Linking words: connecting ideas, without overdoing it.
Linking words, also called connectives or cohesive devices, signal how one idea relates to the next: addition, contrast, cause, example. They are part of the Coherence and Cohesion mark, but the band is won by using them well, not often. Overusing them (“Firstly … Moreover … In conclusion” on every line) caps a score just as surely as using none.
Why this matters. The Coherence and Cohesion descriptor explicitly warns against mechanical or overused linking. A 6.5 essay often opens every sentence with a signpost, “Firstly”, “Moreover”, “In addition”, “Last but not least”, which reads as a checklist, not an argument. A Band 7+ essay links where the logic genuinely turns, varies the connector, and lets some sentences flow on their own. So the skill is threefold: picking the linker that matches the relationship, punctuating it correctly (this is where however and therefore trip people up), and knowing when to stop.
What a linker is depends on what it joins, and that decides the punctuation.
Linkers are not all the same grammatically. Three kinds matter, and confusing them is what produces the punctuation errors below. Get the kind right and the comma falls into place.
Coordinating conjunctions
and · but · so · or · yet
Join two equal clauses inside one sentence, with a comma before them: “It was cheap, but it broke.” They never start a formal sentence.
The plan was popular, yet it proved hard to fund.
Subordinating conjunctions
because · although · while · if · so that
Open a dependent clause and tie it to a main one. Full treatment is on the adverbial clauses page; here, just note they live inside a sentence.
Although it was cheap, it broke within a week.
Linking adverbials
however · therefore · moreover · for example
Connect across a sentence boundary. They are not conjunctions, so they cannot join two clauses with a comma: use a full stop or semicolon, then the adverbial with a comma.
It was cheap. However, it broke within a week.
Pick by function
addition · contrast · cause · example · sequence
Choose the linker that names the real relationship, not just a familiar word. However signals contrast; therefore signals result; moreover adds. Using one whose meaning does not fit is a clear cohesion error.
Demand fell; therefore, prices dropped. (result, not contrast)
The two errors that cap the band
First, the comma splice with however / therefore. These are adverbials, not conjunctions, so they cannot stitch two sentences with a comma: not “It was cheap, however it broke” but “It was cheap. However, it broke” or “It was cheap; however, it broke.” Second, overuse. The descriptor penalises mechanical linking, so opening every sentence with “Firstly”, “Moreover”, “In addition” reads as a list, not a line of thought. Link where the argument genuinely turns, vary the device, and let some sentences connect through meaning alone.
What cohesion reads like at each band.
At Band 5
A few basic linkers (and, but, because, also) repeated, or none at all, so ideas sit side by side with the relationship left unclear. When a bigger linker is tried it is often the wrong one or wrongly punctuated.
At Band 6
A reasonable stock of linkers, but used mechanically: “Firstly … Secondly … Moreover … In conclusion” bolted to the front of each sentence. However and therefore appear but are often comma-spliced (“It is cheap, however it breaks”). The signposting is visible rather than natural.
At Band 7
Linkers are used flexibly and mostly accurately, chosen for the relationship rather than for show, and the worst overuse is gone. However and therefore are punctuated correctly most of the time, and not every sentence needs a signpost.
At Band 8+
Cohesion is managed well and unobtrusively: a wide range of devices used precisely, referencing and substitution (this, such, the former) sharing the load, and linkers appearing only where the argument turns. The reader is guided without ever feeling managed.
Find the relationship, then choose, and vary it.
Name the relationship between your ideas, then pick a linker that fits it. Keep two or three per function so you are not repeating the same word; the example shows the punctuation for a sentence-starting adverbial.
| To signal… | Use… | For example |
|---|---|---|
| Addition | moreover, in addition, furthermore | The plan is costly. Moreover, it is slow to deliver. |
| Contrast | however, nevertheless, on the other hand | It is cheap. However, it rarely lasts. |
| Cause / result | therefore, consequently, as a result | Demand fell. Therefore, prices dropped. |
| Example | for example, for instance, such as | Some cities, for example Vienna, did exactly this. |
| Sequence | first, then, subsequently, finally | First, the data is collected; then it is checked. |
| Conclusion | in conclusion, overall, to sum up | Overall, the benefits outweigh the costs. |
However vs on the contrary. They are not interchangeable. However and on the other hand introduce a different or opposing point; on the contrary rejects what was just said and asserts the opposite (“It did not fail. On the contrary, it exceeded every target.”). For the subordinating linkers (because, although, while), see adverbial clauses →; for cohesion more broadly, vocabulary and cohesion →.
Ten to drill.
Choose the right linker, punctuation or version for each. Press Check answers for your score and the reason behind each one. Nothing is sent anywhere.
You can list the linkers. Using them where the argument turns, and no more, is the work.
The line between cohesive and mechanical is fine, and it is exactly where Coherence and Cohesion marks are won or lost.
In a lesson I show you where your linking is doing real work and where it is just noise, fix the however and therefore punctuation, and build the habit of varying the device. Lessons are £20 for fifty minutes, one to one, in proper British English; the first step is a free 25-minute introduction. This page is adapted from the grammar chapter of the forthcoming Ultimate Guide to IELTS Speaking.