Year 7 · English · Language
Cohesion and connectives
Linking ideas within and between paragraphs using text connectives such as 'however', 'as a result' and 'meanwhile', and consistent pronoun reference.
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These lessons were written around Australian Curriculum strands and matched to UK year groups by age (Year 1 is the year a child turns 6 in England). They are not mapped to the National Curriculum in England or the curricula of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, so check them against your own plans.
Learning goals
Learners will
- Use text connectives to link ideas within and between paragraphs.
- Choose a connective that matches the relationship between ideas (adding, contrasting, cause and effect, time).
- Keep pronoun references clear and consistent.
Success looks like
- I can sort connectives into groups by their job.
- I can choose the right connective to join two ideas.
- I can find and fix a confusing or inconsistent pronoun.
The big idea
A text has good cohesion when its ideas flow smoothly and the reader always knows how one idea connects to the next. Two important tools for cohesion are text connectives and clear pronoun reference.
Text connectives usually sit at the start of a sentence or paragraph, often followed by a comma. Each one does a particular job:
- Adding information: also, in addition, furthermore, moreover, as well.
- Contrasting: however, on the other hand, in contrast, nevertheless, instead.
- Cause and effect: as a result, therefore, consequently, because of this, so.
- Time and sequence: first, next, meanwhile, later, eventually, finally.
- Examples: for example, for instance, such as.
Choosing the right connective matters. 'It rained all day. As a result, the match was cancelled' makes sense. 'It rained all day. However, the match was cancelled' does not, because 'however' signals a surprise or contrast.
Pronoun reference: pronouns save us from repeating nouns, but the reader must know which noun each one points back to. 'Maya gave Ella her book' is unclear – whose book? Rewrite: 'Maya gave Ella the book that Ella had lent her.' Also keep pronouns consistent: if you start with 'the bees … they', do not switch to 'it' halfway.
Worked examples
Choosing the right connective
Join these with a suitable connective: 'The bus was late. We missed the start of the movie.'
- Ask: how are the ideas related? The second happened because of the first.
- That is cause and effect, so choose 'as a result', 'therefore' or 'consequently'.
- Place it at the start of the second sentence with a comma.
Answer: 'The bus was late. As a result, we missed the start of the movie.'
Linking two paragraphs
Paragraph 1 explains the benefits of school gardens. Paragraph 2 explains that gardens need lots of time to look after. Which connective should open paragraph 2?
- Paragraph 2 gives a different side to paragraph 1.
- That is a contrast, so use 'However' or 'On the other hand'.
Answer: 'On the other hand, school gardens take a lot of time to look after.' The connective tells the reader a contrasting point is coming.
Fixing unclear pronouns
Improve: 'Tom and Raj went to the shop. He bought a drink and it was cold so they drank them quickly.'
- 'He' could be Tom or Raj, so replace it with a name.
- 'It' (one drink) and 'them' (more than one) do not match. Decide how many drinks there are.
- Rewrite so every pronoun clearly points to one noun.
Answer: 'Tom and Raj went to the shop. Raj bought two drinks, and because they were cold, the boys drank them quickly.'
Practice check
Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Answer guide for parents
Choose the best connective: 'I practised every night. ___, I played the song perfectly at the concert.'
As a result — Playing perfectly was the effect of practising, so 'as a result' fits.
Choose the best connective: 'It was sunny outside. ___, we stayed indoors to finish our project.'
However — Staying indoors on a sunny day is a contrast, so 'however' fits.
Which connective shows that two things happen at the same time?
Meanwhile — 'Meanwhile' means 'at the same time, somewhere else'.
Which of these connectives shows contrast: therefore, however, meanwhile, finally?
however — 'However' signals a different or opposite idea.
'Sam told Leo that he had won the race.' What is the problem with this sentence?
It is unclear whether 'he' means Sam or Leo. — 'He' could refer to either boy, so the pronoun reference is unclear.
Which sentence keeps its pronouns consistent?
The bees left the hive because they were hungry. — 'Bees' is plural, so the pronoun must be 'they'.
Write a connective that adds information: 'Cats are clean. ___, they are quiet.'
Also — The second sentence adds another good point about cats, so an adding connective fits.
What is the connective in this sentence? 'The bridge was closed. Consequently, we took the long way home.'
Consequently — 'Consequently' shows that taking the long way was the result of the bridge being closed.
Watch out for
- Using 'and then' to join every idea. Varied, precise connectives show the reader how ideas relate.
- Choosing a fancy connective that means the wrong thing, such as 'however' when there is no contrast.
- Assuming the reader knows who 'he' or 'it' is. If two nouns could fit, use a name or noun instead.
Tips for parents
- Make connective cards and sort them into four piles together: adding, contrasting, cause and effect, time.
- When your child tells you about their day, challenge them to use 'meanwhile', 'however' and 'as a result' at least once.
- Read their writing aloud and pause at each pronoun to ask, 'Who or what is this?'
Go further
- Write a four-paragraph recount of a family outing, beginning each paragraph after the first with a different connective.
- Find a newspaper article or information book and highlight every connective, colour-coding them by job.
- Write a short 'connective chain' story where every sentence starts with a different connective.
About 45 minutes
You'll need
- Exercise book and pencil
- Connective cards (write each connective from this lesson on a small card)
- A piece of your own recent writing
Key words
- cohesion
- How well the ideas in a text stick together and flow, so the reader can follow them.
- text connective
- A word or phrase that links sentences or paragraphs and shows how ideas relate, such as 'however' or 'as a result'.
- pronoun
- A word that stands in for a noun, such as he, she, it, they or this.
- pronoun reference
- Making sure the reader knows exactly which noun a pronoun refers to.
- paragraph
- A group of sentences about one main idea.
Still tricky?
For parents
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