Linking words in IELTS Writing: where however and therefore belong, and where they are noise

2026-09-19 · 13 min read

Linking words are the first thing people learn for Writing and the thing they most often overdo. A typical band 6 essay has Firstly, Moreover, Furthermore, In addition, However, On the other hand, In conclusion at the start of almost every sentence. The examiner reads this as mechanics rather than cohesion, and the Coherence and Cohesion score does not go up. This article is not another word list. It explains how linkers work: the three grammatical types and a sentence pattern for each, punctuation, common mix-ups, cohesion without linkers, and how many you actually need. The overall format of the section and the four criteria are covered in IELTS Writing: format, criteria, timing and how to prepare.

What is really being assessed

Linkers are only part of one of the four criteria, Coherence and Cohesion. In plain terms, it covers two things. Coherence is logic: one idea per paragraph, a clear order, each sentence following from the one before. Cohesion is the technique that makes that logic visible: linking words, reference words (this, these, such, which), synonyms instead of repetition, and pronouns.

Hence the main rule: a linker does not create logic, it labels it. If there is no contrast between two sentences, However will not create one; it will only show the examiner that you are unsure what the word means. The difference between 6 and 7 here is not the number of linkers. At 6 they are present but mechanical and sometimes wrong; at 7 they are accurate and varied, and part of the linking is done without linkers at all.

Three types of linker and a pattern for each

Most mistakes come from the fact that linkers with the same meaning behave differently in a sentence. However, although and despite all express contrast, yet each is built in a different way.

1. Adverbs: they start a new sentence

However, therefore, moreover, in addition, as a result, consequently, nevertheless, for example, in contrast. They link two separate sentences, not two parts of one. Three acceptable patterns:

X. However, Y. The default: full stop, linker, comma. Public transport is cheaper. However, many people still prefer to drive.
X; however, Y. A semicolon instead of a full stop when both sentences are short and closely related. Use it sparingly.
X. Y, however, Z. The linker inside the second sentence, after the subject, between commas. The cost of solar panels, however, remains high. It sounds more natural and varies the way your sentences begin.

Not allowed: X, however Y, two sentences joined by a comma. This is a punctuation error, and the examiner counts it under Grammar.

2. Conjunctions: they join two parts of one sentence

Although, even though, while, whereas, because, since, so, but, and, unless, if. A conjunction is followed by a full clause with a subject and a verb.

Although X, Y. The subordinate clause first, then a comma. Although online courses are convenient, they require strong self-discipline.
Y although X. The subordinate clause at the end, usually without a comma.
X, whereas Y. A comparison of two facts; keep whereas in the middle. Rural areas lost population, whereas cities grew.
X, but Y. / X, so Y. Simple conjunctions in the middle of a sentence. At the start of a sentence in formal writing, replace them with However, / Therefore,.

Not allowed: Although X, but Y. One conjunction per contrast: either although or but.

3. Prepositions: a noun comes next

Despite, in spite of, because of, due to, owing to, as a result of, in addition to, instead of. They are followed not by a clause but by a noun, an -ing form or the fact that.

Despite + noun: Despite the high cost, the project was completed.
Despite + -ing: Despite being expensive, electric cars are selling well.
Despite the fact that + clause: correct but long; although is shorter.
Because of / due to + noun: Many flights were cancelled due to the storm. Compare because the weather was bad, which is a conjunction.

Not allowed: despite of (either despite or in spite of) and despite the prices are high (no verb after a preposition).

One idea, three ways

This skill is what gives the range the examiner is looking for: not new words, but a different structure.

Meaning	Adverb	Conjunction	Preposition
Contrast	Fees are high. However, demand is growing.	Although fees are high, demand is growing.	Despite high fees, demand is growing.
Cause and result	Fuel became cheaper. As a result, car use rose.	Car use rose because fuel became cheaper.	Car use rose due to cheaper fuel.
Addition	Cycling is cheap. In addition, it improves health.	Cycling is not only cheap but also good for health.	In addition to being cheap, cycling improves health.
Comparing two facts	Cities grew. In contrast, villages shrank.	Cities grew, whereas villages shrank.	Unlike cities, villages shrank.

A full list of linkers by function (contrast, result, other people's views, concession, example, conclusion) is in IELTS Writing Task 2: how to write an essay for band 7. What matters here is not a longer list but the ability to express each function in all three ways.

Mix-ups the examiner spots at once

What people write	What is wrong	What to write
Meanwhile, private schools are expensive.	Meanwhile means "at the same time", not "on the other hand"	However, / By contrast,
On the contrary, villages shrank.	On the contrary rejects what was just said ("no, the opposite is true"); it does not compare two things	In contrast, / By contrast,
On the other hand, it is also cheap.	On the other hand introduces the other side, not another point for the same side	In addition, / Moreover,
Moreover, some people disagree.	Moreover adds to the same line of argument, but this is a turn	However, / Nevertheless,
As a result of, the air is cleaner.	As a result of is a preposition and needs a noun	As a result, the air is cleaner. / As a result of the ban, …
Due to prices are rising, …	No verb after due to	Due to rising prices, … / Because prices are rising, …
Even if many people use cars, …	Even if is hypothetical; for a fact use even though	Even though many people use cars, …
Besides, … / Also, … at the start of a sentence	Too informal for an essay	In addition, / Moreover,
On my opinion / According to me	Translated directly from Russian or Uzbek	In my opinion, / In my view,
In the other side / From one side	Direct translations	On the one hand … On the other hand

Cohesion without linkers

At band 7 and above, most of the cohesion comes not from However and Moreover but from words that point back to what has already been said. This is exactly what band 6 essays lack.

This / these + noun. Not a bare This, but with the thing it refers to: This policy…, These changes…, This trend… One word ties the sentence to the previous one and tells the reader what it is about.
Such + noun. Such measures are rarely popular. It means "measures of this kind" and points back to what you have described.
Which at the end of a sentence. …, which means that / which leads to… A result without a separate Therefore.
Synonyms and paraphrase. young people → the younger generation → teenagers; working from home → remote work → this arrangement. Repeating the same word five times lowers both Cohesion and Lexical Resource.
Pronouns. they, it, their, as long as it is clear what they refer to. If the previous sentence has two plural nouns, they becomes ambiguous; repeat the noun or use a synonym.
Old to new. Start the sentence with something already mentioned and end with the new information. Governments could tax sugary drinks. Such a tax would reduce consumption. The link is clear without a single linker.

Worked example: an overloaded paragraph

The topic: should cities invest in public transport rather than new roads? Here is a paragraph examiners see all the time:

Firstly, public transport is good for the environment. Moreover, it reduces traffic. Furthermore, it is cheaper for people. In addition, many people cannot drive. On the other hand, buses are not comfortable. Therefore, governments should invest in public transport.

Six sentences, six linkers. What is wrong: four reasons are listed and none is explained; Moreover / Furthermore / In addition in a row are one function in three words; On the other hand introduces an objection nobody answers, and Therefore draws a conclusion that does not follow from that objection. There is no logic here, just a list dressed up in linkers.

The same material, one idea, with an explanation and an example:

The strongest argument for investing in public transport is its effect on congestion. A single bus can carry as many passengers as forty cars, so every commuter who switches from driving frees space on the road for those who have no alternative. This effect is visible in cities that have expanded their metro systems, where rush-hour traffic has grown far more slowly than car ownership. New roads, by contrast, tend to fill up within a few years, as the extra capacity itself encourages more people to drive.

There are only two linkers here: so inside a sentence and by contrast in the middle of the last one. The rest is held together by This effect, where, the extra capacity itself and the order: point, mechanism, example, comparison. The environment and accessibility have not disappeared; they belong in the second body paragraph, not in one list. A step-by-step method for building such a paragraph is in The AREA method: how to build an answer in IELTS Writing and Speaking.

How many linkers you need

For a 270-word essay, aim for six to eight explicit linkers, roughly one in every second or third sentence. They fit naturally in these places:

In the introduction, none, or while when you paraphrase two opinions.
At the start of the second body paragraph, a turn if it covers the other side: On the other hand, / However, / Opponents argue that…
Inside a paragraph, one or two: for the example (For example) and for the result (As a result, / which means that).
In the conclusion, In conclusion or On balance, and that is the last linker in the text.

Firstly, Secondly, Finally are not forbidden, but they build a list rather than an argument. It is better to open each body paragraph with a sentence that names the idea: The main benefit of X is…, A further concern is… The order is already visible from the paragraphs.

A check after writing: underline every linker. If there are more than ten, or two in a row with the same function, or the same word twice, cut the extras. If there is no linker where the argument changes direction, add one.

Linkers in Task 1

Describing a graph needs a completely different set, and essay linkers sound odd there: Moreover, sales fell adds nothing to the data. The main job in Task 1 is comparison, which is done with conjunctions and phrases in the middle of the sentence:

X rose, whereas / while Y fell.
Y, by contrast, moved in the opposite direction.
Z followed a similar pattern, though from a lower base.
…, reaching / before falling to… A second movement without another linker.

A process needs sequence linkers: At the first stage, Once… has been…, …is then…, After being…, In the final stage. Here First / Then / Next are exactly right, because the sequence is the point. More in IELTS Writing Task 1: how to describe graphs, tables, processes and maps and How to describe trends in IELTS Writing Task 1: sentence patterns, prepositions and line shape.

Typical mistakes

A linker in every sentence. Six in a row read like a memorised template.
The wrong linker for the logic. Moreover before an objection, However before another supporting point, Therefore before an idea that does not follow.
Two sentences joined by a comma. Cars are convenient, however they pollute the air. Use a full stop or a semicolon.
Although… but. Two conjunctions for one contrast.
Despite of, due to + verb. After prepositions use a noun or an -ing form.
A bare This. This is a problem. What is? This shortage is a problem.
But / And / So at the start of a sentence. In an essay, change them to However / In addition / Therefore or join the sentence to the previous one.
Long memorised phrases. It is an undeniable fact that…, Last but not least… They take up space, say nothing, and examiners recognise them at once.
In conclusion in the middle of the text, or To sum up in Task 1, where no conclusion is needed.

How to practise

Take one of your old essays. Underline every linker, remove half of them and read it again: where the text became unclear, the linker was needed; where nothing changed, it was noise. Then take three sentences with a contrast and rewrite each one three ways, with an adverb, a conjunction and a preposition, as in the table above. Ten minutes a day, and within a week you will be choosing a structure rather than searching for a word.

In Tilmashq, Task 2 essays and Task 1 answers are scored on all four criteria, including Coherence and Cohesion, with a comment, quotes from your text and corrections, plus a version of the same text rewritten to your target band, where you can see which linkers are unnecessary and where one is missing. The scoring is done by AI and is on average stricter than an examiner, so read the band as a minimum. The tasks are our own, not taken from the exam.