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

We look at:

* What are cohesive devices?

* How to score higher with cohesive devices

* How IELTS examiners score your cohesion

* The best ways to practise using cohesive devices

* Overuse and Underuse of Cohesive Devices

* Sample Task 2 Essay Question

* Sample answer with examiner’s comments on the use of cohesive devices

What are cohesive devices?

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

How IELTS examiners score your cohesion

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

Band 9:  “uses cohesion in such a way that it attracts no attention”

Band 8: “manages all aspects of cohesion well”

Band 7: “uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately” but that there “may be some over or under use”

Band 6: “cohesive devices are used “effectively”, cohesion within and/or between sentences may be “faulty or mechanical”

Band 5: “there may be repetitions or lack of referencing or substitution”

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

Overuse and Underuse of Cohesive Devices

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

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

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

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

 

Sample Task 2 Essay Question with examiner’s comments

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

Here’s the essay title:

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

Examiner’s comments

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