Practice
Cohesive devices: connect a text
Sign in to saveA list of correct sentences can still feel difficult to read if each sentence arrives without a clear link to the one before it. Cohesive devices give readers those links. They can point back to an earlier idea, add information, show a result, or signal a change of direction.
Use cohesive devices to show relationships between ideas and help a reader follow a short English text without confusion.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
As a result, the centre added a second session. /æz ə rɪˈzʌlt ðə ˈsentə ˈædɪd ə ˈsekənd ˈseʃən/
The short answer
Choose a cohesive device for the relationship you need to show. Use a reference word for a known idea, a linker for a relationship such as contrast or result, and repeated key language when it helps the reader keep track of the topic.
The clinic extended its opening hours. This change made evening appointments possible.
Why it works: This change points back to the decision in the first sentence, so the reader does not have to guess what changed.
5 more examples
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The workshop filled quickly. As a result, the centre added a second session.
As a result shows that the second session happened because the first workshop filled quickly.
Not this:The workshop filled quickly.
However, the centre added a second session. What changes: However signals contrast, so it does not explain the cause of the extra session. -
Ravi missed the first bus. Nevertheless, he arrived before the meeting began.
Nevertheless shows an unexpected contrast between missing the bus and arriving on time.
Not this:Ravi missed the first bus.
Consequently, he arrived before the meeting began. What changes: Consequently would mean that missing the bus caused an early arrival, which does not fit the situation. -
The council wants residents to reduce waste. For example, it has opened a repair centre.
For example introduces one concrete action that supports the broader aim.
Not this:The council wants residents to reduce waste.
In contrast, it has opened a repair centre. What changes: In contrast needs two opposing ideas. The repair centre is an example of the aim, not its opposite. -
The new timetable gives staff more flexibility. This benefit was mentioned in the survey responses.
This benefit refers back to the increased flexibility and names the important idea clearly.
Not this:The new timetable gives staff more flexibility.
Theywere mentioned in the survey responses. What changes: They is unclear because a reader may not know whether it means staff, timetables, or responses. -
The report recommends better lighting in the car park. Improved lighting could also make the entrance feel safer.
Repeating the key noun keeps the topic clear while the second sentence develops a related point.
Not this:The report recommends better lighting in the car park.
Thiscould also make the entrance feel safer. What changes: This can work when the previous idea is unmistakable, but repeating lighting is clearer if several possible ideas came before it.
Read the full guide
Start by deciding what connects your two ideas. You may need to add a similar point, explain a result, give an example, or return to a person or thing already named. Then choose a word or phrase that makes that relationship visible. A good cohesive device is precise and gives the reader a clear route through the text.
Show the relationship between ideas
A cohesive device tells the reader why two ideas are next to each other. Before choosing one, identify the relationship. Is the next sentence an addition, a result, a contrast, an example, or a conclusion?
The venue had limited space. Therefore, the organisers asked people to register early.
Therefore shows that the registration request follows from the limited space.
Which relationship does therefore usually show?
It usually introduces a result or conclusion.
Use linkers for addition, contrast, and examples
Linkers help a reader predict the job of the next sentence. Also and in addition add related information. However and nevertheless introduce a contrast. For example introduces a particular case that makes a general point easier to understand.
The course includes live classes. In addition, learners can use recorded materials.
In addition tells the reader to expect another related feature.
The course is demanding. However, the weekly schedule is flexible.
However prepares the reader for a fact that changes the expected picture.
Which linker can introduce one specific illustration of a general claim?
Use for example.
Make reference words easy to follow
Words such as this, that, these, it, and they can save repetition. They work only when the reader can quickly identify what they refer to. Place the original noun close enough to the reference word, and add a noun after this or these when the link needs to be more specific.
The team changed the booking system. This update reduced the number of duplicate reservations.
This update points directly to the change in the first sentence.
The team spoke to customers and managers. They suggested several changes.
They may mean customers, managers, or both groups. Name the group if the meaning matters.
Why can this decision be clearer than this by itself?
Decision names the earlier idea that this refers to.
Repeat important words with purpose
Repetition is useful when it keeps the main subject visible. A key term can appear again in a new sentence, especially after several sentences about related details. You can vary less important words, but do not replace a central term with a vague pronoun just to avoid repetition.
Public transport needs reliable information. Clear transport updates help passengers plan their journeys.
Transport appears again because it remains the central topic of both sentences.
Should every repeated word be replaced with a pronoun?
No. Repeat a key word when it makes the subject easier to follow.
Build cohesion across a paragraph
Cohesion works with paragraph order. Begin with a clear topic, develop that topic with connected details, and end with a result or transition when needed. A sequence of well-chosen links cannot repair ideas that appear in a random order.
The museum introduced quieter opening hours. These sessions are intended for visitors who prefer a calmer environment. The change has already attracted new bookings.
The paragraph stays on one topic. These sessions and the change both point back to the quieter opening hours.
What should a cohesive paragraph keep clear from its first sentence to its last?
Its main topic and the relationships between its supporting ideas.
Before you go
Remember this
Cohesion helps readers see how a text fits together. Choose linkers for the right relationship, make each reference word easy to trace, and repeat a key term when a pronoun would be vague. Read your paragraph from the reader's point of view: each new sentence should have a clear connection to what came before.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Cohesive devices: connect a text"
What are cohesive devices in English?
Cohesive devices are words, phrases, and patterns that connect parts of a text. They include linkers such as as a result, reference words such as this and these, and repeated key terms that help a reader stay with the same topic.
The workshop filled quickly. As a result, the centre added a second session.
What is the difference between cohesion and coherence?
Cohesion is the visible language that links sentences, such as a pronoun or linking expression. Coherence is the overall sense of a text. A paragraph can use many linkers and still be hard to follow if its ideas are not in a sensible order.
The workshop filled quickly. However, the centre added a second session.
How do I choose a linking word?
First identify the relationship between the two ideas. Use an addition linker for another related point, a contrast linker for an unexpected difference, a result linker for a consequence, and an example linker for one particular case. Check that the meaning still works when you read both sentences together.
Ravi missed the first bus. Nevertheless, he arrived before the meeting began.
When should I repeat a word in writing?
Repeat a key word when it keeps the subject clear, especially after a sentence with several nouns or ideas. You do not need to avoid every repeated word. Replace less important words when the meaning stays clear, but keep a central term when a pronoun could confuse the reader.
Ravi missed the first bus. Consequently, he arrived before the meeting began.
Can I use too many cohesive devices?
Yes. A linker should show a real relationship, not fill empty space between sentences. Too many similar connectors can make a paragraph heavy or mechanical. Use a paragraph break, a clear topic sentence, or direct wording when no extra signal is needed.
The council wants residents to reduce waste. For example, it has opened a repair centre.