ELT365 · Day 203 — Cohesion: connectors are not enough

Idea — Learners often over-rely on connectors while ignoring other cohesive devices: pronoun reference, lexical chains, and ellipsis. Connectors alone make writing mechanical.

Example — Weak: ‘Firstly, dogs are loyal. Moreover, they are good for health. In conclusion, people should own dogs.’ Strong: ‘they,’ ‘these animals,’ ‘this relationship’ build a coherent chain.

Try — Take a student’s written paragraph. Remove all connectors. Read what remains. Does it hold together? If not, identify what is missing — often it is reference or repetition of key lexis.

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