Coherence and Cohesion in IELTS Writing

Be it the IELTS academic or general exam, in the writing module, 25% of the scores are dedicated to a criterion called, “Coherence and cohesion.” Similar to task achievement, grammatical range, and lexical resources, this also has to be achieved to get your desired band. So what actually is coherence and cohesion in IELTS writing?

Coherence refers to the connection of ideas in the whole essay, whereas cohesion or using cohesive/linking devices refers to the connection of ideas within a sentence. From this, it can be understood that scoring the 25% in coherence and cohesion would require having your ideas put logically into paragraphs and having your sentences flow together in an intuitive way. It is nothing but, the organisation of your ideas.

Having a closer look at coherence

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. The remainder of the paragraph can be supporting explanations, evidence, or examples. A simple recipe for effective paragraphs – IEE (Ideas, Explanations, Examples).

The key to effective coherence is planning – spending a few minutes planning your IELTS writing is highly recommended. Consider the following example of organising ideas.

Tip: Plan your whole essay BEFORE you start writing it.

The threat of nuclear weapons maintains world peace. Nuclear power provides cheap and clean energy. The benefits of nuclear technology far outweigh the disadvantages. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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How to use the Cohesive devices?

The first and foremost rule is to not overuse the cohesive devices or use them inappropriately – this could become confusing or irritating for the reader. Also don’t always use linking words at the beginning of sentences – show more variety.

1. Telling the examiner what you are trying to explain. 

• (sequencing) Firstly, Secondly, Finally
• (contrasting) On the other hand, Whereas, Although, However.
• (giving your opinion) In my opinion, I strongly believe that, As far as I am concerned.
• (summing up) In conclusion, On the whole, To conclude.

2. Extending your main points to help strengthen your arguments. 

• Giving an example: for instance, for example, to illustrate this
• Explanations: in order to this, because of, due to
• Results: as a result, for this reason, consequently.
• Adding more ideas: Moreover, in addition, furthermore.

3. Avoiding repetition 

• Replacing or substituting the words such as it’ or ‘they’ or ‘this’ or ‘these’ or ‘the former, the latter’ if you have already used them in the previous sentence.
• Synonyms – to avoid repetition of words, using synonyms can help effectively.
• ‘- ing’ verbs (Present Participle) link sentences and make them longer, more complex and more sophisticated.

Understanding coherence and cohesion with the help of an essay

The following task 2 essay above is all about zoos. It has been separated into five logical paragraphs to get a clear picture of coherence and each paragraph tells the reader what the writer is trying to explain and how it is very easy to comprehend.

In recent years, the question of whether animals should be kept in zoos has become increasingly controversial. In my opinion, there is nothing cruel about animals being kept in captivity. In fact, there are a number of advantages which I will outline below.

First of all, I would argue that most animals are well looked after because there are strict regulations in place relating to animal welfare. Zoos are regularly inspected and the animals are cared for by experts and given food, shelter and medicine if they fall ill, so there is little evidence to suggest that animals are suffering.

A second reason in favour of zoos is that many animals are being hunted to extinction in the wild and others are dying out due to loss of habitat. Successful breeding and conservation programmes can ensure the survival of endangered animals such as pandas and polar bears so that they are protected for generations to come.

Finally, there are educational reasons for keeping animals in zoos. Children are able to see animals from all over the world up close and this helps encourage an interest in wildlife and a desire to protect animals in the future.

In this example, all of the words in red are the linkers:

• whereas
• Unfortunately
• Indeed
• but
• such as
• which
• thankfully
• because
• On balance,
• when
• because
• If
• they, this

So hopefully you can see the difference between those cohesive devices and the paragraphing and logic and organization needed for coherence. Learn more about IELTS Grammar with IELTSMaterial. Take a look at our IELTS Grammar Workbook written by IELTS exam experts to help students attain their dream band!