essay using coherent devices

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

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

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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.

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Collaboration, information literacy, writing process, coherence – how to achieve coherence in writing.

Coherence refers to a style of writing where ideas, themes, and language connect logically, consistently, and clearly to guide the reader's understanding. By mastering coherence , alongside flow , inclusiveness , simplicity, and unity , you'll be well-equipped to craft professional or academic pieces that engage and inform effectively. Acquire the skills to instill coherence in your work and discern it in the writings of others.

What is Coherence?

Coherence in writing refers to the logical connections and consistency that hold a text together, making it understandable and meaningful to the reader. Writers create coherence in three ways:

logical consistency
conceptual consistency
linguistic consistency.

What is Logical Consistency?

For instance, if they argue, “If it rains, the ground gets wet,” and later state, “It’s raining but the ground isn’t wet,” without additional explanation, this represents a logical inconsistency.

What is Conceptual Consistency?

For example, if you are writing an essay arguing that regular exercise has multiple benefits for mental health, each paragraph should introduce and discuss a different benefit of exercise, all contributing to your main argument. Including a paragraph discussing the nutritional value of various foods, while interesting, would break the conceptual consistency, as it doesn’t directly relate to the benefits of exercise for mental health.

What is Linguistic Consistency?

For example, if a writer jumps erratically between different tenses or switches point of view without clear demarcation, the reader might find it hard to follow the narrative, leading to a lack of linguistic coherence.

Related Concepts: Flow ; Given to New Contract ; Grammar ; Organization ; Organizational Structures ; Organizational Patterns ; Sentence Errors

Why Does Coherence Matter?

Coherence is crucial in writing as it ensures that the text is understandable and that the ideas flow logically from one to the next. When writing is coherent, readers can easily follow the progression of ideas, making the content more engaging and easier to comprehend. Coherence connects the dots for the reader, linking concepts, arguments, and details in a clear, logical manner.

Without coherence, even the most interesting or groundbreaking ideas can become muddled and lose their impact. A coherent piece of writing keeps the reader’s attention, demonstrates the writer’s control over their subject matter, and can effectively persuade, inform, or entertain. Thus, coherence contributes significantly to the effectiveness of writing in achieving its intended purpose.

How Do Writers Create Coherence in Writing?

Your thesis statement serves as the guiding star of your paper. It sets the direction and focus, ensuring all subsequent points relate back to this central idea.
Acknowledge and address potential counterarguments to strengthen your position and add depth to your writing.
Use the genres and organizational patterns appropriate for your rhetorical situation . A deductive structure (general to specific) is often effective, guiding the reader logically through your argument. Yet different disciplines may privilege more inductive approaches , such as law and philosophy.
When following a given-to-new order, writers move from what the reader already knows to new information. In formal or persuasive contexts, writers are careful to vet new information for the reader following information literacy laws and conventions .
Strategic repetition of crucial terms and your thesis helps your readers follow your main ideas and evidence for claims
While repetition is useful, varying language with synonyms can prevent redundancy and keep the reader engaged.
Parallelism in sentences can provide rhythm and clarity, making complex ideas easier to follow.
Consistent use of pronouns avoids confusion and helps in maintaining a clear line of thought.
Arrange your ideas in a sequence that naturally builds from one point to the next, ensuring each paragraph flows smoothly into the next .
Signposting , or using phrases that indicate what’s coming next or what just happened, can help orient the reader within your argument.
Don’t bother repeating your argument in your conclusion. Prioritize conciseness. Yet end with a call to action or appeal to kairos and ethos .

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Cohesion and Coherence

A well-organized paper uses techniques to build cohesion and coherence between and within paragraphs to guide the reader through the paper by connecting ideas, building details, and strengthening the argument. Although transitions are the most obvious way to display the relationship between ideas, consider some of the following techniques and their examples:

Repetition of key terms/concepts/phrases

Repeating key terms/concepts/phrases will help readers follow the main threads of the paper. The key terms/concepts/phrases strengthen the organization and make the paper easier to follow, no matter how complex the material.

Inhabiting the space between the personal and the global can be quite difficult for any writer, yet Myung Mi Kim does it in her book Commons. Fragments mix with complete sentences and her voice mingles with collage text while silence and space surrounds it all. The spaces between lines and around the edges of the pages invite the reader into her text to discover and explore the multiple readings and meanings.

Using synonyms is similar to repeating key terms/concepts/phrases, except with more diversity in word choice. They not only help hold the paper together, but they also add variety to the paper.

She interrogates the diagrams extensively; however, she does not address the other visual images, specifically the photographs, with as much attention. The pictures comprise the majority of the visual images in Dictee, yet she glosses over them in a couple of sentences.

Sentence Patterns

Repeating and/or using parallel sentence structures can help readers digest complicated ideas and follow the progression of ideas.

Sterne embodies the tension between fact and fiction by complicating the biography and/or autobiography. Cha embodies this tension as well in her “autobiography.”

Using pronouns, he, she, it, they, those, this, these, can be useful when referring back to something previously mentioned in the paper. However, take care to include a referent if necessary for clarity.

He involves his students in framing the conversation that takes place in the classroom. This framing is based on the idea of reading and writing as conversation

Familiar information first, new information last

Presenting familiar terms or information first allows the ideas to build and makes it easier for the reader to follow. It helps lay the foundation for more complex or new ideas.

While the Eighteenth Century is known for its rich Augustan tradition and its novels of sensibility and the gothic, writers did experiment with the blossoming form of the novel.

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How to Maintain Coherence in Writing: Expert Tips

Coherence is the logical organization of ideas in a writing, ensuring that the writing flows smoothly and is easy for readers to follow. As an English teacher with years of experience, I’ve seen many students struggle with maintaining coherence in their writing. Therefore, in this post, I’ll share my expert tips on maintaining coherence in writing, with clear examples and explanations.

To maintain coherence in writing, you must organize your ideas logically and consistently and use different cohesive devices. These devices connect different parts of your writing and create a sense of continuity, helping to establish the logical flow of your writing.

You may try Fifty Ways to Practice Writing: Tips for ESL/EFL Students to practice and improve writing with pen and paper and typing. By applying these methods, you will write more, write faster, and write more correct and more interesting papers and letters.

Now, let’s see how you can ensure coherence in your writing. The following tips apply to any writing. However, before I share the tips, let’s learn the importance of coherence.

Understand the importance of coherence, use clear and concise topic sentences, organize your ideas logically, #2 conjunctions, 1) addition transitions, 2) contrast transitions, 3) time transitions, 4) cause and effect transitions, #4 repetition, #5 references, use parallel structure, in conclusion.

Understanding the importance of coherence is crucial for effective communication in writing. Incoherent writing can cause confusion and frustration as well as it may discredit the writer’s message. Well! Now, let’s see the importance of coherence.

Coherence ensures the clarity and understandability of your writing. Logical and sequential ideas help readers follow your argument, understand the main points, and draw their own conclusions.
Coherence can also help you to make your writing more persuasive. If ideas are presented logically and connected, readers are more likely to be convinced by your argument.
Coherence can enhance your credibility as a writer too. Coherent writing shows that you’ve carefully considered the topic, organized your ideas, and effectively communicated your message.
Coherence can help you to engage readers to its best. By coherent writing, they stay engaged and interested in the topic.

Now let me share some tips you should follow to ensure coherence in your writing. I believe these tips can best help you to master your English writing skills .

Clear and concise topic sentences are essential for coherence in writing as they provide a roadmap for readers. They state the paragraph’s focus, help readers understand it easily, and anticipate the writer’s points. Well-written topic sentences also can establish the logical flow of writing, while unclear or ambiguous ones can confuse the reader and disrupt the main ideas.

In addition to maintaining coherence, clear and concise topic sentences can also help to improve the overall quality of the writing. For example, when you have a clear idea of the main point you want to make in each paragraph, you can better develop your ideas and provide evidence to support your arguments.

Logically organizing your ideas makes sense to the reader. To maintain coherence in your writing, consider organizing your thoughts chronologically, by importance, or by a specific pattern.

Suppose you’re writing a descriptive essay about your favorite place . In this case, maintaining coherence would involve arranging your description logically and sequentially. For instance, you might start by describing the place’s location, then move on to its physical features, such as the landscape, buildings, or landmarks.

From there, you could go on to describe the atmosphere and any activities or experiences you associate with the place. By coherently organizing your description, your reader can visualize the place and feel its emotions.

Use Different Cohesive Devices

Cohesive devices are words or phrases that connect different parts of a piece of writing together and create a sense of coherence. Let’s see some common types of cohesive devices.

Pronouns are one of the most common types of cohesive devices used in writing. They refer back to a previously mentioned noun, helping to connect ideas and establish a sense of continuity in writing. Replacing the noun with a pronoun can avoid repeating the same word multiple times and make the writing more concise and readable.

For example, instead of writing,

“John went to the store. John bought some apples,”

the writer can use a pronoun to create a more cohesive sentence:

“John went to the store and bought some apples.”

The pronoun “he” refers to the previously mentioned noun “John,” connecting the two ideas and creating a smoother flow of writing.

Conjunctions are words that connect different parts of a sentence or multiple sentences. They help show the relationship between ideas and create a cohesive flow in writing. For instance, the conjunction “and” is used to add ideas to a sentence, while “but” is used to show a contrast. Similarly, “however” is a conjunction used to signal a transition between two ideas.

Proper use of conjunctions is crucial in maintaining the coherence and clarity of a piece of writing. They help structure ideas logically, making it easier for readers to follow along and understand the message. However, you should not overuse conjunctions, as this can lead to a repetitive or confusing flow of ideas.

Let’s see an example.

“John is smart, and he is also funny.”

Using the conjunction “and” here connects the two ideas and shows that John possesses both qualities. This creates a more cohesive and complete picture of John as a person.

#3 Transitions

Transitions are words or phrases connecting different parts of a sentence or multiple sentences. They help to establish a logical flow of writing by signaling to the reader how ideas are related and how they fit together. Several types of transitions include addition, contrast, time, and cause and effect.

Addition transitions, such as “in addition,” “moreover,” and “furthermore,” are used to connect ideas that add to or continue a previous point. These transitions signal to the reader that the writer is building upon a previous idea and help the reader follow the train of thought.

Contrast transitions, such as “however,” “nevertheless,” and “on the other hand,” are used to signal a contrast or a change in direction. They help create a clear separation between ideas and show their differences or differences.

Time transitions, such as “meanwhile,” “afterward,” and “previously,” are used to show the passage of time and connect ideas chronologically. These transitions help the reader understand the sequence of events or presented ideas.

Cause and effect transitions, such as “therefore,” “consequently,” and “as a result,” are used to show the relationship between ideas and how they lead to a particular outcome. They help to establish a clear cause-and-effect relationship between different ideas or events.

Repetition is a writing technique that involves repeating a word, phrase, or sentence structure to reinforce an idea or create a particular effect. By repeating certain words or phrases, writers can emphasize key points, establish a rhythm, and make their writing more memorable for readers.

For instance, consider the famous opening line of Charles Dickens’s novel, “A Tale of Two Cities”: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The repetition of the phrase “it was the” creates a sense of symmetry and balance while highlighting the contrasting nature of the times that Dickens describes.

While repetition can be a powerful tool in writing, it’s essential to use it carefully. Overusing repetition can make writing appear tedious and repetitive. Effective writing balances repetition with other cohesive devices, such as transitions and variations in sentence structure, to create a varied and engaging flow.

References connect ideas by referring back to an earlier part of writing, such as a sentence or paragraph. By using connections effectively, you can create a clear and logical structure for your writing, making it easier for readers to follow along and understand their arguments or ideas. This is especially important in longer pieces of writing, such as essays, research papers, or even books, where there may be much information to convey.

For instance, in a paragraph about the benefits of coffee, a writer might say, “As previously mentioned, coffee can help improve focus and mental clarity.” Likewise, by using references, writers can maintain coherence and help readers follow the flow of ideas.

So, by using these cohesive devices effectively, you can create clear, organized, and effective writing that engages and informs the reader.

Parallelism is a writing technique that involves using the same grammatical structure for similar ideas. This creates consistency and clarity in writing, making it easier for readers to understand the relationships between different ideas.

For example, consider this sentence:

“I like hiking, swimming, and biking.”

The parallel structure of this sentence means that each activity is presented in the same grammatical format, using the same verb form and tense. This creates a clear and consistent pattern, making it easier for the reader to understand the list of activities.

Parallelism can be used in many different ways in writing. For instance, it can be used to create lists of items, as in the example above. It can also be used to develop a sense of balance and symmetry in a sentence, as in the famous quote from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

Maintaining coherence in writing is essential for creating effective and engaging written work. Using the above-mentioned cohesive devices, you can connect ideas to maintain coherence throughout your writing.

Whether you are writing a short story, a research paper, or a business report, it is important to use these techniques appropriately and consistently to ensure that your writing is clear, effective, and easy to understand. By following these expert tips for maintaining coherence in writing, I believe you can produce engaging, persuasive, and impactful writing.

Thanks for reading.

Happy learning.

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The ancient Egyptians were masters of preserving dead people's bodies by making mummies of them. In short , mummification consisted of removing the internal organs, applying natural preservatives inside and out, and then wrapping the body in layers of bandages. And the process was remarkably effective. Indeed , mummies several thousand years old have been discovered nearly intact. Their skin, hair, teeth, fingernails and toenails, and facial features are still evident. Their diseases in life, such as smallpox, arthritis, and nutritional deficiencies, are still diagnosable . Even their fatal afflictions are still apparent : a middle-aged king died from a blow on the head; a child king died from polio.

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Coherence devices in IELTS test essays

We are going to talk about Coherence devices in IELTS test essays, IELTS writing. We’ve already talked about IELTS test scores in separate articles. One of the criteria we mentioned was Coherence important in both speaking and writing IELTS.

We have said that the concept of coherence is that the English sentences of a paragraph or of a speech must be perfectly coherent and logical.

Now we want to answer the question:

What devices can we use to create coherence in English essays in the IELTS test ?

Textual coherence theory:

In 1976, Halliday and Hasan published the book “Coherence in English”, which is a turning point in the theory of text coherence. We present some practical points here based on this theory.

There are five types of coherence devices in English that using a combination of all of them in the essays of IELTS test is recommended. We have classified them under the three major categories:

1. Grammatical coherence devices

English grammatical coherence includes reference, substitution, and omission.

References occur when the reader or listener wants to retrieve previous content by referring. For example, when a pronoun is used to refer to a noun phrase.

Micheal is preparing himself for IELTS. He is working on IELTS writing as it seems to be a bit difficult for him.

In the example above, the pronouns including he, it and him connect these to two separate sentences to each other.

Substitution is a relationship in which a kind of counting tool is used instead of repeating a particular element.

I don’t know the meaning of half those long words, and, what’s more, I don’t believe you do either.

In cases where omission occurs, there is actually a structural gap that needs to be filled by referring to a related structure in the immediate text. For Example:

Have you been swimming? Yes, I have.

Note that in IELTS writing, coherence and cohesion are one of the four marking criteria. To tie the ideas and sentences one another, you need to know how to make the best use of these devices.

2. Lexical coherence devices:

Lexical coherence is the devices you can take advantage of in IELTS test essays to create coherence through multiple ways of using words.

Vocabulary coherence in English is the coherence that is achieved either through the choice of words or through the collocation of words.

Some cases that are repetitive include repeating the same particular word, using a synonymous or contradictory word, or using a metaphorical word.

Example: “ascent” is repeated because of “climb”:

I turned to the ascent of the peak. The climb is perfectly easy.

Coherence is a type of relationship that can also result from the association of lexical elements with each other, collocation in other words.

The woman in the story gives birth to children that have the same appearance.

The two words give and birth in English are neither synonymous nor have the same reference. The type of relationship they have with each other is coherence that is called collocation.

Note that using collocations in IELTS writing not only helps you achieve coherence, but it also improves lexical resource of your essay, the other marking criterion.

3. Textual coherence devices

Conjunctions themselves are not cohesive, but indirectly they create coherence because they have specific meanings. They are divided into five categories: addition, contrast, reason, condition and time.

For the whole day, he climbed up the steep mountainside, almost without stopping. So by nighttime, the valley was far below him.

In this example, the word “so” is used. It is a sort of coherence devices that expresses the cause and effect between the two sentences. Depending on the purpose, you can choose correct coherence devices between the sentences and ideas in your IELTS test essays.

Proper use of these tools in IELTS writing will give you enough scores.

The abstract of the article:

In this article, we talked about the devices for creating Coherence in IELTS test essays, and we’ve covered that in detail. You can take a look at this article .

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Coherence in Writing

Coherence in writing is the quality that ensures a text flows logically and smoothly, making it easy for readers to understand the writer’s intended message.

Introduction: Coherence in Writing

Table of Contents

Coherence in writing is the quality that ensures a text flows logically and smoothly, making it easy for readers to understand the writer’s intended message. Achieving coherence involves creating clear connections between sentences and paragraphs, using transitional words and phrases to guide the reader through the text, and maintaining a consistent and well-organized structure.

This coherence is essential for effective communication in both academic and non-academic contexts, as it enables readers to follow the writer’s argument or narrative, enhancing comprehension and engagement with the text.

How to Create Coherence in Writing

Benefits of using coherence in writing.

Enhanced Clarity : Coherence in writing makes your text more understandable and ensures that readers can easily follow your ideas.
Improved Flow : Coherent writing leads to smoother transitions between sentences and paragraphs, resulting in a more enjoyable reading experience.
Effective Communication : Coherence helps you convey your message effectively, ensuring that your intended meaning is accurately and clearly delivered to the reader.
Engaged Audience : When writing is coherent, readers are more likely to stay engaged, as they can focus on the content rather than deciphering the structure.
Credibility : Coherent writing reflects professionalism and credibility, enhancing your reputation as a writer or communicator.
Logical Structure : A coherent structure aids in organizing information logically, which is crucial for essays, reports, and academic papers.
Supports Argumentation : Coherence is vital in persuasive writing, as it helps build a compelling argument by presenting ideas in a logical sequence.
Efficient Proofreading : Coherent writing is easier to proofread and edit because it follows a clear structure, making it simpler to identify and correct errors.
Reader’s Trust : Coherent writing builds trust with the reader, demonstrating that you have taken care in presenting your ideas.
Professionalism : Coherence is a hallmark of professional writing, whether it’s in business communication, academic papers, or creative works.

Coherence in Literary Theories

Structuralism and Formalism : These theories focus on the inherent structure of a text. Coherence is critical in maintaining the consistency and integrity of a text’s structure, as it helps in identifying patterns and relationships among elements in the narrative.
Reader-Response Theory : Coherence can influence readers’ interpretations of a text. A well-structured and coherent narrative is more likely to elicit the intended responses from readers, while a lack of coherence can lead to confusion or misinterpretation.
Narrative Theory : Narrative coherence is a fundamental aspect of narrative theory. Coherence in storytelling ensures that the plot and events are logically connected, contributing to the overall effectiveness of the narrative.
Post-Structuralism and Deconstruction : While these theories often challenge traditional notions of coherence, they do so by deconstructing and reevaluating how coherence is achieved or subverted in texts. Understanding coherence is crucial for deconstructive analysis.
Feminist and Gender Studies : Coherence can be examined in terms of how gender roles and expectations influence the portrayal of characters and the development of plot in literary works, contributing to the analysis of gender representation.
Cultural and Historical Contexts : In literary analysis that considers the cultural and historical contexts of a work, coherence helps in understanding how the text aligns with or challenges prevailing social norms and expectations.
Psychoanalytic Theory : Coherence in character development and psychological aspects of the narrative is integral to psychoanalytic interpretations, as it helps uncover hidden meanings and motivations in the text.
Marxist Criticism : Coherence can be explored in relation to social and economic aspects of the text, helping to analyze how the narrative reflects class structures and power dynamics.
Postcolonial and Global Studies : Coherence may be relevant when considering how colonialism or globalization affects the narrative and the interconnectedness of different cultures and societies.
Ecocriticism : Coherence can be applied to ecological themes within a text, examining how the representation of nature and the environment aligns with or challenges prevailing ecological concerns and values.

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 .

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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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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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Which key cohesive devices improve coherence?

This is the third and final chapter about Cohesive Devices . To complete this reader, read each chapter carefully and then unlock and complete our materials to check your understanding.

– Review the eight lexical and grammatical cohesive strategies which are useful in academic writing

– Explore the twelve cohesive functions of conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs

– Complete the lesson worksheets to check knowledge and improve comprehension

Chapter 1: Can lexical cohesion improve academic writing?

Chapter 2: What are the four types of grammatical cohesion?

Chapter 3: Which key cohesive devices improve coherence?

Before you begin reading...

video and audio texts
knowledge checks and quizzes
skills practices, tasks and assignments

This is the third and final chapter in our short reader on cohesive devices . In this reader, we’ve so far discussed how cohesion in a piece of writing refers to the micro features ( vocabulary and grammar ) that improve the coherence of a text. We’ve discussed how there are eight strategies for improving cohesion in academic writing, split into lexical and grammatical categories that when combined increase the flow, structure, signposting, logic and argumentation of an essay or dissertation .

Finally, we turn to the twelve conjunctive functions that improve an essay’s cohesion through the expression of relationships between ideas, such as contrast , exemplification and sequence . Memorise these words and phrases and use them accurately to improve your grades while studying at college or university. To check your understanding of this topic, don’t forget to unlock, download and complete our Chapter 1-3 Worksheets, particularly designed for non-native speakers of English.

What are the eight cohesive strategies?

To learn more about the eight strategies listed below that significantly improve cohesion in a piece of writing, return to Chapter 1 and 2 of this reader:

What are cohesive devices?

Most non-native speakers who are using English to complete a bachelor’s or master’s degree will no doubt have heard their English for academic purposes (EAP) tutor mention the term ‘cohesive device’. In short, such devices are the words or phrases that improve the cohesion of a piece of writing. This may include synonyms, antonyms and polysemes as well as some cohesive word types :

adverbs : however / therefore
articles : a / an / the
auxiliaries : be / do / have
conjunctions : and / because / so / while
demonstratives : this / that / these / those / such
pronouns : it / one / she / which
quantifiers : all / any / many / most / some

In this chapter, we focus specifically on the coordinate conjunctions, subordinate conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs and general adverbs that form relationships of comparison , contrast or similarity between words, phrases, clauses and sentences.

Function 1: Addition

additionally, again, also, and, besides, furthermore, in addition to, moreover, too

Besides air pollution, microplastics are an additional cause of increased cancer.
This belief is in addition to the perception that most students are lazy.

Function 2: Comparison

also, as though, equally, just as, likewise, in comparison, similarly, while

Air pollution is just as damaging to a person’s health as smoking.
In comparison to in-class learners, online students are more independent.

Function 3: Contrast

conversely, however, in contrast, instead, nevertheless, on the contrary, whereas

Most people know that smoking is unhealthy; however , new smokers are still on the increase.
Instead of learning to drive, many people are opting to use Uber or Didi to get to work.

Function 4: Concession

although, even though, granted that, of course, naturally, regardless, though

Although some positives to online learning do exist, the negatives are far more salient.
Regardless of whether cancer rates are on the decline, this is still an important issue.

Function 5: Exemplification

for example, for instance, including, notably, specifically, such as, to illustrate

There are many types of sentence structure such as compound and complex.
There are various symptoms of malaria, including fever and headaches.

Function 6: Result

accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, due to, hence, so, therefore, thus

As a result of increased tuition fees, many subjects in the arts are seeing reduced enrolment.
This decrease in teenage pregnancy may be due to an increase in the use of technology.

Function 7: Reformulation

basically, briefly, in other words, put simply, rather, that is to say

Put simply , there is no greater threat to human health today than air pollution.
This issue is more complex than thought. That is to say , government intervention is required.

Function 8: Replacement

alternatively, again, better still, instead, on the other hand

On the other hand , governments could improve their policies with more allocation of funding.
Instead of focussing on the causes, it may be better at this stage to target the solutions.

Function 9: Sequence

after, first, finally, more important, next, on top of that, second, since, then

After boiling the solution for ten minutes, the beaker was placed into frigid ice water.
Finally , the situation was resolved through media reporting and government intervention.

Function 10: Similarity

also, comparatively, concurrently, equally, just as, likewise, similarly, so too

Smoking is equally as harmful as commuting in some of the most polluted parts of India.
Just as online learning is increasing in popularity, so too is digital access to materials.

Function 11: Summary

basically, in all, in brief, in conclusion, on the whole, therefore, to summarise

What this evidence therefore shows is that more attention needs to be given to this issue.
In conclusion , this essay has evaluated the theory using a number of key criteria.

Function 12: Transition

as far as X is concerned, concerning, incidentally, now, turning to, with regard to,

With regard to the second issue in our talk today, there are three factors I wish to discuss.
Turning to our second solution, we can see that government policies are of critical importance.

To reference this reader:

Academic Marker (2022) Cohesive Devices. Available at: https://academicmarker.com/academic-guidance/vocabulary/cohesive-devices/ (Accessed: Date Month Year).

EAP Foundation
RMIT Learning Lab
The University of Melbourne

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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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ACADEMIC WRITING Scoring Rubric (weighted) adapted from MELAB (L. Hamp-Lyons, 1992)

COMMENTS

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 ...
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.
Coherence
Linguistic coherence refers to the clear and logical arrangement of words, phrases, and sentences in a piece of writing to ensure the message is understood as intended. It involves the use of grammatically correct sentences, appropriate use of conjunctions, pronouns and transitional phrases, correct sequencing of ideas, and maintaining the same ...
The Writing Center
Cohesion and Coherence. A well-organized paper uses techniques to build cohesion and coherence between and within paragraphs to guide the reader through the paper by connecting ideas, building details, and strengthening the argument. Although transitions are the most obvious way to display the relationship between ideas, consider some of the ...
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.
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.
Exploring new insights into the role of cohesive devices in written
Abstract. This study examined the use of cohesive features in 270 narrative and argumentative essays produced by 45 s language (L2) students over a semester-long writing course. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the ability of the computational indices of cohesion (TAACO) variables to predict human ratings of essay ...
Coherence And Cohesion: Writing Tips For Seamless Texts
It involves using linguistic devices, like pronouns and sentence structure, to create clear relationships between ideas and sentences. ... Checklist For Essay Coherence And Cohesiveness. When crafting an essay, ensuring that it has both coherence and cohesion is paramount to engage your audience and effectively convey your message. Follow this ...
How to Maintain Coherence in Writing: Expert Tips
Coherence ensures the clarity and understandability of your writing. Logical and sequential ideas help readers follow your argument, understand the main points, and draw their own conclusions. Coherence can also help you to make your writing more persuasive. If ideas are presented logically and connected, readers are more likely to be convinced ...
Coherence: Transitions between Ideas
The paragraph is now much more coherent. The organization of the information and the links between sentences help readers move easily from one sentence to the next. Notice how this writer uses a variety of coherence devices, sometimes in combination, to achieve overall paragraph coherence.
Coherence devices in IELTS test essays
There are five types of coherence devices in English that using a combination of all of them in the essays of IELTS test is recommended. We have classified them under the three major categories: 1. Grammatical coherence devices. English grammatical coherence includes reference, substitution, and omission. References occur when the reader or ...
Coherence in Writing
Benefits of Using Coherence in Writing. Enhanced Clarity: Coherence in writing makes your text more understandable and ensures that readers can easily follow your ideas.; Improved Flow: Coherent writing leads to smoother transitions between sentences and paragraphs, resulting in a more enjoyable reading experience.; Effective Communication: Coherence helps you convey your message effectively ...
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 Use Cohesive Devices Correctly [for IELTS Writing]
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:
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 ...
PDF Cohesive Devices used in Students' Argumentative Essay ...
cohesive devices when composing an argumentative text to be coherent. METHOD The data for this study were taken from the results of 10 (ten) written documents
Which key cohesive devices improve coherence?
In short, such devices are the words or phrases that improve the cohesion of a piece of writing. This may include synonyms, antonyms and polysemes as well as some cohesive word types: adverbs: however / therefore. articles: a / an / the. auxiliaries: be / do / have. conjunctions: and / because / so / while.
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 ...
(PDF) Cohesive Devices used in Students' Argumentative Essay; A
Based on the analysis, three types of cohesive devices are analyzed and found in this. study they are reference, substitution, an d conjunction. The frequency of the types and the. errors of using ...
Exploring new insights into the role of cohesive devices in written
This study examined the use of cohesive features in 270 narrative and argumentative essays produced by 45 s language (L2) students over a semester-long writing course. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the ability of the computational indices of cohesion (TAACO) variables to predict human ratings of essay quality, recognize any differences in the use of cohesive devices ...
Essay Scoring Rubric
good control of cohesive devices (key words, pronouns, references, transitions, etc.) used successfully in a range of situations; coherence apparent. mastery of sentence patterns demonstrated; may have occasional grammatical errors on the sentence level (e.g. possessives, word deletions; 1-2 run-on sentences or fragments)
PDF EFL Students' Coherence Skill in Writing: A Case Study of Third ...
The present study examined coherence in English essays written by 46 female Saudi EFL third year at Unaizah College of Sciences and Arts, Qassim University. ... Aguieb and Bouaziz (2017) investigate students' problems in using coherent and cohesive devices from a discourse analysis perspective. The corpus of their study consists of 23 ...
(PDF) Cohesive Devices Used in Argumentative Essays by ...
This study analyzes qualitatively cohesive devices to investigate EFL learners. It aims at examining how EFL learners apply cohesive devices in argumentative essays, the frequencies of cohesive ...

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

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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Table of Contents

What is Coherence?

What is Logical Consistency?

What is Conceptual Consistency?

What is Linguistic Consistency?

Why Does Coherence Matter?

How Do Writers Create Coherence in Writing?

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Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

Suggested Edits

Other Topics:

Citation - Definition - Introduction to Citation in Academic & Professional Writing

Collaboration - What is the Role of Collaboration in Academic & Professional Writing?

Information Literacy - Discerning Quality Information from Noise

Rhetoric: Exploring Its Definition and Impact on Modern Communication

The Writing Process - Research on Composing

Writing Studies

Featured Articles

Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

Professional Writing – How to Write for the Professional World

Authority – How to Establish Credibility in Speech & Writing

Cohesion and Coherence

Repetition of key terms/concepts/phrases

Sentence Patterns

Familiar information first, new information last

How to Maintain Coherence in Writing: Expert Tips

Table of Contents

Use Different Cohesive Devices

#3 Transitions

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Niaj A A Khan

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IELTS Writing Skills Test

Coherence devices in IELTS test essays

Textual coherence theory:

1. Grammatical coherence devices

2. Lexical coherence devices:

3. Textual coherence devices