Useful Cohesive Devices in IELTS Writing

Cohesive or linking Devices help to provide cohesion to your sentences and paragraphs. They are key to scoring high in Coherence and Cohesion in IELTS Writing. You must know how to use various cohesive devices adequately and appropriately.

There are different linking devices you can use in IELTS Writing.

Below is an example of a paragraph without linking devices

Parents can control what their children watch on TV through a number of ways. They can set parental restrictions on TV channels. They can create TV rules or timetables for their children. Subscriptions with restricted access to channels with ‘adult’ content can be done.

Below is a paragraph with linking devices. The linking devices are written in bold.

Parents can control what their children watch on TV through a number of ways. One way is to set parental restrictions on TV channels. They can also create TV rules or timetables for their children. Another option is to only subscribe for packages with restricted access to channels with ‘adult’ content.

Let's look at a list of cohesive devices you can use in your IELTS Writing.

1. When you are providing a list

SIMPLE COHESIVE DEVICES

• Firstly,
• Secondly,
• Thirdly,
• Fourthly,
• Another option
• Lastly/last but not the least.

ADVANCED COHESIVE DEVICES

• To start with/ To begin,
• Another case/situation,
• What is more?
• Also,
• To add to this/these,
• One other situation/One more situation,

2. When you are providing additional information to support a point.

• In addition,
• Additionally,
• Furthermore,
• Moreover,
• Not only, ….. but also

3. When you want to give an example

• For example,
• For instance,
• A good example of..
• such as
• Namely
• In other words

4. When you want to explain the consequence or result of an action or situation

• therefore,
• So,
• As a result,
• Consequently,
• Consequent upon this,
• For this reason
• Eventually,

5. When you want to give your opinion

• In my opinion,
• In my view,
• I think,
• I believe
• I admit
• I agree / I disagree
• To a large extent, I agree/disagree with
• To some extent, I agree/disagree with

6. When you want to begin an overview paragraph (Academic Writing Task 1)

• Overall,
• Generally,

7. When you want to begin an opposite point or to provide an exception to a rule as a concession

• However
• But
• Nevertheless
• Contrary to
• Even though
• Though
• Alternatively
• Another option to consider is
• By contrast
• In spite of
• Despite
• Still
• Yet

8. When you want to stress on a particular point

• In particular,
• Particularly
• Especially
• Specifically,
• Obviously

9. When you want to create a relationship
(very useful in beginning a body paragraph in writing task 1)

• In relation to
• In connection with
• As regards
• Regarding,
• In terms of,

10. When you want to conclude

• In conclusion
• To sum up,
• In summary,
• To conclude,
• As I close,

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