The linking-word trap
Coherence and Cohesion is the criterion candidates think they understand. Cohesion means linking words, so more linking words means a higher score. That is not what the descriptors say.
- Band 6 warns that cohesive devices may be used mechanically.
- Band 7 warns about both over-use and under-use.
An essay that opens every paragraph with Firstly, Moreover, Furthermore, In conclusion is not demonstrating cohesion. It is demonstrating a memorised frame — and mechanical, formulaic language is marked down here and elsewhere.
What actually creates flow: information order
Real cohesion is not glue between sentences. It is the order of information inside them. English readers expect a sentence to start with something they already know and end with something new. Chain that, and the text flows with almost no linking words at all.
Choppy — each sentence starts with new information:
Traffic congestion is a major problem. Cars are the main cause. Public transport is underfunded in many cities. Governments should invest more.
Flowing — each sentence starts from where the last one ended:
Traffic congestion is a major problem in most large cities. The main cause is private cars, which carry few people but take up a great deal of road space. That space could be used far more efficiently by buses and trams — but those systems are chronically underfunded.
The second version has almost no linking words. It flows because each sentence picks up the thing the last one put down. This is the single highest-value technique on this page, and it is invisible to most candidates because it is not a word you can add — it is an order you have to choose.
Referencing: the cheap version of the same idea
Pronouns and demonstratives do the same job, and the descriptors name referencing directly.
- this problem, these measures, such an approach, the latter
- it, they, which
Repeating a full noun phrase every time (traffic congestion … traffic congestion … traffic congestion) reads as clumsy and also costs you on vocabulary. Referring back is free cohesion.
Paragraphing is in the descriptors and nobody reads it
The criterion explicitly covers logical paragraphing. Two errors are common and both are avoidable:
- One giant paragraph. Even good ideas become hard to follow, and it is an instant marker of a weak script.
- A paragraph with two topics in it. If you cannot summarise a paragraph in one sentence, it is doing two jobs.
One central idea per paragraph, announced early. A body paragraph that opens by naming what it is about gives the reader — and the examiner — a map.
What each band looks like
| Band | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| 5 | Some organisation, but it is not always logical. Linking is inadequate or repetitive. |
| 6 | Information is arranged coherently overall, but cohesive devices are used mechanically, and paragraphing may be illogical. |
| 7 | Logical progression throughout. Devices used well, without over-use or under-use. Clear central topic per paragraph. |
| 8 | Effortless to follow. Cohesion attracts no attention at all — you do not notice the joins. |
| 9 | Seamless. |
What moves you up a band
| If you are at… | The change that moves you |
|---|---|
| 5 → 6 | Paragraph properly: one idea each, announced at the start. |
| 6 → 7 | Delete half your linking words and fix the information order instead. Start each sentence from what the last one ended with. |
| 7 → 8 | Make the joins invisible. Use referencing (this, these, such) instead of repeating nouns, and let the logic carry the flow. |
The 6→7 move is subtractive, which is why it is rarely attempted. Most people try to get out of a 6 by adding more of exactly the thing that put them there.
For the test, and for real writing
This criterion is one of the few where the exam and real writing want precisely the same thing. Joseph Williams built a whole book, Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, on the old-to-new information principle — and it maps almost one-to-one onto what this descriptor is asking for.
So the work you do here is not exam-only. It is the thing that makes reports, emails and essays easy to read for the rest of your life, and it is worth learning properly.
Frequently asked questions
Do linking words improve my Coherence and Cohesion score?
Only up to a point, and over-using them lowers it. Band 6 warns that devices may be used mechanically, and band 7 warns against both over-use and under-use. The Firstly / Moreover / In conclusion frame is one of the clearest band 6 markers there is.
What actually makes writing flow?
Information order. English readers expect a sentence to begin with something familiar and end with something new. If each sentence picks up what the last one put down, the text flows with almost no linking words at all. It is an order you choose, not a word you add.
How many linking words should I use?
Fewer than you are using now, in almost every case. At band 8, cohesion attracts no attention — if the reader notices your linking words, they are doing too much work. Try deleting half of them and fixing the sentence order instead.
Does paragraphing count in this criterion?
Yes, it is named explicitly, and it is routinely ignored. One central idea per paragraph, announced early. A single giant paragraph, or a paragraph doing two jobs, is marked down here.