Write a range of sentences and vary sentence openings.

Study the following examples:

Identifying cohesive devices

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Cohesive Devices: Your Ultimate Guide to Effective IELTS Writing

Introduction.

Cohesive devices, sometimes called linking words, linkers, connectors, discourse markers or transitional words, are one of the most misunderstood and misused parts of IELTS Writing.

Cohesive devices are words like ‘ For example ‘, ‘ In conclusion ‘, ‘ however ‘ and ‘ moreover ‘. Together with coherence, cohesion provides 25% of your marks in both parts of the Writing test. However, most students have not been taught how to use them effectively.

This post will look at how and, more importantly, when we should use them.

What are cohesive devices?

Cohesive devices tell the reader what we are doing in a sentence and help to guide them through our writing. They signal to the reader the relationships between the different clauses, sentences and paragraphs.

Let’s look at two examples below.

The public transport in this city is unreliable and it’s cheap. The public transport in this city is unreliable but it’s cheap.

The sentences above have two cohesive devices: ‘and’ and ‘but’. Both give the reader different signals and change the meaning of the sentence.

The first sentence tells the reader that ‘it’s cheap’ is being added to the previous information; however, the second sentence tells the reader that they are giving a contrasting opinion to the first part of the sentence by using the word ‘but’.

In other words, the second sentence says, ‘it’s unreliable (which is bad), but the good thing about it is it’s cheap, so I don’t mind using it.’ Simply using the word ‘but’ conveys that whole message without needing to say it literally.

This makes our message more succinct and our writing easier to read. But does that mean we should use as many cohesive devices as possible?

Overusing Cohesive Devices

The biggest mistake many students make is to use cohesive devices in nearly every sentence.

If you look at the IELTS Writing Marking Criteria, it states that a Band 7 ‘ uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use ‘. This is typical of a student who knows the meaning and how to use cohesive devices but thinks that using them as much as possible will get them a high mark.

However, using them too often leads to students using them incorrectly. It is stated for Band 5 that ‘ makes inadequate, inaccurate or overuse of cohesive devices’ . In my experience, most students get a Band 5 in this category for this reason. They think that using them as much as possible will get them a high mark, but don’t consider the meaning and how each of them should be used in a sentence.

Band 8 and 9 students tend to only use cohesive devices when necessary and use them appropriately and effectively, i.e. correct meaning and grammar. In fact, many students have criticised Band 9 answers because ‘they don’t have enough discourse markers’. Take a look at the extract below from an academic journal (The Power of Human Rights by Stephen C. Ropp).

This extract is about 200 words long. How many cohesive devices can you see?

Most IELTS students will not be able to produce writing to this very high standard, but you should remember that you don’t get extra marks for lots of cohesive devices; the most important thing is using them accurately (grammar) and appropriately (meaning).

Meaning and Grammar

The next problem students have is learning long lists of cohesive devices and not learning the meaning of each word or how it should be used in a sentence. If you use the wrong word, it confuses the reader, and this lowers your mark for both coherence and grammar. It is better to use no word than use a word incorrectly.

My advice is to not learn long lists of words. The list below is more than you will ever need, and learning more than this will probably confuse you or take up time that could be used to learn something else. In a 250-word essay, you might give 2-3 examples at the most, so why would you learn 10 different ways to give an example? You only have one conclusion, so it seems like a waste of time to learn 5 different ways to do this.

Learn just the words you need and learn them 100%. By 100%, I mean that you know exactly what that word means, when it should be used in a sentence and how it should be used in a sentence. Until you know all of this 100%, don’t use it.

Finally, don’t try to use very complicated words and expressions if you are not already comfortable with the simple terms. Being able to use ‘ and ‘ or ‘ but ‘ effectively is much better than trying to use more complicated words incorrectly. Again, look at some academic texts or good IELTS sample answers; simple words are used more often than not.

How to Improve

You can’t simply learn a long list of words and then hope you can use these correctly in an essay. That would be like Ronaldo telling you how he scores so many goals and thinking you can do the same thing by just listening to him.

Also, you can’t look at just one example sentence and hope to learn everything you need to know about that word.

If you want to improve, do the following :

Reading is the number one way to learn new words. Good writers read a lot; it’s that simple. Pick a topic you are interested in and read a little every day. 20 minutes is enough. Note down any cohesive devices and how they are used in each sentence.
Check the meaning and grammar of each word on sites like the British Council or BBC . You will find lots of explanations there and example sentences.
Practice using these and then have your writing checked by an experienced IELTS teacher .

If you do the following, you will slowly learn how to use cohesive devices effectively. I wish there was a faster way, but like most things in life, hard work and practice is the best and only solution.

Below is a list of more cohesive devices than you will ever need to do well on the IELTS Writing test.

If you want to see how I use them in sample IELTS answers check out our model answers for Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2 .

I hope you found this article useful. If you have any questions or comments, join the conversation on our Facebook page .

For more help with IELTS, please check out IELTS Preparation- The Ultimate Guide .

About Christopher Pell

My name is Christopher Pell and I'm the Managing Director of IELTS Advantage.

I started IELTS Advantage as a simple blog to help 16 students in my class. Several years later, I am very humbled that my VIP Course has been able to help thousands of people around the world to score a Band 7+ in their IELTS tests.

If you need my help with your IELTS preparation, you can send me an email using the contact us page.

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How to write a cohesive essay

When it comes to writing, people usually emphasise the importance of good grammar and proper spelling. However, there is a third element that actually helps authors get their thoughts across to readers, that is cohesiveness in writing.

In writing, cohesiveness is the quality that makes it easier for people to read and understand an essay’s content. A cohesive essay has all its parts (beginning, middle, and end) united, supporting each other to inform or convince the reader.

Unfortunately, this is an element that even intermediate or advanced writers stumble on. While the writer’s thoughts are in their compositions, all too often readers find it difficult to understand what is being said because of the poor organisation of ideas. This article provides tips on how you can make your essay cohesive.

1. Identify the thesis statement of your essay

A thesis statement states what your position is regarding the topic you are discussing. To make an essay worth reading, you will need to make sure that you have a compelling stance.

However, identifying the thesis statement is only the first step. Each element that you put in your essay should be included in a way that supports your argument, which should be the focus of your writing. If you feel that some of the thoughts you initially included do not contribute to strengthening your position, it might be better to take them out when you revise your essay to have a more powerful piece.

2. Create an outline

One of the common mistakes made by writers is that they tend to add a lot of details to their essay which, while interesting, may not really be relevant to the topic at hand. Another problem is jumping from one thought to another, which can confuse a reader if they are not familiar with the subject.

Preparing an outline can help you avoid these difficulties. List the ideas you have in mind for your essay, and then see if you can arrange these thoughts in a way that would make it easy for your readers to understand what you are saying.

While discursive essays do not usually contain stories, the same principle still applies. Your writing should have an introduction, a discussion portion and a conclusion. Again, make sure that each segment supports and strengthens your thesis statement.

As a side note, a good way to write the conclusion of your essay is to mention the points that you raised in your introduction. At the same time, you should use this section to summarise main ideas and restate your position to drive the message home to your readers.

3. Make sure everything is connected

In connection to the previous point, make sure that each section of your essay is linked to the one after it. Think of your essay as a story: it should have a beginning, middle, and end, and the way that you write your piece should logically tie these elements together in a linear manner.

4. Proofread before submitting your essay

Make sure to review your composition prior to submission. In most cases, the first draft may be a bit disorganised because this is the first time that your thoughts have been laid out on paper. By reviewing what you have written, you will be able to see which parts need editing, and which ones can be rearranged to make your essay more easily understood by your readers. Try to look at what you wrote from the point of view of your audience. Will they be able to understand your train of thought, or do you need to reorganise some parts to make it easier for them to appreciate what you are saying? Taking another look at your essay and editing it can do wonders for how your composition flows.

Writing a cohesive essay could be a lot easier than you think – especially when you follow these steps. Don’t forget that reading complements writing: try reading essays on various topics and see if each of their parts supports their identified goal or argument.

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Your Guide to IELTS Band 7

IELTS Cohesion: how to improve your IELTS essays

Cohesion is the way you connect paragraphs and sentences together in your essay. Together with coherence, cohesion makes up 25% of the mark in both Writing Task 1 and Task 2 .

In my experience, IELTS candidates often get their lowest score in coherence and cohesion. The good news is that it’s easy to make coherence and cohesion better. This article will look at some examples of cohesive devices, how you should use them and what IELTS examiners want when assessing cohesion in an IELTS essay. But first, let’s look at what good cohesion actually means.

 IELTS Cohesion: what is good cohesion?

In IELTS, cohesion means using cohesive devices . Cohesive devices are sometimes called linking words, discourse markers, connectives or signposting language . Some examples of cohesive devices are “for example”, “on the one hand”, “secondly”, “in conclusion”.

Cohesive devices make it easier for the reader to understand your essay, because ideas are introduced and linked to other ideas.

So what are IELTS examiners looking for when grading cohesion?

IELTS cohesion: what do the examiners want?

Examiners want cohesive devices to be used appropriately, effectively and correctly.

1. IELTS examiners want cohesive devices to be used correctly.

One of the biggest mistakes made by IELTS candidates is using cohesive devices they don’t really know. They include words like “furthermore” and “consequently”, thinking that the IELTS examiner will like it. But if they use these words incorrectly, the examiner will mark them down. This is especially important in IELTS Writing Task 2 , where incorrect use of cohesive devices can be very confusing for your reader.

Band 5 of the IELTS assessment criteria says:

The candidate makes inaccurate use of cohesive devices.

In other words, if you use cohesive devices incorrectly, you may get no more than a band 5.

Key Tip: Only use the cohesive devices you know well.

2. IELTS Examiners want cohesive devices to be used in the right quantity

Appropriate and effective use of cohesive devices also means using them in the right quantity: not too many and not too few. Many IELTS candidates make the mistake of using too many cohesive devices. They throw in lots of cohesive devices, thinking the IELTS examiner will like it. In fact, they will mark you down.

Band 7 of the IELTS assessment criteria says:

Candidates use a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under or over-use.

In other words, if you use too many or too few cohesive devices, the maximum score you can get is a band 7.

Key Tip: Use just the right amount of cohesive devices – not too many and not too few – just as you would do when writing an essay in your own language. One or two cohesive devices in each paragraph is usually enough.

IELTS Cohesion Assessment Criteria

Here are the assessment criteria used by IELTS examiners, in more detail:

makes inadequate use, inaccurate use or over use of cohesive devices
may be repetitive because of lack of referencing and substitution
uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical
may not always use referencing clearly or appropriately
uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under or over-use.
manages all aspects of cohesion well
uses cohesion in such a way that it attracts no attention

To summarize, if you want a Band 8 or above for cohesion, only use cohesive devices when necessary . Use them appropriately , use them correctly and use them effectively .

IELTS Cohesion: Language Bank

In this slideshow, you can find some of the most useful cohesive devices, organized by their function (e.g. adding ideas and giving examples).

Don’t try to learn them all! Just learn the ones that you almost understand (but not quite).

How to learn the words

1. Don’t memorise the words. Try to understand how these words are used. You can use Reverso Context to see how these words and phrases are actually used in English. This website will also translate the English phrase into its equivalent in several other languages, including Arabic, Russian, German, Polish and Spanish.

2. Read. Read lots of IELTS-style texts. This way you will see how the words are used in context. So look at the list of websites below, choose a topic you like (health, the environment and education are good since they come up a lot in the IELTS reading test)

BBC News Magazine The Economist Popular Science The New Scientist National Geographic BBC Focus Magazine The Economist Magazine Science Daily

3. Get your writing checked by an experienced IELTS tutor . I offer a writing correction service and I will correct your mistakes using cohesive devices (and many other things!) and I will give you lots of suggestions for how to improve.

Referencing

One way to improve your IELTS cohesion is through referencing. This is when you refer back to something you wrote earlier in the essay or earlier in the sentence, or refer forward something you are going to write later in the essay. You use reference words to show these connections.

Referencing is most commonly done by using pronouns that refer back to a noun, e.g. these, those, this, that, them. For example:

Almost all scientists agree that global warming is caused by increased C02 emissions, but they do not always agree on the solutions to this problem.

If you found this article useful, please share it by clicking on one of the share buttons on the side of the page. Thanks!

8 thoughts on “IELTS Cohesion: how to improve your IELTS essays”

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Sorry, but I’m not able to check any essays at the moment.

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How to score higher with cohesive devices in IELTS Writing

November 21, 2022 By Ben Worthington

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In this tutorial, ex-examiner Robert shares how to score higher in IELTS Writing with cohesive devices .

We look at:

What are cohesive devices?

How to score higher with cohesive devices

How IELTS examiners score your cohesion

The best ways to practise using cohesive devices, overuse and underuse of cohesive devices.

Sample Task 2 Essay Question
Sample answer with examiner’s comments on the use of cohesive devices

Cohesive devices are words we sometimes call conjunctions or connectors or linking words, words that join parts of sentences together or one sentence to another to show something like cause and effect, contrast, to give an example or to add more information.

According to the descriptors for IELTS writing for Task 2, starting with Band 9 and scrolling down to Band 5, it’s interesting to see how “cohesive devices” start out being taken for granted, always there but not noticed.

Band 9: “uses cohesion in such a way that it attracts no attention”
Band 8: “manages all aspects of cohesion well”
Band 7: “uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately” but that there “may be some over or under use”
Band 6: “cohesive devices are used “effectively” , cohesion within and/or between sentences may be “faulty or mechanical”
Band 5: “there may be repetitions or lack of referencing or substitution”

Notice how at higher Bands this is something not worth a mention as we assume the test taker can handle it well, but when the examiner sits up and takes notice, it’s because he or she has to make more of an effort to understand: the cohesive devices are not quite how they should be.

Cohesive devices will catch the examiner’s attention for two main reasons. One is to help in the creation of meaning, to link ideas together so that the reader, the examiner, in this case, can follow our argument. If we overuse them, we are perhaps overstating our point of view. i.e.

“On the other hand, however, but it’s not common, a writer may not use cohesive devices although they may be needed”.

Underuse is the other problem. “It’s not common, a writer may not use cohesive devices. They may be needed.” But that was zero use rather than underuse!

There’s also the question of the accurate use of these devices. The meaning may be there but the “grammar” is wrong. An examiner would not like to read: “However the writer has underused cohesive devices, the overall idea is relatively clear.” Can you correct that?

Sample Task 2 Essay Question with examiner’s comments

Below is an example from the Cambridge IELTS series (Cambridge IELTS 12, Test 2), where a sample essay is given together with an examiner’s grade and comments. We’ll look very briefly at that, then see how, starting at the planning stage, cohesive devices could help us write a Band 7 and above essay.

Here’s the essay title:

T his type of essay question where we are asked to discuss advantages and disadvantages may be a great opportunity to show off our range of cohesive devices.

Examiner’s comments

The examiner mentions that in the sample essay, “cohesive devices are used rather mechanically” and looking through the essay, it is clear that, although the test taker does connect a few ideas together with what we can call “adding” linkers by using also , one of the advantages, another disadvantage, furthermore and includes “for example” once, the range is limited as well as the use of pronoun referencing and substitution. Words like “study”, “education” and “teachers” are repeated around 5 or 6 times each, for example.

Now, how can we use cohesive devices to our best advantage?

How to plan your essay

Starting at the planning stage, begin to see how your ideas can be effectively linked together. This can help you score higher with cohesive devices. Take a couple of minutes to note down possible advantages and disadvantages, just as you would under exam conditions. Here are some advantages:

Energetic workforce willing to contribute to society
Technologically updated, no need for expensive re-training
Salary scales are lower than for older workers

Here are some disadvantages:

Lack of experience and leadership
Need for massive investment in education, housing
Public funds for the above and for health care paid through taxes

Putting them together in a paragraph requires some effective linking words. I can see that not requiring expensive retraining is a result of young people being technologically updated and that companies would also save on salaries. So, let’s see how that could work out:

Sample Task 2 Answer

A predominantly young, healthy and energetic workforce would contribute greatly to economic progress, especially in this age of information technology. Since most of them would be technologically updated, fewer government resources would be needed for expensive training programmes. Furthermore, compared to older, more experienced staff, salary scales would be lower and therefore companies could offer more job opportunities.

Examiner’s comments on the Use of Cohesive devices

There’s since at the beginning of the second sentence, showing a causal relationship between the skills the young possess and, in consequence, the fact that costly re-training programmes would not be needed.
The third sentence adds a new point with Furthermore and therefore clearly marks a consequence of lower salary scales.
As for reference, the phrase most of them is a reference back to “young people”.

Paragraph 2:

Here is our chance to show how we handle contrast. Let’s look:

On the other hand, at management levels, there may be a lack of leadership and experience. What is more, such countries would need to devote a considerable amount of public funds not only in education but also in housing as well as health care for the elderly. Investment on that scale can only be paid for through taxation but if salaries are not high, then that could cause problems.

To mark the contrast between an enthusiastic young workforce and the need for those with more work experience, we have the classic On the other hand to open the first sentence.
The second adds a point with What is more.
Notice how the second part of that second sentence uses “not only” ….”but also” , a neat way to connect two points together, in this case, “education” and “housing”. There’s a third point too, “health care for the elderly” connected with “as well as”.
I included a “then” to mark a consequence in the third sentence. My question is. Is it really necessary? Look at the sentence again. Could it be left out without losing any of the meaning?
As for referencing, we see “ Investment on that scale”, a reference back to “a considerable amount of public funds”.
Be familiar with all the possible examples, categorised according to meaning, that is: contrast, addition, sequencing, exemplification, cause-consequence, and result-cause. Joining ideas together in sentences, joining sentences together.
You can study examples, models, and grammar books. There is a wealth of material out there on this subject. But there is no substitute for practice when it comes to writing, conscious practice.
Double checking your efforts with experts to receive feedback.
Awareness that it’s a mix of appropriate use and accurate use. Noticing the little things, even punctuation marks.

Join many other students who have achieved IELTS success with our online IELTS course or get instant feedback with our online essay checker .

You can download or listen to the full tutorial here:

| Direct Download Here | Stitcher | iTunes | Spotify

About Ben Worthington

As the founder of IELTSPodcast, Ben started his journey as an English educator in 2006. Ben and his team of teachers provide students with expert advice, twice a week to cover the writing, reading, listening and speaking sections of the IELTS exam.

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You have well elaborated the above topic. thanks.

You’re welcome, Ali. I am glad you found it useful.

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IELTS Cohesive Devices: The Complete Guide

Since you are here, you probably know that Coherence and Cohesion are one of the criteria you are judged on, in IELTS Speaking and Writing. This criterion checks how well you can link ideas and sentences.

Here are some details on what Coherence and Cohesion looks for, in different bands:

What are Cohesive Devices?

Cohesive devices are those words, punctuations and sentence structures, which link your ideas in writing. Cohesive devices ensure that your essay has a flow and is readable.

Following are few cohesive devices that make your writing shine!

Logical Sequencing.

Whenever you are listing something, use words like “firstly, secondly,” etc.

Sufficient use of linking words/discourse markers.

Linking words like “therefore”, “nevertheless”, “however”, if used sparingly, can create a beautiful readable piece.

Knowledge of Paragraphing.

Random paragraphing not only makes your essay look disorganised but also indicates lack of proper ideation. Therefore, it is necessary to paragraph your essays well.

Appropriate use of Punctuations.

Different punctuations have different uses. It is always a good idea to know what punctuation does what and use them appropriately in your writing. Semicolons, for example, are great discourse markers.

What a cohesive writing should look like?

Take a look at this paragraph:

Plenty of people think veganism is a myth. People all over the world consume animal protein. The most popular food chains are non-vegan. Many cultures around the world promote veganism. Many people opt for a vegan diet for health issues. Some opt for pure personal choice.

Now read this:

Plenty of people think veganism is a myth. The major food chains in the world are non-vegan and they are thriving. While a good number of people in the world consume animal protein, plenty of people prefer to have a vegan diet. This could be due to cultural issues; health issues or due to pure personal choice.

Between these two paragraphs, you can see that the first one is full of short and choppy sentences without cohesive device. It doesn’t give you a comfortable read nor does it appear organised.

The second sentence, on the other hand, provides a smooth read and has cohesive devices like, “while”, conjunctions like “and” and punctuations like semi colons. It also looks more organised and has a flow.

As you know an essay usually has three distinct parts: Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion. A cohesive writing will have clear paragraphs, with the introduction having a good opening; the main body, with the main idea, reasoning and supporting examples, facts and figures and finally end with a well-rounded concluding paragraph.

Let us take a topic and see how it can be cohesively organised:

Some believe using social media is risky, while others believe it is a great platform for socialising. What is your take on it?

For this topic the main idea of the essay is: social media can’t be trusted blindly. The reasoning that will follow would be:

There is always a risk of people using fake profiles.
The information/ photos you put online aren’t safe.
Social media profiles can be hacked.

You can follow this up with a conclusion that should contain: a brief sum up of your opinion.

How to Improve Your Writings using Cohesive Devices?

If you think your writings lack cohesion, here’s a way to add them:

Note down all your ideas about a given essay topic.
List them down in a sequence.
Rephrase them in a way that all the sentences are either part of the main idea or they are connected to the preceding sentence.
Remember cohesive devices are not just linking words, they are reflected in your sentence construction and also in the kind of punctuations you use.

The following image shows how you can improve your band by correctly using cohesive devices:

About the Author

Indulekha prabha.

My name is Indulekha Prabha. I am an English teacher and a content writer by profession. When I'm not working you can find me writing fiction, reading poetry and painting.

Writing High-Scoring IELTS Essays: A Step-by-Step Guide

Common IELTS Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Linking Words for IELTS Writing Task 2: What is Linking Words in IELTS?

Other stories, 21 ielts essay topics for writing task 2, ielts reading: study guide, information & tips.

How To Use Cohesive Devices? IELTS writing task 2

In this post, we will look at how to use cohesive devices in your IELTS writing task 2 essay . Being able to include cohesive devices in your writing is important because it shows the examiner that you know how to use them effectively. This can increase your band score in the coherence and cohesion section.

Cohesive devices are also known as linking words and they are there to help the examiner to read through your essay clearly. Linking words are a great way to join your ideas together and make your sentences and your paragraph much more coherent.

Cohesive Devices

Below is a list of cohesive devices that you will use in your IELTS essays. In the IELTS exam, to reach a band 7 or above you need to be able to use a range of cohesive devices accurately.

In the writing task 2 marking criteria for a band score of 7, it states – ‘ uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use‘. This means that the student understands how to use cohesive devices but is using too many (in nearly every sentence) or too few.

Many students who receive a band score 6 or lower, will have used far too many , making the writing sound mechanical and not like a native speaker. A high scoring answer of 8+ will contain a few but well placed cohesive devices as using them with precision and in the correct context counts for more than inserting as many as possible.

Take a look at the examples below with the cohesive devices highlighted in bold >>

Bad Example

On the one hand , the main advantage of having a standardised punishment system could lead to a downward trend in crime, as the system would serve as a deterrent. Therefore , this would allow the courts to easily hand out justice to all criminals, in order to make the judiciary system more powerful. For example , in some states in the USA, there are tough sanctions in place for criminals, including death by lethal injection. However , in 2014, the New York Times reported that up to 65% of criminals who were incarcerated for high-level crimes (murder, manslaughter) received the lethal injection.

Good Example

On the one hand , the main advantage of having a standardised punishment system could lead to a downward trend in crime, as the system would serve as a deterrent. This would allow the courts to easily hand out justice to all criminals, in order to make the judiciary system more powerful. For example , in some states in the USA, there are tough sanctions in place for criminals, including death by lethal injection. In 2014, the New York Times reported that up to 65% of criminals who were incarcerated for high-level crimes (murder, manslaughter) received the lethal injection.

How Should I Use Them In My Essay?

Review sample essays and see how many are used in high-level answers . You will see that there are the same ones used in many sample essays time and time again. Learn a core few and use them during your writing practice.

Take a look at this band 9 essay below and see how the cohesive devices have been used to introduce the reader to the paragraphs and to lead them through the essay effortlessly. The cohesive devices are highlighted in bold .

Essay Example >>

In current society, many people are struggling with obesity. What is the main cause of this? What are the effects?

In many countries all over the world today, there are many people who are extremely overweight. This essay will firstly discuss the main reasons that this is happening and secondly look at the effects this is having on individuals and society.

Firstly , obesity is caused by many factors in modern society, including the easy availability of unhealthy food. When a bad diet is matched with a sedentary lifestyle, weight gain is inevitable, since eating large portions of food that is mainly processed, high in salt, sugar and filled with chemicals, the body gains weight fast. For example , a documentary by Channel 4 in 2016 showed that the most obese populations were situated in underdeveloped nations, like Venezuela, where people admitted to finding it difficult to eat a balanced and healthy diet and had no nutritional education.

Secondly , the effect that immense weight gain can have on a person, is that they will likely develop health issues, like diabetes or heart disease. As the body becomes larger, the metabolism slows down, so that the body is more likely to get a chronic illness. This is impacting on health services around the world, as hospitals are seeing an increased demand to care for obese patients. For instance , The NHS in the UK has admitted to spending around 16 billion per year on obese related diseases like diabetes. UK newspaper The Telegraph reported in 2016 that more money is spent on treating obesity in the UK than on staffing the police force and fire service.

In conclusion , obesity is being caused by easily available calorie-rich processed food and little exercise. The effects of this are impacting individuals health as well as the cost of national healthcare services. In order for obesity to be lessened, individuals should be educated about nutrition, furthermore , the governments should implement higher taxes on all junk food and sugar.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions – August 2018

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IELTS Transition Words – Use Cohesive Devices

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IELTS Vocab

Cohesive devices/transition words are often misunderstood and misused in the IELTS exam. This guide is full of examples of cohesive devices and advice and practice activities that will help you to understand how to use them effectively in the IELTS test.

What are Cohesive Devices?
Why are Cohesive Devices Needed in the IELTS Academic Test?
Types of Cohesive Devices
Practice Using Cohesive Devices

1. What are Cohesive Devices?

Cohesive devices , also known as transition words or linking expressions , act as signposting language for your reader and let them know what is coming next. For example, ‘ and ’ signals that you are going to make an additional point , whereas ‘ but ’ signposts a contrasting idea .

You can use cohesive devices to link ideas within a sentence using devices like ‘ also ’ or ‘because’, as well as between sentences using expressions such as ‘ In addition… ’ or ‘ In conclusion… ’.

Cohesive devices, when used appropriately, will make up part of your score in Coherence and cohesion which is worth 25% of your overall score for writing.

2. Why are Cohesive Devices Needed in the IELTS Academic Test?

Cohesive devices are frequent in academic writing as one of their other functions is to present and support arguments (writing skills you will have to demonstrate in IELTS academic writing tasks 1 and 2 ).

To achieve a high band score in the writing marking criteria Coherence and cohesion , you need to:

Logically organise information and ideas
Create progression throughout your essay/report
Use a range of cohesive devices appropriately

3. Types of Cohesive Devices

4. practice using cohesive devices, vocab articles short lists, ielts vocabulary themes.

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What is cohesion?

Cohesion vs coherence

Transition signals

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Cohesion How to make texts stick together

Cohesion and coherence are important features of academic writing. They are one of the features tested in exams of academic English, including the IELTS test and the TOEFL test . This page gives information on what cohesion is and how to achieve good cohesion. It also explains the difference between cohesion and coherence , and how to achieve good coherence. There is also an example essay to highlight the main features of cohesion mentioned in this section, as well as some exercises to help you practise.

For another look at the same content, check out YouTube or Youku , or the infographic .

It is important for the parts of a written text to be connected together. Another word for this is cohesion . This word comes from the verb cohere , which means 'to stick together'. Cohesion is therefore related to ensuring that the words and sentences you use stick together.

Good cohesion is achieved through the following five main methods, each of which is described in more detail below:

repeated words/ideas
reference words
transition signals
substitution

Two other ways in which cohesion is achieved in a text, which are covered less frequently in academic English courses, are shell nouns and thematic development . These are also considered below.

Repeated words/ideas

Check out the cohesion infographic »

One way to achieve cohesion is to repeat words, or to repeat ideas using different words (synonyms). Study the following example. Repeated words (or synonyms) are shown in bold.

Cohesion is an important feature of academic writing . It can help ensure that your writing coheres or 'sticks together', which will make it easier for the reader to follow the main ideas in your essay or report . You can achieve good cohesion by paying attention to five important features . The first of these is repeated words. The second key feature is reference words. The third one is transition signals. The fourth is substitution. The final important aspect is ellipsis.

In this example, the word cohesion is used several times, including as a verb ( coheres ). It is important, in academic writing, to avoid too much repetition, so using different word forms or synonyms is common. The word writing is also used several times, including the phrase essay or report , which is a synonym for writing . The words important features are also repeated, again using synonyms: key feature , important aspect .

Reference words

Reference words are words which are used to refer to something which is mentioned elsewhere in the text, usually in a preceding sentence. The most common type is pronouns, such as 'it' or 'this' or 'these'. Study the previous example again. This time, the reference words are shown in bold.

Cohesion is an important feature of academic writing. It can help ensure that your writing coheres or 'sticks together', which will make it easier for the reader to follow the main ideas in your essay or report. You can achieve good cohesion by paying attention to five important features. The first of these is repeated words. The second key feature is reference words. The third one is transition signals. The fourth is substitution. The final important aspect is ellipsis.

The words it , which and these are reference words. The first two of these, it and which , both refer to 'cohesion' used in the preceding sentence. The final example, these , refers to 'important features', again used in the sentence that precedes it.

Transition signals, also called cohesive devices or linking words, are words or phrases which show the relationship between ideas. There are many different types, the most common of which are explained in the next section on transition signals . Some examples of transition signals are:

for example - used to give examples
in contrast - used to show a contrasting or opposite idea
first - used to show the first item in a list
as a result - used to show a result or effect

Study the previous example again. This time, the transition signals are shown in bold. Here the transition signals simply give a list, relating to the five important features: first , second , third , fourth , and final .

Substitution

Substitution means using one or more words to replace (substitute) for one or more words used earlier in the text. Grammatically, it is similar to reference words, the main difference being that substitution is usually limited to the clause which follows the word(s) being substituted, whereas reference words can refer to something far back in the text. The most common words used for substitution are one , so , and auxiliary verbs such as do, have and be . The following is an example.

Drinking alcohol before driving is illegal in many countries, since doing so can seriously impair one's ability to drive safely.

In this sentence, the phrase 'doing so' substitutes for the phrase 'drinking alcohol before driving' which appears at the beginning of the sentence.

Below is the example used throughout this section. There is just one example of substitution: the word one , which substitutes for the phrase 'important features'.

Ellipsis means leaving out one or more words, because the meaning is clear from the context. Ellipsis is sometimes called substitution by zero , since essentially one or more words are substituted with no word taking their place.

Below is the example passage again. There is one example of ellipsis: the phrase 'The fourth is', which means 'The fourth [important feature] is', so the words 'important feature' have been omitted.

Shell nouns

Shell nouns are abstract nouns which summarise the meaning of preceding or succeeding information. This summarising helps to generate cohesion. Shell nouns may also be called carrier nouns , signalling nouns , or anaphoric nouns . Examples are: approach, aspect, category, challenge, change, characteristics, class, difficulty, effect, event, fact, factor, feature, form, issue, manner, method, problem, process, purpose, reason, result, stage, subject, system, task, tendency, trend, and type . They are often used with pronouns 'this', 'these', 'that' or 'those', or with the definite article 'the'. For example:

Virus transmission can be reduced via frequent washing of hands, use of face masks, and isolation of infected individuals. These methods , however, are not completely effective and transmission may still occur, especially among health workers who have close contact with infected individuals.
An increasing number of overseas students are attending university in the UK. This trend has led to increased support networks for overseas students.

In the example passage used throughout this section, the word features serves as a shell noun, summarising the information later in the passage.

Cohesion is an important feature of academic writing. It can help ensure that your writing coheres or 'sticks together', which will make it easier for the reader to follow the main ideas in your essay or report. You can achieve good cohesion by paying attention to five important features . The first of these is repeated words. The second key feature is reference words. The third one is transition signals. The fourth is substitution. The final important aspect is ellipsis.

Thematic development

Cohesion can also be achieved by thematic development. The term theme refers to the first element of a sentence or clause. The development of the theme in the rest of the sentence is called the rheme . It is common for the rheme of one sentence to form the theme of the next sentence; this type of organisation is often referred to as given-to-new structure, and helps to make writing cohere.

Consider the following short passage, which is an extension of the first example above.

Virus transmission can be reduced via frequent washing of hands, use of face masks, and isolation of infected individuals. These methods, however, are not completely effective and transmission may still occur, especially among health workers who have close contact with infected individuals. It is important for such health workers to pay particular attention to transmission methods and undergo regular screening.

Here we have the following pattern:

Virus transmission [ theme ]
can be reduced via frequent washing of hands, use of face masks, and isolation of infected individuals [ rheme ]
These methods [ theme = rheme of preceding sentence ]
are not completely effective and transmission may still occur, especially among health workers who have close contact with infected individuals [ rheme ]
health workers [ theme, contained in rheme of preceding sentence ]
[need to] to pay particular attention to transmission methods and undergo regular screening [ rheme ]

Cohesion vs. coherence

The words 'cohesion' and 'coherence' are often used together with a similar meaning, which relates to how a text joins together to make a unified whole. Although they are similar, they are not the same. Cohesion relates to the micro level of the text, i.e. the words and sentences and how they join together. Coherence , in contrast, relates to the organisation and connection of ideas and whether they can be understood by the reader, and as such is concerned with the macro level features of a text, such as topic sentences , thesis statement , the summary in the concluding paragraph (dealt with in the essay structure section), and other 'bigger' features including headings such as those used in reports .

Coherence can be improved by using an outline before writing (or a reverse outline , which is an outline written after the writing is finished), to check that the ideas are logical and well organised. Asking a peer to check the writing to see if it makes sense, i.e. peer feedback , is another way to help improve coherence in your writing.

Example essay

Below is an example essay. It is the one used in the persuasion essay section. Click on the different areas (in the shaded boxes to the right) to highlight the different cohesive aspects in this essay, i.e. repeated words/ideas, reference words, transition signals, substitution and ellipsis.

Title: Consider whether human activity has made the world a better place.

History shows that human beings have come a long way from where they started. They have developed new technologies which means that everybody can enjoy luxuries they never previously imagined. However , the technologies that are temporarily making this world a better place to live could well prove to be an ultimate disaster due to , among other things, the creation of nuclear weapons , increasing pollution , and loss of animal species . The biggest threat to the earth caused by modern human activity comes from the creation of nuclear weapons . Although it cannot be denied that countries have to defend themselves, the kind of weapons that some of them currently possess are far in excess of what is needed for defence . If these [nuclear] weapons were used, they could lead to the destruction of the entire planet . Another harm caused by human activity to this earth is pollution . People have become reliant on modern technology, which can have adverse effects on the environment . For example , reliance on cars causes air and noise pollution . Even seemingly innocent devices, such as computers and mobile phones, use electricity, most of which is produced from coal-burning power stations, which further adds to environmental pollution . If we do not curb our direct and indirect use of fossil fuels, the harm to the environment may be catastrophic. Animals are an important feature of this earth and the past decades have witnessed the extinction of a considerable number of animal species . This is the consequence of human encroachment on wildlife habitats, for example deforestation to expand cities. Some may argue that such loss of [animal] species is natural and has occurred throughout earth's history. However , the current rate of [animal] species loss far exceeds normal levels [of animal species loss] , and is threatening to become a mass extinction event. In summary , there is no doubt that current human activities such as the creation of nuclear weapons , pollution , and destruction of wildlife , are harmful to the earth . It is important for us to see not only the short-term effects of our actions, but their long-term ones as well. Otherwise , human activities will be just another step towards destruction .

Aktas, R.N. and Cortes, V. (2008), 'Shell nouns as cohesive devices in published and ESL student writing', Journal of English for Academic Purposes , 7 (2008) 3-14.

Alexander, O., Argent, S. and Spencer, J. (2008) EAP Essentials: A teacher's guide to principles and practice . Reading: Garnet Publishing Ltd.

Gray, B. (2010) 'On the use of demonstrative pronouns and determiners as cohesive devices: A focus on sentence-initial this/these in academic prose', Journal of English for Academic Purposes , 9 (2010) 167-183.

Halliday, M. A. K., and Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English . London: Longman.

Hinkel, E. (2004). Teaching Academic ESL Writing: Practical Techniques in Vocabulary and Grammar . Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc Publishers.

Hyland, K. (2006) English for Academic Purposes: An advanced resource book . Abingdon: Routledge.

Thornbury, S. (2005) Beyond the Sentence: Introducing discourse analysis . Oxford: Macmillan Education.

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Below is a checklist for essay cohesion and coherence. Use it to check your own writing, or get a peer (another student) to help you.

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Transitions

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Author: Sheldon Smith ‖ Last modified: 03 February 2022.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.

Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).

Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.

Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).

Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.

Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.

Cohesive Devices for IELTS Task 1 (& More)

I’m sure you’ve already discovered that cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1 are essential to get a high score.

However, learning cohesive devices is not the complete solution to a high Coherence and Cohesion score as other important factors are also assessed.

In this lesson, I will give you the exact cohesive devices you need to use in Academic IELTS Task 1, and I will make sure that you fully understand all the requirements for a high Coherence and Cohesion score.

You will learn;

In this lesson, I'll give you the exact cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1 that you need.

What Coherence and Cohesion is
What cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1 you need
How to organise your paragraphs
How to adapt your progression
Logical organization of information
How to use referencing and substitution

What is Coherence and Cohesion?

Coherence and Cohesion is the band score that assesses how easy it is to understand and follow your answer.

You’ll see the official description of this and the other band scores here , and Cambridge offers a good explanation of these terms.

If the terminology in the official descriptions is too complicated, don’t worry, as you’ll see the exact cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1 Academic below, and the rest of the lessons explains everything else about getting a high Coherence and Cohesion score.

This is a screenshot of the official band descriptors.

If you’re interested in learning about the other band scores, check out the Task Achievement lesson , the Task 1 vocabulary lesson and the Task 1 grammar lesson .

Cohesive Devices for IELTS Task 1

According to the IELTS Writing Task 1 band descriptors , cohesive devices for IELTS essays are essential, and IDP confirms this.

There is some good news and some bad news here.

The Bad News

The bad news is that you have to be careful with them.

To get a high score, you must use cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1 essays, but if you use too many or use them incorrectly, that will reduce your score.

Your Coherence and Cohesion score will be reduced for using no cohesive devices or for using too man.

To make sure you’re using them correctly, you must first learn the appropriate range of cohesive devices ( see list below ) and also make sure that you can use them accurately.

Next, when you’re writing the essay, don’t force cohesive devices into your answer.

Instead, write your essay without focusing on cohesive devices. Then, when you’re writing, there will be natural places where a cohesive device is required, and you can use the appropriate one then.

The Good News

The good news is that there aren’t many cohesive devices for IELTS that you need to learn for Academic IELTS Task 1.

This is because the essay is short, and the things you need to describe are pretty similar in each question.

You don't need to learn a lot of cohesive devices to get a high writing score in Academic IELTS Task 1.

For this reason, I can provide you with the essential cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1.

Note that for each of the cohesive devices in the list below, you’ll need to learn the meanings by referencing the question, and you’ll also need to learn how to use them with grammatical accuracy.

Pay attention to the punctuation marks and whether a verb or a noun phrase follows each cohesive device.

This chart will help you understand the exact meaning of each of the cohesive devices for IELTS in the list below.

Cohesive Devices for IELTS Overviews

Overall, the average value of sales for rugby and tennis were lower by the end of the period.

To make sure you know exactly how to select the appropriate key features, check out my overview lesson .

Cohesive Devices for IELTS Key Features and Categories

The amount of money spent on tennis equipment increased steadily , whereas swimming equipment had the opposite trend.
The amount of money spent on tennis equipment increased steadily. In contrast, swimming equipment had an increase in its sales value.

The band descriptors clearly state the importance of cohesive devices for a high score.

The amount of money spent on tennis equipment increased steadily , while football saw an initial decrease but then had an overall increase by the end of the period.
Despite increasing during the first half of the period , the money spent on rugby equipment had an overall decrease by 2020.
Besides increasing during the first half of the period , the money spent on rugby equipment had an overall decrease by 2020.
The money being spent on rugby equipment increased during the first half of the period but decreased for the second half.
Although the average money spent on football equipment fell from $60 per person in 2000 to $40 in 2010 , it jumped to $70 by the end of the period.
The average money spent on football equipment fell from $60 per person in 2000 to $40 in 2010 ; however, it jumped to $70 by the end of the period.
All of the categories finished the period below $40 , except for football equipment.

Cohesive Devices for IELTS Time Referencing

The average money spent on football equipment fell from $60 per person in 2000 to $40 in 2010 before jumping to $70 by the end of the period.
The average money spent on football equipment fell from $60 per person in 2000 to $40 in 2010 and then jumped to $70 by the end of the period.

These are the exact cohesive devices you need to learn to get a good Coherence and Cohesion score.

After the average money spent on football equipment fell from $60 per person in 2000 to $40 in 2010 , it jumped to $70 by the end of the period.
The amount of money spent on tennis equipment increased steadily. Meanwhile, football saw an initial decrease but then had an overall increase by the end of the period.

You might be wondering why I haven’t included basic cohesive devices like firstly, secondly and finally, but IELTS.org actually recommends that you don’t use these.

Now that you know the exact cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1 that you need to learn, I have some more good news for you!

The paragraphs you need to use to satisfy the requirements of the IELTS Writing Task 1 Band Descriptors are very straightforward.

In the test, you might need to describe a graph, a map or a process , but the paragraphs you need will always be the same;

The organization of your paragraphs is one of the easiest aspects of getting a high IELTS Writing score in Academic Task 1.

Paragraph 1 = Paraphrase and Overview
Paragraph 2 = 1st Details Paragraph
Paragraph 3 = 2nd Details Paragraph

Let me quickly describe what these components are and give you an example.

Paraphrase = the question in our own words
Overview = a general description of the key features
Details Paragraph = a detailed description of the key features

And here is an IELTS Writing Task 1 question and a sample essay using these paragraphs.

As well as knowing the appropriate cohesive devices for IELTS Writing Task 1, you need to organize your answer into paragraphs.

The graph illustrates the ten nations that grew and ate the most rice in the year 2020. Overall, Bangladesh is the only country where rice consumption was higher than the amount of rice produced and the figures for Hungary and the Philippines far exceed the other eight countries in both rice grown and eaten. Of the ten countries on the graph, Bangladesh was unique in that it was the only nation to produce less rice than it consumed with 53 and 58 tonnes, respectively. Hungary produced and consumed the most rice in 2020, with 540 tonnes grown and 532 tonnes eaten. The Philippines was the only country close to Hungary’s figures with 410 tonnes produced and 387 tonnes consumed. For the other eight nations, the production of rice was between 106 and 49 tonnes and the consumption of rice was between 104 and 45 tonnes. For both of the categories, India was the highest of these eight countries, and South Korea was the lowest.

And that’s it!

The above three paragraphs are exactly how you should structure any Academic Task 1 essay to get a high Coherence and Cohesion score.

Progression

So now that you know how to use paragraphs and cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1, we will look at the next aspect of the IELTS Writing Task 1 band descriptors, which is progression .

So what is progression?

The progression of your answer is how quickly you move from one category to the next.

For your essay to have good progression, on the one hand, you must not describe every detail from the question, but on the other hand, you must include all the most important information.

Progression in your essay is also indicated as an important aspect of your Coherence and Cohesion score in the band descriptors.

It’s really a balancing act of those two things.

To make things more complicated, how much you should write about each category depends on the number of categories in the question.

When there are many categories, it’s important to have short descriptions.

When there are fewer categories, you’ll need to give more attention to each one so that your essay isn’t too short.

So let’s say the question we looked at earlier had four categories instead of ten, like in the image below.

To meet the requirements of Coherence and Cohesion, you need to adapt the progression to the number of categories in the question.

This time, the progression needs to be slower as there are fewer categories, so we will describe each one in more detail.

Here’s an example of what the details paragraphs should look like this time.

Hungary produced and consumed the most rice in 2020, with 540 tonnes grown and 532 tonnes eaten. The Philippines was the second-largest producer and consumer of rice on the chart, with 410 tonnes produced and 387 tonnes consumed. India was second from the bottom for both the amount of rice it grew and the amount of rice it ate with 106 and 104 tonnes, respectively. Of the four countries, India’s and Qatar’s figures were the closest to one another as Qatar grew 94 tonnes and ate 86 tonnes in 2020.

As you can see, this time, the progression is slower, and the descriptions of each category are more detailed. This will get a good score for Coherence and Cohesion.

So how can you write essays with appropriate progression?

If you can adjust the progression in your details paragraphs appropriately, you'll be much closer to the high IELTS score you need for Writing Task 1 Academic.

The only way to improve is by writing Task 1 answers.

After you’ve finished each answer, count how many words you’ve written.

If you have less than 180 words, your progression was too fast, and if you have more than that, your progression was too slow.

Of course, you don’t need to have exactly 180 words in every essay; this is just a good way to fine-tune your progression.

Logical organization

You’re making good progress and now understand progression, paragraphs and cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1.

The next topic, logical organization , is a big one and is a skill that doesn’t come naturally to all IELTS students.

IELTS expects you to organize the ideas and information in your answer logically.

This is because it’s much easier for the reader to process the information when it’s logically organised.

After learning the list of cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1, logical organization is the next most important to focus on.

For example, we could logically organise numbers by writing ‘1234’ or ‘4321’, but an illogical organisation would be something like ‘3142’.

This is what you need to consider when writing your essay.

You must organise categories from; biggest to smallest, smallest to biggest, highest to lowest, lowest to highest or whatever is relevant to the categories.

Depending on the question, that might not be possible, so you can also organise your answer according to similar trends. For instance, one group of categories that increased and another group that decreased.

Once you’ve decided how to organise your categories, you must be consistent.

For example, don’t organise some categories from highest to lowest and other categories differently.

To make sure all of this is clear, it’s best if we look at some examples.

Logical organization is explicitly mentioned in the band descriptors.

First, let’s look at some overviews for this question to ensure you understand.

The Coherence and Cohesion band score requires you to be consistent in your organisation of categories.

Overall, the money spent on football and swimming equipment increased, whereas it decreased for rugby and tennis.

This overview is logically organised as all the categories have been organised in the same way, according to which ones increased and which ones decreased.

Overall, the money spent on football equipment was the highest and on rugby was the second-highest in both years. However, tennis replaced swimming as the equipment with the lowest sales value.

This time, the candidate organised the categories from highest to lowest, and this organisation is also logical.

Even though the categories have been organised differently in overview 1 and overview 2, they are both consistent in their organisation which means they’re both acceptable.

The way you organise categories is not as important as consistently organising categories when it comes to meeting the requirements for a high IELTS Writing score.

Overall, the money spent on football equipment was the highest in both years. Meanwhile, the sales value of rugby and tennis equipment decreased, whereas swimming increased.

This overview has a problem as the organisation isn’t consistent. The first category is organised from highest to lowest, and the others are organised according to which ones increased and which ones decreased.

Because there isn’t consistency in how the categories are organised, this will reduce the Coherence and Cohesion score.

Overall, football equipment had the highest sales value in both years and increased between 2000 and 2020, as did the figure for swimming equipment. Rugby and tennis equipment, on the other hand, showed decreases in their values.

This overview is logically organised as well and is, in fact, the best of the four overviews.

All of the categories have been organised according to which ones increased and which ones decreased. Then, another key feature is included to say that football was the highest in both years.

If you can logically organize the categories in this way and use appropriate cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1, your IELTS Writing score will get a big boost.

This sample overview teaches us an important lesson as we see that it’s possible to have consistent organisation and also include other relevant key features.

Details Paragraphs

You also need to make sure that you’re logically organising the information in your details paragraphs.

I have three easy tips to keep your Coherence and Cohesion score high.

Organise your details paragraphs in the same way that you organised your overview.

So if this is your overview;

You’ve mentioned football first, rugby second, tennis third and swimming fourth.

That means you should keep the same order in the details paragraphs by describing football and rugby in your first details paragraph. Then describe tennis and swimming in your second details paragraph.

Following the same order as the overview will help with the logical organization that is mentioned in the band descriptors.

In the details paragraphs, it’s most logical to discuss one category completely before discussing the next one.

Here’s an example;

Football equipment had the highest figures in both years and went from an average of $60 per customer in 2000 to $70 in 2020. Although the average sales for rugby equipment went from $40 down to $30, it remained the second-highest in 2020. Tennis, which has a sales value of $30 per customer in 2000, fell to $10 in 2020, meaning that it had replaced swimming as the lowest figure. Meanwhile, swimming increased from $10 to $20 on average.

As you can see, football is described completely and never mentioned again. Then the same is done for rugby. This is a good approach.

In the description of tennis, swimming is mentioned. However, there is a logical reason for doing this; swimming is mentioned to describe tennis further, so this is okay.

In the details paragraphs, describing one category at a time is a good approach for your Coherence and Cohesion score.

Finally, swimming is described completely.

If the question shows information across a period of time, start your description at the oldest point in time and move forward.

Let’s look at two descriptions of this line graph to understand why this is important.

To get a high IELTS Writing Score for Academic Task 1, moving logically through time from oldest to newest is the best approach.

Description 1

The average value of football equipment sold was the lowest in 2010 at $40 per customer. The highest figure was in 2020 with $70, and in 2000, the beginning of the period, the value was $60.

Jumping from 2010 to 2020 and then back to 2000 isn’t logical.

I find it very difficult to process this description, and I really need to work hard to imagine what the graph looks like.

Description 2

The average sales of football equipment started at $60 in 2000 before falling to $40 in 2010. From this point until the end of the period, it increased to finish at $70.

This description moves from 2000 to 2010 and then finishes with 2020.

This is far more logical, it’s easy for me to process the information, and I can clearly imagine what the graph looks like.

Remember, the purpose of your essay is to paint a picture in the reader’s mind.

When you logically organise all the information, the reader will be able to imagine the chart.

With accurate use of the cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1 and logical organization of the information, the reader will easily follow your answer.

Referencing and Substitution

So far, you’ve learned about logical organisation, progression, paragraphs and cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1.

This last point, referencing and substitution , sounds complicated, but honestly, it’s not.

These terms appear in the IELTS band descriptors, so I’m guessing that you want to know what they are.

If you’d like to do some research on these terms, you can read useful articles by Grammarly and Cambridge here and here .

However, a simple description is that they are ways to avoid the repetition of vocabulary.

To do this, we use words like; they, them, the same and ones .

Here are some examples from sentences in this lesson;

Although referencing and substitution are mentioned in the band descriptors, you probably know them already as pronouns.

Of the ten countries on the graph, Bangladesh was unique in that it (Bangladesh) was the only nation to produce less rice than it (the country) consumed.
The amount of money spent on tennis equipment increased steadily. In contrast, swimming equipment had an increase in its sales value (the sales value of swimming equipment).
India was second from the bottom for both the amount of rice it (India) grew and the amount of rice it (India) ate with 106 and 104 tonnes, respectively.
When there are fewer categories, you’ll need to give more attention to each one (category) so that your essay isn’t too short.
As you can see, football is discussed completely and never mentioned again. Then the same is done for rugby. (Then rugby is also discussed completely and never mentioned again.)

If you don’t need the information in brackets to help you understand those sentences, then you already know what referencing and substitution are.

The most common mistake that IELTS candidates make is using the incorrect pronoun.

If that’s a mistake you make, you’ll need to address it before your IELTS test and you’ll benefit from my common pronoun mistakes and improvement advice .

Well, you’ve learned about every aspect of Coherence and Cohesion for IELTS Academic Task 1.

Next, you should learn to accurately use the list of cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1.

Then write a Task 1 essay using the paragraph structure you learned in this lesson. Here are some reliable resources for questions you can use;

British Council question
IELTS.org question
IDP question

Once you’ve finished writing an essay, count the number of words to check if your progression was okay and try to find any illogical organisation that you could have avoided.

You should also complete the Task Achievement lesson , the Task 1 vocabulary lesson and the Task 1 grammar lesson to make sure that you fully understand what’s required from you.

After that, it’s time to make sure you can write effective overviews and learn the 5 steps for writing your Task 1 answer .

If you ever need to review this lesson, the video below will be useful for you.

Finally, you’ll have to make sure you know how to answer Task 1 map questions and process questions .

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A Guide to Cohesive Devices

Six tools to create cohesion & coherence.

Reference, substitution, cohesive nouns, ellipsis, lexical chains, conjunction . . .

Obscure names for processes common in everyday speech and indispensable for good writing.

Simply explained, with examples .

When we write an essay, there are several points we want to make and an overall idea we hope to get across to the reader. We use grammatical and lexical tools to make all the points come together and form one understandable whole. We want the whole to fit logically together to make our point.

If we succeed and the reader understands our meaning because what we wrote sticks together well, our essay has coherence .

The parts of a text don’t go in just any order; there are certain ways sentences and paragraphs connect with each other to fit properly. The tools, or devices, we use to link all these parts into a meaningful whole create cohesion – they work like glue sticking together pieces of a picture. There are six main types of cohesive devices.

1. Reference

Despite obscure names like anaphor and cataphor , reference means just what it sounds like, referring to something mentioned elsewhere in a text. We do this all the time when we speak. “The dentist has an opening tomorrow at 2:00. He will see you then.” Who is “ he ”? What is “ then ”? If someone told you only the second sentence, it wouldn’t make much sense (and, if your tooth hurt a lot, you might get a bit angry), but together with the first sentence, the meaning of the second is quite clear. Just like your mother is clear when she says, “ The wastebasket is full. Please empty it .” If you ask her, “ Wait, what do you mean, ‘it’? ” she won’t think you are being funny, and she won’t believe that you don’t understand. We use pronouns and other special words to refer back to things – people, places, times, etc. – with such frequency that these patterns are quite familiar, even unnoticed. Look for this linkage of words to earlier mentions of things when you read, and you will start to understand how cohesion works.

Reference is used to create cohesion in several different ways. If your father walks out and sees you standing by the car, which is wrecked, and says “ Did you do that ?” he’s making a reference to something outside the text (here, a situation) that is obvious to both of you, the speakers. 1 He didn’t have to say first, “ Oh, look, the car’s been wrecked. ” You probably won’t want to tell him so, but he’s just provided an example of exophora . On the other hand, if you make a statement to the police about the wrecked car, and you say that you came downstairs in the morning, saw that the car was wrecked, but didn’t see anyone around, and the policeman asks, “ So, what time did you come down and notice this ? ” he’s using endophora , because “ this ” refers to the fact that the car has been wrecked, something you explicitly said, and it’s an anaphoric , because the reference is to something earlier, although, again, you probably won’t want to point out these interesting grammatical facts to the policeman just then. The diagram that follows shows how these ideas fit together.

Definite pronouns and determiners are usually what we use to refer back to people, objects, and situations that we’ve mentioned earlier in a text, e.g., she, they, it, those, that .

No one seemed to want the last piece of cake. It sat on the plate for days getting stale. Finally, late last night, when John came home tired and hungry, he ate it , only to have Susan scream at him this morning for having finished it .

Anaphoric reference is really a form of substitution, replacing one word or phrase with another, usually shorter, way of saying the same thing. To find these anaphoric references in a text, look especially for pronouns, demonstratives, and adverbials like the following: 1

personal pronouns (subjective or objective forms): I, you, we, he, she, it, they, one, him, her

possessive personal pronouns : mine, yours, ours, hers, its, theirs (or their determinative forms: my, your, our, her, its, their, one’s, often paired with a noun that refers back to something mentioned previously)

demonstratives & other determiners : this, these, that, those, some, any, both, enough, neither, none, half, etc. (often functioning as pronouns in anaphoric constructions)

place and time adverbials : here, there, then

comparatives : another, more, fewer, same, different. equally, likewise, similarly

2. Substitution

Whereas reference is often described as a link of meaning between words (because we understand the reference only in relation to its antecedent), substitution is described as a grammatical link that allows us to replace a noun or noun phrase, a verb or verb phrase, or an entire clause, when we say something about the same item or topic elsewhere in the text. 2 Why substitute one phrase for another? This may be for reasons of style, for instance, to avoid repetition, or we may want to clarify or define our meaning more precisely. Substitutes are often a more general word in the former case, and a more specific, or technical, phrase in the latter. Almost any word or phrase might function as a substitute, but there are some common patterns that can help us find substitutions. Words like one , some , or any often work as more general substitutes, while technical terms may fit in to replace a description of what they mean:

I don’t have change for the meter . Do you have any ? (more general)

Clarence arrived just as I was making coffee , so I asked him if he ‘d like some . (more general)

After the initial votes for student council have been counted, the three students with the most votes make speeches. Each candidate speaks for ten minutes, then the final votes are cast . (more specific/technical)

Other patterns include using adverbials like so and thus to replace larger units – objects, complements, or whole clauses – and using a form of the verb “to do” to replace a longer verbal phrase or clause.

It was terribly cold outside, so the others went inside . Eventually, I did too.

3. Cohesive Nouns

Cohesive nouns are nouns that summarize what came before or what is to follow. For example, if I come home and find water all over the floor, a steady flow coming out from under the sink, and it takes me hour to find a night plumber who will come, plus a few more hours to have the pipe fixed and clean up the mess so I only get to sleep at 3:00 a.m., and, not surprisingly, I oversleep and arrive late to class the next morning, I might apologize by explaining what happened in a much shorter way. I might just say that I had a “problem” which made me late. “Problem” in this case refers back to the whole long, unhappy story described above. Often, the very use of such a word characterizes what will follow, making it easier for a reader or listener to predict what’s next. So, if you come into class a few minutes late and say, “ So, there was a problem . . . .,” I already know that what follows will probably be a sad story about unfortunate circumstances which made it impossible for you to do your homework or arrive on time.

4. Ellipsis

So, if “problem” is a short way to talk about the whole situation, ellipsis is even shorter. Ellipsis is when you leave out words that are understood. Wait, you may say, how can leaving words out make things more clear? But we do this all the time. “ He can’t swim but I can. ” What can I do? I can swim – that is quite clear and, in fact, it would sound rather awkward to say “ He can’t swim but I can swim .” This sounds like a child’s speech – children only learn ellipsis as they become more linguistically mature. The omission can cover a great deal more just a word or phrase; whole sections of sentences, often the predicates or verbal parts, may be left out because they are clear between speakers or writer and reader. Sometimes this absence is even a form of emphasis. Look for this when you read, and you will understand more of the writer’s meaning and tone.

5. Lexis (Lexical Chains)

Sometimes words come bound up like a pile of presents one atop the other; once we open one, we have a very good idea what the others will be. For example, if, at your wedding, you receive twenty matching boxes of various sizes and the first one is a plate, you can guess the others are likely to be matching bowls, saucers, and perhaps a serving platter or two. In the same way, once I say “wedding” you know from experience that certain other words are likely to follow, like “bride”, “groom”, “reception”, “flowers”, “dress”, “honeymoon”, “cake”, etc. These words are linked into a chain of meaning so that one helps you understand the others; they are a lexical set .

Pairs or groups of words have a more specific linkage of meaning, such as a part-to-whole relationship, called meronymy , (e.g., branch , leaf , and bark are all parts of a tree ), or a category/subcategory relationship, where the category is called the superordinate and the subtype a hyponym , (e.g., the general word tree covers many specific types like pine , oak , and birch ). You likely know some other examples, such as words that mean the same thing being called synonyms, (e.g., health / wellness ), and those that mean the opposite, antonyms , ( health/sickness ). We use these lexical relationships in speech because they make what we say much easier for others to understand. In writing, words like these tell us how parts of a text are linked.

Lexical linkages are often essential to an essay’s structure. For example, if an author talks about “costs”, we expect negatives to follow in the text. If the author then talks about “benefits” we’ll expect positives to come next. Our expectations shape our perceptions different ways: they make the whole text easier to understand and they also subtly influence our evaluations. For example, a ‘cost/benefit’ contrast can make items seem to fit into one box or the other, and we may adopt the author’s categorizations. Lexical relationships can be powerful tools when wielded by a skilled writer. Not only can an author use lexical connections to shape our judgments, she can guide the way we reason. A structure like the ‘cost/benefit’ contrast described above encourages us to quantify and add up items on one side as against the other.

As a writer, using lexical relationships to link sentences, paragraphs, and the whole text together will help you make your points clear and your arguments persuasive. As a reader, spotting these lexical connections will reveal methods of persuasion and authorial biases.

6. Conjunction

This is what links those positives and negatives described above into a contrasting relationship. Let’s say I list several items as “ costs “, but then start my next sentence with “ however “; you already know that I am going to change direction and tell you why all those costs don’t add up to a total negative. This is one of the first methods of cohesion we’re taught explicitly when we learn to write. We’re told to use phrases like “ because ”, “ moreover ”, “ firstly ”, “ secondly ”, “ therefore ”, “ in addition ”, and similar expressions to link our clauses, sentences, or paragraphs together in an organized way that makes their relationship to each other clear to our readers. This is sometimes referred to as signposting because these linkages show where the text is going. Used in this sense, “conjunction” refers generally to the structural relationships among parts of the text rather than specifically to the words called “conjunctions” in a grammar book (i.e., and, but, or , etc.).

When we talk about conjunction as a cohesive device, we mean ways to relate two clauses, sentences, or paragraphs together into a functional relationship. The relationship can be additive, adversative, causal, or temporal. For example, one clause may be the reason for the other:

He finished the pizza because he was hungry .

This could have been two separate sentences, but since they have a cause-effect relationship, we can link them together with “ because ” (an actual conjunction) to make this relationship more clear. Likewise, if an author gives several reasons why watching TV can be bad, and organizes them into a kind of list by starting paragraphs with “ First of all ” then “ Secondly ” (adverbs), then “ The third negative feature ” (a noun phrase), all three of these paragraph starters are examples of conjunction as a cohesive device. They work by linking pieces of text together so that while you are reading, you can follow along and see the relationship of one part to the next. In this example, the paragraph starters show us that the facts within each paragraph are to be added to a list supporting one main point, as the author builds a case against TV watching by adding up all the bad things it can do.

In a well organized essay, the author usually tells us about the list (or other structure) at the outset. For example, these paragraph starters might refer back to the phrase “ several serious drawbacks ” in the first paragraph, where the author promised to describe the pros and cons of TV watching. Whether we are persuaded often depends upon the extent to which the author kept these initial promises by the end of the essay.

1 For the moment, we will leave aside the concept of deixis, or references to the speaker’s personal, situational, or temporal locus, to which parts of discourse may refer. Deixis and anaphora sometimes overlap, but for purposes of understanding cohesive devices, at the moment we can simplify matters by focusing only on the latter. See note 2 for more on this.

2 Halliday and Hasan (1976) described the contrast between reference and substitution as semantic versus grammatical relations between the linked sections of text, and Halliday and Matthiessen (2014) offer the idea of a semantic versus a “lexicogrammatical” relation, (635). Importantly, however, Halliday and Hasan noted the overlap of these categories:

The classification of cohesive relations into different types should not be seen as implying a rigid division into watertight compartments. There are many instances of cohesive forms that lie on the borderline between two types and could be interpreted as one or the other . (Halliday and Hasan, 1976, 88)

For our purposes, the six categories above are a good starting point to understand cohesion in texts, but many important overlaps and subtleties are not covered in this short guide, and entire discussions are omitted, for example, the relationship of deixis to anaphora as mentioned in note 1, above. For more on this latter topic, see Stirling and Huddleston’s (2016) extensive treatment of the subject.

Halliday, M.A.K., & Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English (R. Quirk, Ed.). Longman Group Limited.

Halliday, M.A.K., & Matthieson, M.I.M. (2014). Halliday’s Introduction to Functional Grammar (4th ed.). Routledge.

Schmolz, H. (2015). Anaphora Resolution and Text Retrieval: A Linguistic Analysis of Hypertexts . Walter de Gruyter GmbH.

Stirling, L. & Huddleston, R. (2016). Deixis and Anaphora. In R. Huddleston and G. Pullum (Eds.), The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (1449-1564). Cambridge University Press.

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What are Cohesive Devices and how do they affect comprehension?

I was recently developing some PowerPoints and activities for a comprehension training session about the role that text structure plays in reading comprehension. One of the related topics that is unfamiliar to many teachers was Cohesive Devices (sometimes called Cohesive Ties , and also known as anaphors ). I thought I’d devote this post to explaining cohesive ties and how they might affect reading comprehension, especially for younger students or English language learners.

Cohesive devices are words or phrases used to connect ideas between different parts of text. There are three main types of cohesive devices:

Example: Jim went out to the playground. He played on the swings.
Example: There was a lot of food, but she only ate the bread .
Example: Jim played on the swings. Later , Jim played ball.
Example: Mary was late, so she took the bus. Mary was late because she took the bus.

Cohesive devices affect comprehension because they help readers integrate information between sentences in a text. The pronoun, synonym, or transition word is tied to a previous word, phrase or clause (the antecedent ). Many students, even skilled readers, never consciously think about authors’ use of cohesive devices. It is helpful for teachers to draw attention to this kind of text structure, especially for students who have difficulty comprehending a series of sentences that include cohesive ties. Children with poor reading comprehension make more errors on questions that can only be answered if a pronoun has been correctly resolved. They are less likely to supply the appropriate anaphor in a cloze task. For example, “Steve gave his umbrella to Andrea in the park because ___ wanted to keep dry.” (Carlisle & Rice, 2002; Cain & Oakhill, 2007) Also, poor comprehenders’ difficulties are particularly pronounced when there is intervening text between the anaphor and it’s antecedent.

Look at the two examples below. The cohesive ties are linked to their antecedents with arrows. Notice how there can be multiple cohesive ties within a single paragraph!

Instructional Suggestions

As a means of drawing students’ attention to cohesion, have them identify all the words that “stand for” other words, phrases, or a clause in a short, familiar passage from material students are reading. For young children, many of the read aloud texts that teachers use to develop vocabulary and comprehension include examples where the author has used pronouns, synonyms, and transitions to connect sentences. For good readers, an activity such as this may be all that is necessary to encourage greater attention to the connections between sentences. The following are some recommendations for students who have difficulty understanding cohesion (Maria, 1990):

Have students match the cohesive tie with its antecedent. There are several ways to do this. Students may draw arrows from the cohesive ties to the words they replace, write the antecedent above the cohesive tie, or write the same number over words that are linked. Some students may benefit from applying one of these techniques as they read.
Have children read a passage and answer questions that require comprehension of cohesive ties.
Delete pronouns from a passage, and have students fill in the blanks.
Give students a passage in which names and other sentence components have been unnecessarily repeated. Ask them to substitute cohesive ties for the repetitious information.
Example: Joe and Laura went to the beach. He played in the water while she looked for shells. Afterwards, they had a picnic lunch.

In other instances, children may need to draw on background knowledge and reasoning skills to determine the most probable antecedent of a pronoun. In the following example, it more likely refers to the mall than to the bank since John was able to conduct his business at the bank: John went to the mall after he deposited some money in his account at the bank. It was closed.

References:

Cain, K. & Oakhill, J. (2007). Reading comprehension difficulties: Correlates, causes, and consequences. In K. Cain & J. Oakhill (Eds.) Children’s comprehension problems in oral and written language . New York: Guilford Press. pp. 48-49

Carlisle, J.F. & Rice, M. S. (2002). Improving reading comprehension: Research-based principles and practices. Baltimore, MD: York Press. pp. 129-130

Joan Sedita

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17 Comments

Thank you for the detailed information.

Thanks for sharing a comprehensive guide on comprehension. This will help English language learner to know about the connectors. I enjoyed reading this article.

Thanks for sharing such knowledge

thanks to use such a simple method.

Thanks for sharing this knowledge.

Thank you for this article. Having gone to school in the early 60’s, we learned this from a textbook. The teacher didn’t have to find articles like yours to realize that this very important concept is forgotten! We need English Language textbooks back, even /especially for grade school.

This was very helpful, thank you.

Your explanation is clear and informative. Thanks.

So simplified discourse with a lot of things to learn. Thank you

Hello, when I think of skills in Scarborough’s Rope would this go under the sub category of language structures because it involves syntax and semantics?

Yes, it is part of the language comprehension part of the reading rope.

Is there a book, lesson plans, or curriculum for teachers to present this to students? Thank you!

Chapter 8 in Nancy Hennessy’s book “Reading Comprehension Blueprint” includes suggestions for teaching cohesion.

Thank you! I was having difficulty clarifying my goal and this piece helped me write it in more detail.

Thank you very much this was very helpful

Very very helpful. Thanks for the post.

What a great, compressed explanation. The color coding at the paragraph level of instruction makes it practioner-friendly. Sorely needed for many of our students on the spectrum. Thank you!

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Cohesive Devices

Both/not only proteins and/but also vitamins are essential for small children.
The film was neither well made nor well-performed.
I can play the piano apart from the guitar.
Although he's very smart, he cannot pass his English class.
No matter how smart you are, you shouldn't underestimate your opponents.
He's very smart, he doesn't respect his friends though.
Regardless of age, anybody can ride this ride.

Direct Contrast

The winters are very wet here; whereas, the summers are very dry.
It was very hot yesterday, in contrast, it’s very cold today.
It's cold and windy today, on the other hand, it’s not raining.
As a consequence of rising population, people now have to cope with heavy traffic.
It was such a great movie that I watched it three times.
The basketball team's introducing a talented young player resulted in winning more games.
I talked to the shy girl for the purpose that she wouldn’t feel isolated.
We all spoke in quiet voices for fear of waking the baby up.
She went to her husband’s office for the purpose of seeing him.

Giving Examples

Generalizing.

EnglishPost.org

Types of Cohesive Devices

Cohesive devices are sometimes called linking words, linkers, connectors , discourse markers, or transitional words.

Cohesive Devices are words or phrases that show the relationship between paragraphs or sections of a text or speech.

Cohesive devices are words like ‘ For example , ‘ In conclusion , ‘ however ‘ and ‘ moreover ‘.

In this post, you will learn more about the different types of cohesive devices and how to use them in sentences correctly

Table of Contents

Examples of Cohesive Devices

What are some types of cohesive devices, what are the different types of cohesion, methods of cohesion with examples, #1 anaphoric reference, #2 cataphoric references, #3 exophoric reference, #4 tense agreement, #6 substitution, how to improv e, interested in learning more.

Let’s look at these two examples below:

Netflix has many movies and shows and it is only $9.
The Christmas tree is natural but it is expensive.

As we can see in the sentences above, and it is used to add something to the previous statement,

In the second sentence, we can see how something positive and negative is said about Christmas. We know that because the word but is used to contrast ideas.

There are many examples of cohesive devices, they can be grouped according to their function.

If you want to show similarity , you can use cohesive devices such as:

If you want to introduce an item in a series , you can use:

If you need to compare , you can use cohesive devices such as:

For emphasizing, you can use cohesive devices such as:

If you need a full list of cohesive devices, have a look at my Full List of Cohesive Devices by Category

Cohesion is the grammatical and lexical linking within a text or sentence that holds a text together and gives it meaning.

There are two main types of Cohesion, grammatical cohesion, and lexical cohesion.

Grammatical cohesion is based on structural content.
lexical cohesion is based on lexical content and background knowledge

These are methods of cohesion, their definitions, and examples:

Anaphoric Reference means that a word in a text refers back to other ideas in the text for its meaning.

For example:

‘I went out with Jo on Sunday. She looked awful.’ ´She` clearly refers to Jo, there is no need to repeat her name.

Cataphoric reference means that a word in a text refers to another later in the text and you need to look forward to understanding

When he arrived, John noticed that the door was open.

Exophoric reference refers to an idea outside the text. This is a reference to world knowledge shared by the reader

For Example

” The Prime Minister responded quickly to the threat. Here we are expected to know who the Prime Minister is”

Tense agreement refers to the way that writers use tenses to make a text hang together

“She knew then that he… “had found her letter” is a logical ending to the sentence. We are not surprised to see past perfect after simple past in a narrative sentence.”

Linkers refer to words or phrases that describe the relationship between ideas in the text

“And, but, therefore, first of all”

Substitution or Ellipsis refers to replacing words, or leaving them out– this is how writers reduce repetition in a text

“Now we’re finishing our essays. I know you want to go out, but before you can do that, please finish. ‘do that’ avoids the repetition of ‘go out’. Instead of repeating ‘finish our essays’ ‘our essays’ is dropped from the sentence”

You can’t simply study a long list of cohesive devices and then hope you can use them correctly the next time you have to write an essay.

Also, you can’t look at just one example sentence and hope to learn everything you need to know about that word.

Reading is the number one way to learn new words. Good writers read a lot. Pick a topic you are interested in and read a little every day. Note down any cohesive devices and how they are used in each sentence.
Check the meaning and grammar of each new cohesive device you find during reading on sites like the Cambridge Online Dictionary

I hope you have found all the information you needed

These are some other resources related to English Language Teaching and Learning

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Full Guide to English Pronunciation
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Pronunciation: List of Minimal Pairs
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Check these resources about teaching writing

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How to Use Cohesive Devices Correctly [for IELTS Writing]
How To Use Cohesive Devices
Cohesive Devices: Your Ultimate Guide to Effective IELTS Writing
Cohesive devices in IELTS, coherence and cohesion
How to Use Cohesive Devices Correctly [for IELTS Writing]
Cohesive devices

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Using Appropriate Cohesive Devices || GRADE 8 || MELC-based VIDEO LESSON
Band 7+ Transitional Phrases for an IELTS Essay
COHESIVE DEVICES|| Simple Explanation|| Use appropriate cohesive devices in various types of speech
Cohesive Devices
An Introduction to Cohesion in Academic Writing
Coherence and Cohesion in Academic Writing

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How to Use Cohesive Devices Correctly [for IELTS Writing]
Let's now look at some problems people face with cohesive devices in IELTS essays. Overusing Cohesive Devices. ... Cohesive Device Examples. Finally, let's look at a list of cohesive devices, divided by type. This is not an exhaustive list, of course. It is just a small sample of the vast array of cohesive devices that exist.
Cohesive Devices in IELTS Writing
This sample IELTS essay shows how cohesive devices can be used to logically link ideas and improve coherence: Some people think sports help society, while others argue they are a waste of time. In my opinion , sports offer benefits like health, socializing, and stress relief but they can also lead to injuries and obsession in some cases.
PDF Examples of Cohesive Devices
The key to effective coherence is planning - spending a few minutes planning your IELTS writing highly recommended. Consider this example of organising ideas: Paragraphs give structure to a piece of writing. Express one idea or set of ideas in each paragraph. Sum that theme in the first sentence of each paragraph - these become topic sentences.
Cohesion and Coherence In Essays
They communicate a meaningful message to a specific audience and maintain pertinence to the main focus. In a coherent essay, the sentences and ideas flow smoothly and, as a result, the reader can follow the ideas developed without any issues. To achieve coherence in an essay, writers use lexical and grammatical cohesive devices.
Essay writing
Coherence in a piece of writing means that the reader can easily understand it. Coherence is about making everything flow smoothly. The reader can see that everything is logically arranged and connected, and relevance to the central focus of the essay is maintained throughout. Two key aspects of coherence. Cohesion: This relates to the linking ...
Cohesive Devices: Your Ultimate Guide to Effective IELTS Writing
Cohesive devices, sometimes called linking words, linkers, connectors, discourse markers or transitional words, are one of the most misunderstood and misused parts of IELTS Writing. Cohesive devices are words like ' For example ', ' In conclusion ', ' however ' and ' moreover '. Together with coherence, cohesion provides 25% of ...
How to write a cohesive essay
3. Make sure everything is connected. In connection to the previous point, make sure that each section of your essay is linked to the one after it. Think of your essay as a story: it should have a beginning, middle, and end, and the way that you write your piece should logically tie these elements together in a linear manner. 4.
IELTS Cohesion: how to improve your IELTS essays
Cohesion is the way you connect paragraphs and sentences together in your essay. Together with coherence, cohesion makes up 25% of the mark in both Writing Task 1 and Task 2. ... This article will look at some examples of cohesive devices, how you should use them and what IELTS examiners want when assessing cohesion in an IELTS essay. But first ...
How to score higher with cohesive devices in IELTS Writing
T his type of essay question where we are asked to discuss advantages and disadvantages may be a great opportunity to show off our range of cohesive devices.. Examiner's comments. The examiner mentions that in the sample essay, "cohesive devices are used rather mechanically" and looking through the essay, it is clear that, although the test taker does connect a few ideas together with ...
IELTS Cohesive Devices: The Complete Guide
Cohesive devices ensure that your essay has a flow and is readable. Following are few cohesive devices that make your writing shine! Logical Sequencing. Whenever you are listing something, use words like "firstly, secondly," etc. Sufficient use of linking words/discourse markers. Linking words like "therefore", "nevertheless ...
How To Use Cohesive Devices? IELTS writing task 2
Examples. In the writing task 2 marking criteria for a band score of 7, it states - ' uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use'. This means that the student understands how to use cohesive devices but is using too many (in nearly every sentence) or too few. Many students who receive a band ...
Transition Words for IELTS Writing (Tasks 1 and 2) Connectors
Cohesive devices, also known as transition words or linking expressions, act as signposting language for your reader and let them know what is coming next. For example, ' and ' signals that you are going to make an additional point, whereas ' but ' signposts a contrasting idea. You can use cohesive devices to link ideas within a ...
Cohesion & coherence
Some examples of transition signals are: ... Aktas, R.N. and Cortes, V. (2008), 'Shell nouns as cohesive devices in published and ESL student writing', Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 7 (2008) ... Below is a checklist for essay cohesion and coherence. Use it to check your own writing, or get a peer (another student) to help you.
Cohesive Devices for IELTS Task 1 (& More)
To get a high score, you must use cohesive devices for IELTS Task 1 essays, but if you use too many or use them incorrectly, that will reduce your score. To make sure you're using them correctly, you must first learn the appropriate range of cohesive devices ( see list below) and also make sure that you can use them accurately.
Cohesive devices
Cohesive devices. When we read a piece of writing, we need to pay attention to how the various sentences are related to each other. Sometimes this relationship is apparent through the logical development of ideas. Sometimes it is clear from the use of pronouns or the repetition of words or the use of synonyms.
Cohesive Devices
Dec 6, 2023. Cohesive devices are also known as transitional words, connectors, or linking words. Cohesive devices are words, phrases, or techniques used to connect ideas and create coherence in ...
A Guide to Cohesive Devices
A Guide to Cohesive Devices. Six Tools to Create Cohesion & Coherence. Reference, substitution, cohesive nouns, ellipsis, lexical chains, conjunction . . . Obscure names for processes common in everyday speech and indispensable for good writing. Simply explained, with examples. When we write an essay, there are several points we want to make ...
Creating Cohesive and Coherent Paragraphs
Cohesive Writing Connects Topic and Stress: Sentences are cohesive when the stress of one sentence is used as the topic of the next. Below, the first example reads like a list of facts. The ideas are related but the sentences don't connect. The second example connects the topics and stress which creates a sense of flow.
What are Cohesive Devices and how do they affect comprehension?
Mary was late because she took the bus. Cohesive devices affect comprehension because they help readers integrate information between sentences in a text. The pronoun, synonym, or transition word is tied to a previous word, phrase or clause (the antecedent ). Many students, even skilled readers, never consciously think about authors' use of ...
Cohesive Devices
We use cohesive devices to link sentences, paragraphs or any pieces of text. In other words, cohesive devices make our content coherent. Overusing cohesive devices or not using them enough might affect the reader negatively. Also see: Connectives List. Conjunctions.
Types of Cohesive Devices
Types of Cohesive Devices. Cohesive devices are sometimes called linking words, linkers, connectors, discourse markers, or transitional words. Cohesive Devices are words or phrases that show the relationship between paragraphs or sections of a text or speech. Cohesive devices are words like ' For example, ' In conclusion, ' however ...
PDF Cohesive Devices in Written Discourse: A Discourse Analysis of a
(MELAB Sample essays and commentary, 2013) Following Halliday and Hasan's (1976) theory of cohesion, the text will be put to test by analysing the cohesive devices previously mentioned. 3.2 Data Analysis 3.2.1 Grammatical Cohesive Devices 3.2.1.1 Reference The essay analysis shows that the test taker used a variety of references.
Cohesive Devices ENGLISH NOTES FOR ESSAY
Cohesive devices. These are some important and common cohesive devices: Cohesive devices Function Example. Firstly, secondly, first, second, finally, lastly, for one thing, to begin with, next. To show the logical order of ideas or time sequence. Firstly, the Internet plays an important role in the world of communication.

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How to Use Cohesive Devices Correctly [for IELTS Writing]

What are Cohesive Devices?

How to Use Cohesive Devices

Problems with Cohesive Devices in IELTS Essays

Overusing Cohesive Devices

Picking the Wrong Cohesive Device

Altering the Form of Cohesive Devices

Informal or Outdated Devices

Confusing Types of Cohesive Devices

Most Common Cohesive Devices

Cohesive Device Examples

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Cohesive Devices in IELTS Writing – Types, Tips, and Examples

What Are Cohesive Devices?

Types of Cohesive Devices

Examples of Cohesive Devices

Tips for Using Cohesive Devices

Why Coherence and Cohesion Matter in IELTS Writing?

Example Essay Using Cohesive Devices

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Cohesion and Coherence In Essays

Table Of Contents

Definitions Cohesion And Coherence

What Is Coherence?

What Is Cohesion?

How To Achieve Cohesion And Coherence In Essay Writing?

Lexical Cohesion

Grammatical Cohesion

Substitutions

Conjunctions transition words

Cohesive But Not Coherent Texts

How To Write A Coherent Essay?

2. Structure Your Essay

3. Structure Your Paragraphs

4. Relevance To The Main Topic

5. Stick To The Purpose Of The Type Of Essay You”Re-Writing

6. Use Cohesive Devices And Signposting Phrases

What is signposting in writing?

Essay signposting phrases

7. Draft, Revise, And Edit

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Free English Grammar Lessons and Exercises

Latest Blog Posts

Achieving coherence

Transitions

So, how does repetition as a cohesive device work?

Pronoun + Repetition of key noun

Test yourself: How well do you understand transitions?

Using transitions/logical organisers

Using transitions

Overusing transitions

Identifying cohesive devices

Cohesive Devices: Your Ultimate Guide to Effective IELTS Writing

What are cohesive devices?

Overusing Cohesive Devices

Meaning and Grammar

How to Improve

About Christopher Pell

British Council Malaysia

How to write a cohesive essay

1. Identify the thesis statement of your essay

2. Create an outline

3. Make sure everything is connected

 IELTS Cohesion: what is good cohesion?