Cohesive devices are words or phrases used to connect ideas between different parts of text. They are used to make a text coherent and to establish links between sentences, ideas, and details. Cohesive devices help readers integrate information between sentences in a text, and they affect comprehension. There are three main types of cohesive devices: reference words, substitution words, and conjunctions. Reference words include pronouns, such as "he" or "it," that refer back to a previously mentioned noun. Substitution words include words like "one" or "do," which replace a previously mentioned noun or verb. Conjunctions are words like "and," "but," and "or," which connect ideas and sentences.
Cohesion refers to the way we use vocabulary and grammatical structures to make connections between the ideas within a text. Cohesive devices are words and expressions that show relationships between parts of text and ideas, such as cause and effect, time, addition, or comparison and contrast. Examples of cohesive devices include linking words like "and," "however," and "therefore".
In primary school, children may be asked to identify and use cohesive devices in their writing. Teachers can teach cohesive devices by reading texts and drawing attention to various features, as well as through marking childrens work and showing them how to join two ideas together.
In IELTS writing, cohesive devices are important, but it is also important not to overuse them. Conjunctive adverbs, such as "however" and "therefore," are commonly used as cohesive devices in IELTS writing.
