IELTS Writing Test
One of the key factors to succeeding in the IELTS exam knows the test’s scoring model – furthermore, using this knowledge to increase your band score. Here are some important tips to crack IELTS writing test – coherence and cohesion you should know.
Understanding the test’s scoring model allows you to recognize what exactly examiners want. You can focus on these things and score well on your IELTS writing test.
Coherence and Cohesion in IELTS Writing Test
Get to know one of the most important criteria on which the IELTS 2 writing task is scored. It is coherence and cohesion.
Coherence & Cohesion holds a weighting of 25% of the total score in the IELTS Writing -Academic and General Training tests. But, aspirants neglect this criterion most of the time and that is precisely why they get a low rating.
Tips to Crack IELTS Writing Test
What is Coherence?
Coherence refers to the flow of your writing. It relates to how you organized and structured your essay and how logically you sequenced your ideas.
When you write an essay, your main motive is to express your ideas precisely so that the examiner can easily understand your ideas while reading them. Hence, Coherence is very significant for your essay writing task of IELTS test.
- Quick tips to follow that show your Coherence skill in your essay
- Separate your essay with different paragraphs
- Use linking sentences to connect paragraphs
- Follow a logical sequence with paragraphs
Let’s say you are given the following topic to write your essay on:
It is becoming more and more popular to have a gap year between the end of studies and the start of university studies. What are the advantages and disadvantages?
The following essay structure demonstrates your Cohesion skills –
Introduction: Here you will translate the given essay question and express your opinion
- 1st Paragraph Body: You can start by discussing one of the benefits
- 2nd Paragraph Body: Provide another benefit if desired (optional)
- 3rd Paragraph Body: Discuss one of the cons
- 4th Paragraph Body: You can include another downside (optional)
Conclusion: At this point you should summarize all your arguments and reaffirm your point of view
Now that you know what Coherence is, you need to paraphrase the essay question and maintain a link between the body paragraphs.
For this, you can use linking phrases. That is, to start with another benefit in paragraph 2 of the body, you can use expressions such as “in addition to” or “in addition”.
To make a logical connection between pros and cons, you can start writing cons using some of the phrases such as “however”, “on the other hand”, or “let’s not forget the fact that”.
Consider these points when writing your essay for the IELTS writing test – whether academic or general?
What is cohesion?
Cohesion is connecting words to help you connect ideas. It also relates to how sentences link together to form a meaningful paragraph and how paragraphs link together to form an essay.
- Quick tips to follow that show your consistent skill in your essay
- Always write paragraph subject wise and try to focus on one subject in one paragraph.
- Write complex sentences using punctuation appropriately
- Link your ideas with syntax instead of overusing linking phrases
For your essay to be cohesive, you need to make sure that you don’t mix up more than one idea in a single paragraph. Instead, you should focus on a particular point, expand on it, and it’s always good practice to provide a suitable example to support that point.
Although it is advisable to write complex sentences for the IELTS writing task – Essay, you should use them wisely. There is a fine line between complicated sentences and complex sentences. Be sure to present your thoughts without making the sentences difficult to read or understand, in other words, complicated. Moreover, proper punctuation can also help you formulate complex sentences.
Example:
- Complex sentence: all my friends liked the movie; however, I didn’t like it very much.
- Complicated sentence: My friends and I went to the cinema, but I didn’t think it was great even though they all liked it very much.
- Cohesion tools are used to identify the connection between clauses, sentences and different sentences.
What are cohesive devices?
Connectors, linking words, sentences, and transition words are the cohesive devices you can use in your essay.
Here are some examples of cohesive devices you can use in your IELTS Writing Task – Essay
- further ideas: “in addition to”, “in addition”
- Contrasting ideas: “however”, “on the other hand”, “let’s not forget that”
- Examples: for example, as an example, to illustrate this
- Explain the results: “accordingly”, “accordingly”
- Maintain sequence: “first”, “next”, “to start”
- Provide explanations: “because of”, “because of”
- Concluding ideas: ‘in conclusion’, ‘to summarize’
- Introduce your point: “another point I would like to add”, “in my opinion”
Note: Never overdo it with cohesive devices.
You should avoid using excessive connectors in a single paragraph. With too many linking words, your writing won’t feel natural and flowing. It may also confuse the examiner when reading your essay.
An alternative to avoid unnecessary connectors is to use pronouns and dependent clauses to achieve your goal. Use cohesive devices correctly and in the right amount.
Here’s a quick summary to make sure your essay writing assignment has these characteristics!
- Begin each paragraph with a clear, concise sentence.
- Focus only on one main point in each paragraph.
- Develop your main idea with appropriate explanations, evidence, examples or experiences.
- Use a variety of linking words and phrases.
- Ensure that the cohesive devices used are appropriate.
- Use pronouns and synonyms to avoid repetition.
- Also end your paragraph with a summary sentence that concludes it or connects it to the other paragraph.
Conclusion
Coherence and cohesion play an important role in getting better scores in the IELTS writing test. You can visit IELTS coaching in Agra to stay up to date with important aspects of the IELTS test. You can start preparing with free online IELTS practice tests and other study materials. Also, take help of the best education consultants for any issue.