IELTS Writing Coherence and Cohesion: Band by Band

Coherence and Cohesion is about how easy your writing is to follow. Coherence is the logic of the whole piece: ideas in a sensible order, grouped into paragraphs. Cohesion is the language that holds sentences together: linking words, referencing and substitution. It is one quarter of each task's score.

The band table below is our paraphrase of the official descriptors, not the official wording. For the exact text, see the official Writing band descriptors (PDF).

What examiners look at

• Logical progression: does the response move clearly from one point to the next?
• Paragraphing: does each paragraph have one clear central idea, and are there paragraphs at all?
• Linking devices: are words like however, as a result and whereas used accurately and without overuse?
• Referencing and substitution: are pronouns and words like this, such and the latter used clearly, so repetition is avoided?

Band by band

Band	What it looks like
9	The writing flows so smoothly that the cohesion is barely noticed. Paragraphing is skilful and any lapses are minimal.
8	The reader follows the message with ease. Information is logically sequenced, cohesion is well managed, and paragraphing is used well.
7	Ideas progress clearly and logically. A range of linking devices is used flexibly, with some under- or over-use. Paragraphing generally supports the overall coherence.
6	There is an overall progression and information is generally organised, but linking may be faulty, mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is not always clear, and paragraphing may not always be logical.
5	Organisation is evident but there is no clear overall progression. Linking is limited or overused and may be inaccurate. Paragraphing may be inadequate or missing.
4	Ideas are not arranged coherently. Only basic linking is used, often inaccurately or repetitively. There may be no paragraphs, or paragraphing is confusing.
3	Ideas are not organised logically, and there is very little control of linking.
2	There is little ability to organise ideas, or the response is off topic.
1	The writer fails to communicate any message, or the response is 20 words or fewer.

Band 0 is given if you do not attend or attempt the task, write entirely in another language, or there is proof the answer was fully memorised.

Features that cap your score

• No paragraphs in Task 2 holds Coherence and Cohesion around Band 5.
• A completely off-topic response receives a very low Coherence and Cohesion score, even if it is well organised.
• Mechanical or faulty linking (a linking word at the start of every sentence, or the wrong one) keeps the score around Band 6.
• Unclear referencing, where the reader cannot tell what it or this refers to, is a Band 6 weakness.

How to move up a band

• From 5 to 6: use clear paragraphs, one central idea each, and put the main idea in the first sentence.
• From 6 to 7: cut half your sentence-opening connectors. Link ideas inside sentences (which, so, while) and with referencing (this change, such policies).
• From 7 to 8: make every paragraph follow from the last. Check that a reader could summarise your argument from your topic sentences alone.
• Task 1: group data by trend or category, not by the order of the visual, and signal comparisons (by contrast, likewise).

Common mistakes

Before (mechanical linking, repeated nouns):

Firstly, online learning is cheap. Moreover, online learning is flexible. Furthermore, online learning lets students study at home. In addition, online learning saves travel time.

After:

Online learning is both cheaper and more flexible than classroom study. Because students can take lessons at home, they also save the time and cost of travelling, which matters most to those who work full time.

The "after" version combines related points, uses because and which to show how ideas connect, and replaces repetition with referencing (they, those).

Related guides

• IELTS Writing: complete guide
• Task Achievement and Task Response
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy
• Speaking: Fluency and Coherence

Sources

• IELTS, Writing band descriptors (PDF)
• IELTS, Scoring in detail