Purpose
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to apply cohesive devices that connect ideas clearly, while avoiding detectable template language.Lesson Explanation
This final lesson of Part 5 addresses coherence and cohesion – a scoring criterion genuinely distinct from the grammar and vocabulary range covered in the previous lesson, since a response can be grammatically accurate and lexically varied while still reading as disconnected or hard to follow. COHESIVE DEVICES are the specific tools that link ideas together clearly: linking words (the “logical-relationship vocabulary” from Part 2, Lesson 5, reused throughout the Write an Email and Academic Discussion tasks), pronoun reference (using “it,” “this,” or “these” clearly to refer back to something already mentioned, rather than ambiguously), and substitution (using a synonym or general term to avoid clumsy repetition, connecting directly to the vocabulary-variety principle from the previous lesson). A genuinely important caution, though: overusing linking words mechanically (starting every single sentence with “Furthermore,” “Moreover,” or “In addition”) is itself a scoring weakness, not a strength – examiners and automated raters alike specifically look for cohesion that feels NATURAL rather than a checklist of connector words inserted for their own sake, echoing the previous lesson’s point about templated language being detectable and penalized. At the PARAGRAPH level – most relevant for Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion (Part 5, Lessons 3-4), since Build a Sentence operates at the single-sentence level – coherence means each paragraph has one clear main idea with supporting sentences that genuinely relate to it, rather than a paragraph that drifts across several unrelated points. A genuinely useful closing habit for this entire Part, tying together every lesson from Part 5, Lesson 1 onward: after finishing a practice response, read it once specifically checking ONLY for coherence and cohesion – ignoring grammar and vocabulary entirely for that pass – since checking for every scoring criterion simultaneously often means coherence problems get overlooked in favor of catching more obvious grammar errors; a dedicated cohesion-only review pass catches issues a combined review tends to miss, and this habit, combined with the recording-and-review habits from Part 4, forms a complete self-assessment routine spanning both Speaking and Writing.Practice Questions
1. Read this paragraph: “Furthermore, the study had a small sample size. Furthermore, it only examined one age group. Furthermore, the researchers did not control for outside factors. Furthermore, the results have not been replicated.” What problem does this paragraph illustrate?
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Mechanically overusing the same linking word (“furthermore”) repeatedly, which sounds unnatural rather than genuinely cohesive.2. Rewrite the paragraph above using varied, natural cohesive devices instead of repeating “furthermore.”
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“The study also had a small sample size and examined only one age group. In addition, the researchers did not control for outside factors, and the results have not yet been replicated.”3. What are “cohesive devices”?
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Specific tools that link ideas together clearly – linking words, pronoun reference, and substitution.4. In the sentence “The report was late. This delay affected the whole project,” what cohesive device links the two sentences?
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Pronoun/demonstrative reference – “this delay” refers back to the report being late.5. Why is overusing linking words mechanically considered a weakness, not a strength?
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Raters look for cohesion that feels natural, not a checklist of connector words inserted for their own sake.6. What does coherence mean at the paragraph level?
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Each paragraph has one clear main idea with supporting sentences that genuinely relate to it.7. Identify the problem in this paragraph: “The economy grew last year. My favorite color is blue. Growth was driven by exports.” What is incoherent here?
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The unrelated sentence about favorite color breaks the paragraph’s single main idea about economic growth.8. For which two Writing task types is paragraph-level coherence most relevant?
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Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion.9. Why is Build a Sentence excluded from paragraph-level coherence concerns?
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It operates at the single-sentence level, with no paragraph structure involved.10. What closing review habit is recommended for practice responses?
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A dedicated review pass checking only for coherence and cohesion, ignoring grammar and vocabulary during that pass.11. Why might a combined review (checking everything at once) miss coherence problems?
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Attention often goes toward catching more obvious grammar errors, letting coherence issues get overlooked.12. Rewrite using substitution to avoid repetition: “The new policy was controversial. The controversial policy caused public debate.” (avoiding repeating “controversial policy”)