Why Coherence & Cohesion Matter
Coherence means your ideas are logically connected. Cohesion means your sentences are smoothly linked. Together, they make your writing easy to read and beautifully structured — like a river that flows without interruption.
1. Building Paragraph Flow
- Start with a topic sentence: Introduce the main idea clearly.
- Support it: Add explanations, data, or examples.
- End smoothly: Link to the next paragraph naturally.
Tip: Each paragraph should have one clear purpose — don’t mix ideas.
2. Common Linking Devices
- Adding: moreover, furthermore, in addition, also
- Contrasting: however, whereas, on the other hand, although
- Giving examples: for instance, for example, such as
- Showing results: therefore, as a result, consequently, thus
- Sequencing: first of all, next, then, finally
Tip: Use a range of connectors — but don’t overuse them! Clarity first.
3. Avoiding Common Mistakes
- Overusing connectors (every sentence doesn’t need one).
- Repeating the same linking word (“however” used 5 times in a row).
- Jumping between unrelated ideas without transition.
Tip: Your writing should feel like a conversation — natural, not mechanical.
Mini Challenge
Which sentence shows good coherence and cohesion?
🌿 You Did It!
Excellent work! You’ve completed Lesson 7 of Summage Academy’s IELTS Writing course.
Next up:
Lesson 8: Developing Arguments