Coherence and cohesion without overusing linkers

Coherence vs cohesion

Coherence is about ideas: is the argument logical, does each paragraph have one clear central idea, and does the essay progress sensibly from start to finish? Think of it as the route.

Cohesion is about language: the words that tie one sentence or clause to the next, such as pronouns, this + noun, synonyms and linking words. Think of it as the road signs and bridges along the route.

You need both, and one cannot replace the other. Look at this paragraph:

Dhaka has thousands of rickshaws. Moreover, rickshaws are very colourful. Therefore, colour is important in art. However, art schools are expensive.

It is full of cohesive devices (Moreover, Therefore, However, a repeated noun), yet it makes no sense. It is cohesive but incoherent. Linkers cannot rescue ideas that do not connect logically.

Now look at this:

Dhaka has thousands of rickshaws. These slow, pedal-powered vehicles are a major cause of congestion on main roads, yet banning them would leave many of the city's poorest workers without an income.

There is only one linker (yet), but the paragraph is perfectly clear. These slow, pedal-powered vehicles refers back to rickshaws, and the idea moves logically from fact → problem → complication. That is the kind of linking examiners reward.

Coherence first: paragraph unity and logical progression

A band 7+ paragraph has one central idea, stated in the topic sentence, and every following sentence develops it. A typical logical order is:

claim → explanation → example → consequence or link back to the question

The most common coherence fault is drift: a sentence that is about the general topic but not about the paragraph's idea. Spot the drift here:

Public transport reduces congestion because one bus can replace dozens of cars. In Dhaka, for example, a single articulated bus could carry the passengers of around forty private cars. Also, rickshaw pullers in Dhaka earn very little money. Therefore, investing in buses would make journeys faster for everyone.

The third sentence is true and about Dhaka transport, but it has nothing to do with how buses reduce congestion. It breaks the paragraph's unity, and the Therefore that follows no longer connects to the sentence before it. Cut it, or move it to a paragraph whose central idea it actually supports.

Progression across the essay

At essay level, coherence means each paragraph has a clear job and the jobs follow a logical order. In an opinion essay, that is often concession → main argument → conclusion; in a two-part essay, Q1 → Q2. Each new paragraph should open with a topic sentence that makes its role obvious. If you could swap two body paragraphs without anyone noticing, the progression may not be as clear as it could be.

Referencing: the most underused band 7 tool

This / these + summary noun. A bare this often leaves the reader asking this what? Add a noun that summarises the previous idea:

• Many young people now get their news from social media. This is dangerous. (vague)
• Many young people now get their news from social media. This reliance on unverified sources is dangerous. (precise)

Useful summary nouns: trend, shift, development, approach, measure, policy, problem, issue, situation, tendency, reliance, decline, increase, imbalance, view, argument, change.

Such + noun refers to a type: Several countries tax sugary drinks, and such measures appear to reduce consumption.

The former / the latter refer to the first and second of exactly two items. Use them occasionally; overuse makes the reader keep looking back.

Pronoun ambiguity is a common reason reference lacks clarity (a band 6 feature):

• Parents often argue with teenagers about phones because they spend too much time on them. (Who spends time? Parents or teenagers?)
• Parents often argue with teenagers about phones, which young people tend to use for hours at a time. (clear)

Substitution and ellipsis

These avoid repetition by replacing or omitting words:

• Some governments fund metro lines; those that do so usually see lower congestion. (do so = fund metro lines)
• A cheap phone is often as useful as an expensive one.
• Many people expect fuel prices to rise, but few think they will fall. / Will prices fall? Few economists think so.
• Some students can afford to study abroad; most cannot. (ellipsis of afford to study abroad)

Lexical chains

Strong paragraphs keep the reader on the same topic through a chain of related words, not through the same word five times: public transport → the metro → a single train → this service → commuters → journey times. Each link repeats the idea without repeating the word.