Watch the Video to have a better understanding of Cohesion and Coherence.
Where Task Achievement refers to you really writing about what you should be writing, and not about something completely different. Cohesion and Coherence refer to if I can understand what you have written.
This is one of the crucial differences between speaking, if I do not understand what you have said, I can ask for clarification. ‘What do you mean?’, ‘Could you repeat that one more time for me please?’, ‘Can you explain, why you think that?’,… With writing it needs to always be crystal clear. The examiner correcting your writing can’t call you, or send you an email to ask for more information if she doesn’t understand it, she doesn’t understand it.
For this reason, it is also critical for you to plan ahead before you start writing, you can’t start adding things at the end. You plan your journey, select a destination, and all your stops on the way, then you follow it till the end. If you just start adding ideas it becomes one big mess and maybe you can still understand what you wrote, but the examiner sure won’t.
This planning is something we are not used to doing anymore. Even though we might think a little bit about what we want to write, we do not fully plan it. The main reason for this is that we don’t write essays or important documents by hand anymore. We use a computer which makes it a lot easier to move text around; add little things here and there; delete words or sentences and replace them with other things, or simply cut and paste parts. All this editing is done during or at the end of our writing. On the other hand, while writing by hand we can’t do it at the end unless we make multiple drafts. During your 1 hour exam, you do not have the time to make these drafts. There is only time for planning and a rough outline of what you want to write.
Cohesion refers to how everything fits together nicely. In other words how you link your ideas together in sentences, between sentences, in paragraphs and the whole essay.
Coherence refers to how if everything you have put together is understandable. In other words, do the things you are trying to say to me make sense, do I understand them?
First of all, there is an overall structure, which is the basis of your writing. See it as building a house where you are building a foundation, walls and a roof. Afterward, you will fill it with your content, like you fill a house with your furniture. If you do not have a good structure, everything else will fall apart.
This means you will need to have a beginning, a middle and an ending and this will have to be logically constructed and easy to follow for the reader (examiner). The more you backtrack, and go back and forward between different parts, the harder it is to understand what you are trying to say.
The easiest way to have an overall structure is to have different paragraphs. Equally important is that these paragraphs have 1 central topic/theme, so again I know what you are writing about in that specific paragraph.
What you will fill these different parts with will depend on the formality of the letter and the content of the letter. If you need more information on this, have a look at how to write a letter for General IELTS Writing task 1.
As we saw in Task Achievement, you will have to paraphrase the question in your introduction, have a general overview and an in-depth analysis. These 3 parts will be your overall structure:
You still have some freedom how you use paragraphs, but just follow the overall structure. This means you can put your Introduction and General Overview in 1 paragraph, especially if you write very little. If you have a lot to say, you can separate them into 2 different paragraphs. This is the same for the in-depth analysis you can have 1 paragraph, but usually, it is separated into 2 different paragraphs. If you need more information on this have a look a how to Write IELTS Writing Task 1 a Graph, Map, Process.
The easiest structure is a 4 paragraph structure:
What you write in the 4 different paragraphs will depend on what kind of question is asked, and what the question really asks you to do. For more on this have a look at the 5 different question types in IELTS Writing task 2.
Like your text, each paragraph will have a beginning a middle and an end. Again, this progression needs to be logical and easy to follow. For your writing Task 1, there isn’t really a frame or template to structure a good paragraph. All that is important is that each paragraph contains 1 and only 1 central topic and this is expressed in a way that it is logically constructed, easy to follow and understand. For Writing Task 2 you do have a specific structure to follow.
Your introduction paragraph will always have the same structure. The only difference is that sometimes you are not asked for your opinion on the topic. You do not need to mention if you agree or disagree for example, or you might but you only need to mention it in the final paragraph. In that case, you won’t have to take a position and you just write the 3 other parts.
Need more help on how to write an introduction paragraph, just follow the link.
The body paragraphs will have a different structure depending on what kind of question you are answering. Still, you will always have a Topic Sentence stating what your paragraph is about.
The next body paragraph just follows the same structure about the second reason why you agree or disagree.
The next body paragraph follows the same structure but about the disadvantages.
The next body paragraph just follows the same structure but about the negative effects.
The next paragraph follows the same structure but now you talk about the 2 solutions to your 2 problems.
The next paragraph follows the same structure but now you talk about the second question.
Like your introduction, it will have a fixed structure, and again taking a stand might not be asked for. You will have to include it if they ask you to discuss both views and then decide which you ‘prefer’.
Not only your essay and paragraph have a certain structure but your sentence has one too. If you make complex sentences, which you should be doing if you want to score well on IELTS, they are made up of multiple clauses. These clauses need to be logically connected and together they need to make sence. This too can be a problem with many students, they either have too long or too short sentence. Others put clauses in the same sentence that should be in different sentences. Most IELTS courses will not teach you how to write a proper sentence, these are things that you should already know. If you do have issues with constructing sentence you will have to work on this by yourself.
When looking at the structure there are generally 4 different kind of sentences:
It’s the last 3 that give you a higher score in your IELTS.
This means how you connect your ideas together. How you link ideas within sentences to construct a logical understandable sentence, how you link these sentences together to create a logical paragraph and how you link your paragraphs to create a logical text. Not all linking is done by linking words/connectors or as they are referred to in the IELTS band descriptor cohesive devices, but some is. Therefore, it is essential that you can use linkers appropriately.
This means that you use the correct linker for the correct task and that these linkers are either academic, for your academic Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2 or that they are of the correct formality for General Writing Task 1.
Different linkers have different task in writing. Some are only used to connect ideas within a sentences, others to connect sentences, and yet again others for paragraphs, while others can have multiple purposes.
This talks about how you make sure you do not always repeat yourself. Remember there is a central topic, and a question where they use certain keywords, which should not always be repeated.
Most people agree that saving the environment is essential for the people their survival, even though the people are not sure of what the people need to do.
Most people agree that saving the environment is essential for our survival, even though they are not sure of what needs to be done.
In the last sentence the people is replaced by pronouns and omission by using a passive structure.
Now you should have a better idea of what is meant by referencing. This needs to be done properly and the readers (examiner) needs to understand what you are referring to. If this is done well, it will improve your overall coherence and cohesion.
Presents information with some organisation but there may be lack of overall progression
Makes inadequate, inaccurate or overuse of cohesive devices.
May be repetitive because of lack of referencing and substitution.
May not write in paragraphs, or paragraphing may be inadequate.
Arranges information and ideas coherently and there is a clear overall progression
Uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical
May not always use referencing clearly or appropriately
Uses paragraphing, but not always logically
Logically organizes information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout
Uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use
Presents a clear central topic within each paragraph
Sequences information and ideas logically
Manages all aspects of cohesion well
Uses paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately
Presents information with some organisation but there may be lack of overall progression: This means you organize your easy to some extent but overall it doesn’t go smoothly from a clear beginning to a clear end. For example you might be backtracking and adding some more ideas at the end which should have been put with other ideas somewhere else in the essay. This is the result of bad or no planning before your writing.
Makes inadequate, inaccurate or overuse of cohesive devices: Here we are talking about those linkers/ connectors. You are either not using enough of them; you make mistakes in using them; or you use far too many of them.
May be repetitive because of lack of referencing and substitution: You are always saying the same thing, or using the same words over and over again. This is because you are not using those referencing words or synonyms to vary your language.
May not write in paragraphs, or paragraphing may be inadequate: This means you are not using any paragraphs, or the reader can’t see where one paragraph ends and a new one begins. Another possibility is that you are trying to use paragraphs, but you don’t really understand how paragraphs work and do it wrongly.
Arranges information and ideas coherently and there is a clear overall progression: Here you arrange your ideas together in a coherent way, so the reader (examiner) understands what you are saying. You are also using a beginning, middle and an end and it flows nicely from beginning to ending.
Uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical: Here you are using those connectors/ linkers in a good way, still there is some issue within your sentences or between sentences. You might not be connecting them correctly or it is a bit too mechanically and doesn’t really sound natural.
May not always use referencing clearly or appropriately: You are using those referencing words, but it might not always be clear or you might not be using the correct ones.
Uses paragraphing, but not always logically: You are using paragraphs, but not always in a logical, structural way.
Logically organizes information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout: You are using logic to organize your ideas and the information and it’s clear to the examiner. You also have a clear flow from beginning to the end.
Uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use: You are using different kinds of connectors/linkers in a good way, but you might be using them too much or not enough.
Presents a clear central topic within each paragraph: You have only one clear central topic for each paragraph.
Sequences information and ideas logically: You order your information and ideas in a good and logical way.
Manages all aspects of cohesion well: You are very good at cohesion and you do all the things well to have a cohesive essay.
Uses paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately: You are using paragraphing well.
Presents information with some organisation but there may be lack of overall progression
Makes inadequate, inaccurate or overuse of cohesive devices.
May be repetitive because of lack of referencing and substitution.
Arranges information and ideas coherently and there is a clear overall progression
Uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical
May not always use referencing clearly or appropriately
Logically organizes information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout
Uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use
Sequences information and ideas logically
Manages all aspects of cohesion well
Uses paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately
Presents information with some organisation but there may be lack of overall progression: This means you organize your easy to some extent but overall it doesn’t go smoothly from a clear beginning to a clear end. For example you might be backtracking and adding some more ideas at the end which should have been put with other ideas somewhere else in the essay. This is the result of bad or no planning before your writing.
Makes inadequate, inaccurate or overuse of cohesive devices: Here we are talking about those linkers/ connectors. You are either not using enough of them; you make mistakes in using them; or you use far too many of them.
May be repetitive because of lack of referencing and substitution: You are always saying the same thing, or using the same words over and over again. This is because you are not using those referencing words or synonyms to vary your language.
Arranges information and ideas coherently and there is a clear overall progression: Here you arrange your ideas together in a coherent way, so the reader (examiner) understands what you are saying. You are also using a beginning, middle and an end and it flows nicely from beginning to ending.
Uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical: Here you are using those connectors/ linkers in a good way, still there is some issue within your sentences or between sentences. You might not be connecting them correctly or it is a bit too mechanically and doesn’t really sound natural.
May not always use referencing clearly or appropriately: You are using those referencing words, but it might not always be clear or you might not be using the correct ones.
Logically organizes information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout: You are using logic to organize your ideas and the information and it’s clear to the examiner. You also have a clear flow from beginning to the end.
Uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use: You are using different kinds of connectors/linkers in a good way, but you might be using them too much or not enough.
Sequences information and ideas logically: You order your information and ideas in a good and logical way.
Manages all aspects of cohesion well: You are very good at cohesion and you do all the things well to have a cohesive essay.
Uses paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately: You are using paragraphing well.
Unlike Task Achievement, where it is more about carefully reading the Task and answering accordingly, here you need to use your actual writing skills to create a good understandable text. Most students fail to reach a good score for some of the following reasons:
Now you should have a clear picture on what needs to be done to improve your Cohesion and Coherence. All that is left for you is the hard part, practice, practice and more practice.
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