IELTS Writing Cohesion: Linking Words That Reach Band 8
Quick answer: To reach Band 8 in Coherence and Cohesion, use linking words so naturally that the examiner does not notice them. That means far fewer sentence-opening connectors like Moreover and On the other hand, and more cohesion built from clear reference words, repeated key nouns, and logical order. Most Band 6 and 7 essays have too many connectors, not too few.↗ Share on X
To reach Band 8 in Coherence and Cohesion, you need to use linking words so naturally that the examiner does not notice them. That means fewer memorized phrases like "Moreover" and "On the other hand," and more cohesion built into the sentences themselves: pronouns that refer back clearly, repeated key nouns, and logical order. Band 6 and 7 essays usually have too many connectors, not too few.
What does the examiner actually mean by "cohesion"?
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Master Transition Words for IELTS Writing Task 2 Band 8 →Coherence and Cohesion is one of the four scoring criteria for IELTS Writing, worth a quarter of your Task 1 and Task 2 score. Coherence is whether your ideas follow a clear order. Cohesion is whether the sentences and paragraphs are tied together so the reader never has to guess how one idea connects to the next.
The public band descriptors describe the ladder like this, in plain words:
| Band | What the examiner sees |
|---|---|
| 6 | Linking words are used, but some are mechanical or wrong; paragraphs may not be clearly organized |
| 7 | A range of linking devices used well, though some are overused or underused; each paragraph has a clear central idea |
| 8 | Linking is managed so well that it does not draw attention; paragraphs are logical and well organized |
| 9 | Cohesion is used in a way that attracts no attention at all |
Read Band 8 again. The goal is not more linking words. The goal is linking that is invisible.
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Why does a chain of "Moreover" cap you at Band 7?
Students learn a list of connectors and then try to use all of them. The result reads like this:
"Firstly, technology has changed education. Moreover, students can study online. Furthermore, teachers can share resources. In addition, parents can track progress. However, some people disagree. On the other hand, there are drawbacks."
Every sentence starts with a signpost. The examiner sees it immediately. That pattern is exactly what the Band 7 descriptor calls overuse, and it often reads as mechanical, which is Band 6 language.
There is a second problem. When every sentence begins with a connector, the connectors stop carrying meaning. "Moreover" should add a stronger point to a previous one. If you use it between two unrelated facts, it is wrong, not just repetitive.
Which of the four types of cohesion do Band 8 writers use?
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IELTS Speaking: Fix Your Own Mistakes and Keep Your Band →Linguists describe several kinds of cohesion. For IELTS, four matter:
1. Reference. Using "this," "it," "they," "such," "these measures" to point back to something already mentioned. Example: "Many cities have introduced congestion charges. This policy has cut traffic in the centre."
2. Lexical cohesion. Repeating a key noun, or using a close synonym or a more general word for it. Example: "cars" becomes "vehicles" and then "private transport." The reader follows the thread without a single connector.
3. Substitution and ellipsis. Leaving out or replacing words that are understood. Example: "Some students prefer lectures; others, seminars." No "whereas" is needed.
4. Conjunction. The actual linking words: however, because, although, as a result, for instance.
Band 6 writers lean almost entirely on type 4. Band 8 writers use all four, with type 4 as the smallest share. A rough target: in a 270-word essay, you should have no more than six to eight sentence-initial connectors, and most of your links should come from reference and lexical cohesion.
How do you link sentences without a connector?
Here is a Band 6 paragraph and the same ideas rewritten.
Before (Band 6 style):
"Firstly, remote work saves time. Secondly, workers do not need to commute. Moreover, this reduces stress. In addition, companies save money on office space. However, there are disadvantages."
After (Band 8 style):
"Remote work saves time because the daily commute disappears. Those recovered hours lower stress, and the benefit is not only personal: companies that let staff work from home can lease smaller offices. The arrangement does have costs, though, and they fall mainly on the employee."
The second version has one explicit connector ("because") and one contrast marker ("though") placed mid-sentence. Everything else is held together by reference ("those recovered hours," "the arrangement," "they") and by logical order. It reads like English, not like an essay template.
Which connectors do Band 8 writers still use, and where?
You do not remove connectors. You use fewer, use them correctly, and vary their position.
| Purpose | Overused as sentence openers | Natural alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Adding | Moreover, Furthermore, Additionally | "also" mid-sentence; "as well"; a second clause with "and" |
| Contrast | On the other hand, Nevertheless | "though" at the end; "but"; "while" + clause; "yet" |
| Cause | Thus, Hence, Therefore | "because," "since," "so"; "as a result" sparingly |
| Example | For example, For instance (fine, but not in every paragraph) | "such as"; "take X:"; "one case is" |
| Sequence | Firstly, Secondly, Finally | In Task 2, let the order of ideas do the work instead |
A reliable rule: place at most one sentence-initial connector per paragraph. Put the rest inside sentences or remove them.
How does cohesion work between paragraphs?
Paragraph links matter as much as sentence links. Two techniques give Band 8 results.
The echo. Start a new paragraph by picking up a noun from the end of the previous one. If paragraph two ends with "...which places a heavy burden on public hospitals," paragraph three can open "That burden is one reason governments are turning to prevention."
The topic sentence with a built-in signal. Instead of "Secondly, there are economic effects," write "The economic effects are harder to measure." The word "harder" quietly tells the reader this is a new point and that it is being compared to the previous one.
Never start a body paragraph with "Moreover" or "On the other hand." Those words tell the examiner you are following a template.
What about Task 1?
Task 1 reports need cohesion too, but the tools shift. Reference and lexical cohesion still dominate: "the figure for Japan," "this upward trend," "the same period." Comparison language does most of the connecting: "while," "whereas," "by contrast," "slightly higher than," "a similar pattern." Sequence words such as "firstly" are almost never needed, because the order comes from the data itself.
A practice routine that fixes cohesion in two weeks
1. Days 1 to 3: Count. Take three essays you have already written. Circle every sentence-initial connector. If you find more than eight in an essay, that is your main problem.
2. Days 4 to 7: Cut and rebuild. Rewrite one paragraph a day, removing every circled connector and reconnecting the sentences with reference words, repeated nouns, or clause joining. Read it aloud. If it flows, keep it.
3. Days 8 to 11: Write new. Write one Task 2 essay under timed conditions with a limit of six connectors total. Afterward, check whether each one is correct in meaning, not just in position.
4. Days 12 to 14: Compare. Put an early essay and a new one side by side. The new one should read faster and sound less like a list.
Mistakes that keep cohesion at Band 6
- Unclear "this" or "it." If "this" could refer to two different things in the previous sentence, the examiner marks it as faulty reference. Add a noun: "this change," "this approach."
- Wrong connector meaning. "On the other hand" needs a genuine contrast with the previous idea. "Therefore" needs a real cause. Check the logic, not just the grammar.
- One-sentence paragraphs, or paragraphs with two main ideas. Both are coherence problems, and no connector fixes them.
- Synonyms that change the meaning. Replacing "children" with "youngsters" and then "teenagers" breaks lexical cohesion because the groups are different.
Your next step
Open the last Task 2 essay you wrote. Circle every connector that starts a sentence and count them. Then rewrite just the second body paragraph with a limit of one sentence-initial connector, using "this" plus a noun, a repeated key word, or a joined clause everywhere else. Read both versions aloud. The one that sounds like a person explaining an idea, not a student listing points, is the one closer to Band 8.
FAQ
How many linking words should I use in an IELTS Task 2 essay?
Fewer than most students think. A practical limit is six to eight sentence-initial connectors in a 270-word essay, and no more than one per paragraph at the start of a sentence. Build the rest of your cohesion with reference words, repeated key nouns, and logical order.
Does using Moreover and Furthermore lower my IELTS score?
Not by themselves, but overusing them does. The Band 7 descriptor mentions overuse of cohesive devices, and a chain of Moreover, Furthermore, In addition reads as mechanical, which is Band 6 language. Use them rarely and only when the meaning truly fits.
What is the difference between coherence and cohesion in IELTS?
Coherence is the logical order of your ideas and paragraphs. Cohesion is how sentences and paragraphs are tied together with reference words, repeated vocabulary, and connectors. Both are scored together and make up one quarter of your writing band.