Enhance Clarity in Writing with a Cohesive Devices List

Teaching students how to make their writing flow is an essential part of developing confident, capable writers. That’s where cohesive devices come into play! 

Cohesive devices are words or phrases that link ideas together so that writing makes sense and flows smoothly. They can be used to connect ideas within a sentence or across several sentences. There are many different types of cohesive devices in the writer’s toolkit… The trick is remembering them all!

This two-page list of cohesive devices has been created by our team as a student’s go-to resource for understanding and employing the most common cohesive writing devices. The list includes each device’s definition, a few example words or phrases, and an example sentence to show how the device might be used in context.  

The cohesive devices list contains the following devices:

• Coordination conjunctions
• Subordinating conjunctions
• Pronouns
• Synonyms
• Time connectives
• Comparative words
• Cause and effect words
• Illustrating words
• Adding words
• Emphasising words
• Intentionally repeated words

This cohesive devices list downloads as a printable PDF or editable Google Slides document. 

Encourage your students to keep this list of cohesive devices on hand whenever they are completing an extended writing task. Armed with this resource, your students will be equipped with the tools they need to write more connected, coherent texts.

Using This List of Cohesive Devices in English

This list of cohesive devices is more than just a handout. It’s a flexible teaching tool that can be used in a variety of engaging ways to build your students’ writing skills. Here are some ideas you might find helpful:

• Device of the Day – After distributing the list to your students, spend the next couple of weeks focusing on one cohesive device each day. Taking a deeper dive into each device individually will help solidify the student’s understanding of how it can be used to create more coherent and connected writing.
• Classroom Display  – Enlarge the two lists and print them on colored cardstock to create durable anchor charts. Display the anchor charts on your classroom wall as a constant reminder for students to include cohesive devices in their writing.
• Writing Review Sessions – During peer review sessions, ask students to identify and evaluate cohesive devices in each other’s writing using the cheat sheet as a guide. This not only enhances students’ understanding of the devices but also promotes collaborative learning and constructive feedback.

Download This Cohesion Devices List Today!

Getting your hands on this valuable resource is easy! Just use the Download button above to access either the printable PDF or the editable Google Slides version of this cohesion devices list. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template on your personal drive before accessing it.)

Perfect for student notebooks, this resource makes a great starting point when it comes to exploring cohesive writing techniques with your students.

Resources to Complement This Cohesive Devices List

Teach Starter has more great resources to save you time when teaching writing techniques to your class. Click below for some more curriculum-aligned, teacher-created activities!

[resource:169847] [resource:5125170] [resource:5151806]