Improve your IELTS Academic Writing score
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WELCOME TO IELTS ONLINE WRITINGWelcome to Improve Your IELTS Academic Writing
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Meet Your Course Trainers
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Course Overview
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Using the Platform
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ABOUT THE IELTS WRITING TESTLearning Outcomes
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Check Your Knowledge
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Band Descriptors
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Test Format
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TASK 1Learning Outcomes
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Check Your Knowledge
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Overall Structure5 Topics
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Types of Visuals4 Topics
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Paragraph Structure8 Topics
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Organisation and Logic3 Topics
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Practice5 Topics
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Lesson Summary
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TASK 1 IMPROVE YOUR SCORETask Achievement2 Topics
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Coherence and Cohesion2 Topics
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Lexical Resource2 Topics
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Grammatical Range and Accuracy2 Topics
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Lesson Summary
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TASK 2Learning Outcomes
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Check Your Knowledge
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Overall Structure5 Topics
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Question Types4 Topics
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Paragraph Structure12 Topics
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Organisation and Logic3 Topics
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Practice5 Topics
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Lesson Summary
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TASK 2 IMPROVE YOUR SCORETask Response2 Topics
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Coherence and Cohesion2 Topics
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Lexical Resource2 Topics
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Grammatical Range and Accuracy2 Topics
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Lesson Summary
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COURSE CONCLUSIONOverall tips
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Congratulations on Completing the Course
Language Focus: Cohesion
Coherence and Cohesion: Pronoun Referencing and Linkers
This is the second part of the lesson about Coherence and Cohesion. In the previous lesson, you learnt about clause structure and how to link ideas together. In this part of the lesson, you will look at two techniques to create cohesion in your essay: pronoun referencing and linking phrases.
Pronoun referencing
Another way to create cohesion in your writing is through the use of pronoun referencing. This is the use of pronouns to refer to ideas and nouns in your writing. Here are some pronouns that are commonly used in Task 1 and 2:
Personal pronouns | he, him, she, her, it, they, them, their |
Demonstrative pronouns | this, these, that, those |
Relative pronouns | which, who, where |
For example:
Referring back to a specific noun:
- In the first step of the process, the potatoes are delivered to the factory. They are then cleaned and peeled.
- The aluminium is melted down to create new aluminium cans. These cans are then sold in shops and vending machines.
- After it has been soaked, the material passes through a machine which flattens it.
- The beans are then transported to a factory where they are roasted.
Referring back to a whole action:
- Limestone and clay are both passed through a crusher. This creates a fine powder, which is then heated.
- In the process the water is filtered and treated, which makes it safe to use as drinking water.
To learn more about pronoun referencing, download this PDF.
Have a look at the example question and model response below. The pronouns in this model response are in bold. What is each pronoun (1-11) referring to?
The diagram below shows the postal voting process.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
1. This diagram illustrates how to cast a postal vote. The process has 6 main steps, starting with the application to receive a ballot paper, and ending with casting the vote and posting the ballot paper. To begin, an application to vote via post must be requested and then completed. 2. This can be done on paper or online. Following 3. this, 4. those 5. who have applied for a postal vote receive 6. their ballot paper two weeks before the election. The ballot paper is sent to the address specified by the recipient. The next part of the process involves completing the ballot paper. To do 7. this, the person casting the vote needs to fill in the ballot paper in the presence of a witness 8. who signs and dates the paper. Once 9. this has been finalised, the next step is casting the vote. In 10. this step, the voter chooses the candidate 11. they prefer by ticking the appropriate box. Finally, after the vote has been cast, the ballot paper is placed in a prepaid envelope and posted. |
Check Your Answers
1. This diagram (refers back to the question) illustrates how to cast a postal vote. The process has 6 main steps, starting with the application to receive a ballot paper, and ending with casting the vote and posting the ballot paper.
To begin, an application to vote via post must be requested and then completed. 2.This (refers back the to previous sentence) can be done on paper or online. Following 3. this (refers back to the previous sentence), 4. those (refers to people outside the text) 5. who (refers to “those”) have applied for a postal vote receive 6. their (refers to “those”) ballot paper two weeks before the election. The ballot paper is sent to the address specified by the recipient.
The next part of the process involves completing the ballot paper. To do 7. this (refers back to the previous sentence), the person casting the vote needs to fill in the ballot paper in the presence of a witness 8. who (refers to “a witness”) signs and dates the paper. Once 9. this (refers back to the previous sentence) has been finalised, the next step is casting the vote. In 10. this (refers back to the previous sentence) step, the voter chooses the candidate 11. they (refers back to “the voter”) prefer by ticking the appropriate box. Finally, after the vote has been cast, the ballot paper is placed in a prepaid envelope and posted.
Linking phrases
In the previous part of the lesson, you learnt about linking words and phrases. These are phrases that show relationships between ideas. They can express relationships such as time, sequence, addition, contrast, details, and examples.
Look again at the model answer. Can you find linking phrases that express these relationships?
This diagram illustrates how to cast a postal vote. The process has 6 main steps, starting with the application to receive a ballot paper, and ending with casting the vote and posting the ballot paper. To begin, an application to vote via post must be requested and then completed. This can be done on paper or online. Following this, those who have applied for a postal vote receive their ballot paper two weeks before the election. The ballot paper is sent to the address specified by the recipient. The next part of the process involves completing the ballot paper. To do this, the person casting the vote needs to fill in the ballot paper in the presence of a witness who signs and dates the paper. Once this has been finalised, the next step is casting the vote. In this step, the voter chooses the candidate they prefer by ticking the appropriate box. Finally, after the vote has been cast, the ballot paper is placed in a prepaid envelope and posted. |
Check Your Answers
To begin (sequence), an application to vote via post must be requested and (addition) then (sequence) completed. This can be done on paper or online. Following this (sequence), those who have applied for a postal vote receive their ballot paper two weeks before (time) the election. The ballot paper is sent to the address specified by the recipient.
The next part of the process (sequence) involves completing the ballot paper. To do this (details of how), the person casting the vote needs to fill in the ballot paper in the presence of a witness who signs and dates the paper. Once (sequence) this has been finalised, the next step (sequence) is casting the vote. In this step, the voter chooses the candidate they prefer by ticking the appropriate box. Finally (sequence), after (sequence) the vote has been cast, the ballot paper is placed in a prepaid envelope and (addition) posted.