IELTS Linking Words That Actually Improve Your Score

Most IELTS candidates know they should use linking words, but the majority end up doing it in a way that actively damages their score. They pepper every sentence with 'Furthermore', 'Moreover', and 'In addition' — and examiners notice. The Coherence and Cohesion criterion, which accounts for 25% of your Writing band, does not reward volume of linking devices. It rewards range, accuracy, and invisibility: the best linking words guide the reader so smoothly they barely register. This post breaks down exactly which linking devices work, why they work, and how to deploy them without falling into the traps that keep candidates stuck at Band 6.

What Examiners Actually Look for Under Cohesion

The Band 7 descriptor for Coherence and Cohesion states that a candidate 'uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under- or over-use'. Band 6, by contrast, describes 'some inaccurate use'. The key word separating these bands is 'appropriately'. An examiner is trained to spot three things: whether the link matches the logical relationship between ideas, whether the same device is repeated so often it becomes mechanical, and whether the sentence still makes grammatical sense with the device included. Getting all three right is what moves you from 6 to 7.

The Four Logical Relationships You Must Signal

Every linking word belongs to a category of logical relationship. Choosing the wrong category — writing 'However' when you mean 'Therefore', for instance — is the single most common cohesion error at Band 5–6. Before selecting a connector, ask yourself: am I adding, contrasting, showing cause-effect, or giving an example? The table below maps the most useful devices to each relationship, including register notes that matter for academic Task 2.

Linking Words That Genuinely Differentiate Band 6 from Band 7

Certain devices are so rarely used well at Band 6 that their accurate appearance in your essay immediately signals range to an examiner. Concession markers are the clearest example. Most Band 6 candidates build arguments by listing points in one direction; Band 7 candidates acknowledge the opposing side and then rebut it. This is a structural move, but it depends on accurate language.

Notice that the Band 7+ version uses 'Admittedly' to grant the opposing point and 'nevertheless' to pivot — two different devices performing two different logical jobs within one sentence. This is precisely what the Band 7 descriptor means by 'range'. Other high-value devices in this category include 'Granted, this approach has merit; however,...' and 'While it is true that costs are lower, the social consequences deserve equal scrutiny.'

Referencing as a Cohesive Device

Linking words are not the only cohesive tools the examiner assesses. Pronoun reference, demonstrative reference ('this problem', 'these trends'), and lexical chains (repeating or paraphrasing a key noun across sentences) all contribute to your Coherence and Cohesion score. A paragraph that uses 'this shift' to refer to a process described in the previous sentence is demonstrating cohesion just as effectively as a paragraph that opens with 'Consequently'. Candidates who rely exclusively on connectives and ignore referencing typically plateau at Band 6.5.

The Overuse Trap and How to Escape It

Overuse is penalised explicitly at Band 6 and implicitly at Band 7 — because mechanical repetition of the same device reduces the 'range' credit available to you. The most commonly overused words in IELTS scripts, based on examiner reports and published band descriptors, are: 'Furthermore', 'Moreover', 'In addition', 'However', and 'In conclusion'. This does not mean you should avoid them entirely; it means you should not use the same word more than once in a 250-word essay unless no other option serves the same logical relationship.

A Practical Rotation System for Your Essays

Rather than memorising a long list of connectors you may misuse under exam pressure, build a short rotation of three to four devices per logical relationship that you have practised enough to use accurately. Below is a workable rotation for the contrast relationship — the one that appears most frequently in Task 2 argumentative essays.

1. 1Use 'However' once — at the start of the paragraph that introduces the counterargument.
2. 2Use 'That said,' or 'Even so,' when you are conceding a minor point mid-paragraph before pivoting back to your main claim.
3. 3Use 'By contrast' when you are directly comparing two groups, countries, or time periods with parallel data.
4. 4Use 'Nevertheless' or 'Nonetheless' interchangeably for formal, emphatic rebuttals at the end of a concession move.

Apply the same rotation logic to every category in the table above. The goal is not to impress the examiner with obscure vocabulary — devices like 'notwithstanding' tend to be used inaccurately and actually lower scores. The goal is reliable, varied, accurate use of devices your examiner recognises and trusts. Practise writing one paragraph per day this week, targeting a single logical relationship, and your cohesion score will reflect the improvement within two to three full practice essays.