Cohesive Words in Writing

ScottsEnglish

A key assessment area in IELTS, TOEFL & TOEIC writing is how cohesive it is.

What does it mean to have a cohesive piece of writing?  Well, it means that each part of the writing flows from one point to the next in a seamless, easy-to-read way.  Consider the following two paragraphs which have bad cohesion:

There are a number of reasons why a person should learn a new language is when he/she is young.  A young person remembers new information more readily. Children's minds are more malleable and are more apt to try new things more readily than an older, more mature person.  

There are some advantages for an older person learning a language. He/she has the experience of their native language; it can be helpful to have something to compare the new language with.  An older person has a more mature response to the language learning process - they understand exactly why they are learning the new language.   

Now, read the paragraphs, this time with great cohesion (in bold):

There are a number of reasons why a person should learn a new language is when he/she is young.  Firstly, a young person remembers new information more readily. In fact children's minds are more malleable and are more apt to try new things more readily than an older, more mature person.  

However, there are some advantages for an older person learning a language. Firstly, he/she has the experience of their native language; it can be helpful to have something to compare the new language with.  In addition, an older person has a more mature response to the language learning process - they understand exactly why they are learning the new language.   

Notice how the cohesion helps the writing to flow smoothly from one idea to the next?

Now, review, learn and apply into your writing the words located in our common cohesive words list .