17. IELTS Task 1 and 2: "Discourse connectors - PART 1"

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Let’s talk about cohesion and coherence today. I wrote a blog about this topic, which explained what you should do to get a high CC score. In this podcast I will try to explain this topic in more detail, with examples of good IELTS task 1 and task 2 discourse connectors, linking language, and transitions.

Firstly, what is a discourse connector? We need to be very clear about this. Discourse connectors are single or multi-word elements that link ideas across sentences, across paragraphs, or even across larger pieces of text. The problem that most students make in the IELTS exam is that they use the same kinds of discourse connectors (single word), and only use them to link across adjacent sentences. All discourse connectors establish MEANING RELATIONSHIPS within a text, which leads to COHESION and COHERENCE. Now we know the problems, let’s look at the different types of connectors that are available to us.

1. Ordering

The ordering connectors are the most commonly used connectors in the IELTS exam. They are the first ones taught in a course but will never get you beyond a 5.0 in the exam. These connectors include: first, firstly, in the first place, first of all, for one/another thing, to begin with, then, next, finally, lastly,andlast of all.

They are useful in a task 1 to show steps in a process.

Example:

Firstly, the pears are picked from the tree. After thatthey are peeled and boiled.

In a task two they are useful for introducing points.

Example:

As a first point, we should always remember that education is just as important as experience.

2. Summary

Summary connectors establish summarising or concluding ideas. They include: all in all, in conclusion, overall, to conclude, finally, in sum, in summary, to summarise,and to sum up. I always recommend using In summaryor Overallin a task one, and To concludeor In conclusionin a task 2.

3. Additives

Additive connectors show information that is building on information that came before. Common additives include: also, in addition, further, furthermore, moreover, too,and on top of that.

Many learners commonly misuse the additive moreover. Let’s look at how to use it properly. People often use in addition and moreover interchangeably, but this is a mistake. In addition only adds another piece of information. Moreover adds some information that moves towards a conclusion.

a. Social media can be bad for kids because it keeps them inside too much. In addition, it can be dangerous because they never know who they are communicating with.

b. He didn’t really know much about the stock market, and had made a few bad investments. Moreover, in the GFC, he lost nearly all his money, and decided to stop investing entirely.

In the first example, In additionis simply adding another fact. In the second example, moreoverintroduces the conclusion (he stopped investing entirely).

Be careful to understand the subtle differences between discourse connectors!