Cohesive Devices

Are typically single words or phrases that hold and hang different parts of the text, these are basically
tools of cohesion

Function: The major function of cohesion is text formation. It Helps in achieving unity of text as a
semantic whole.

Examples

Numerous words are considered cohesive devices in the English language. For example; however, in
conclusion, basically, at last, eventually, after all, rarely, normally, at first, often, further, and firstly. Each
of the above examples can be used to start a sentence to link together the sentences or story.

Types of cohesive devices Sentences that are presented as a whole are linked and related to each other
by means of specific cohesive devices, i.e.

•Reference

• Substitution

• Ellipsis

• Conjunctions

• Lexical items

[Link] - is used to describe the different ways in which entities- things, people, events are referred
to within texts (e.g. pronouns)

Example: "I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to your team, and I look forward to
discussing how my skills align with the position in greater detail."

In this example, "I look forward to discussing" refers back to the "opportunity" mentioned earlier,
creating cohesion between the ideas in the sentence.

Types of Reference

- Personal reference – e.g. I, me, mine, mine, his, her, they, them, he, she, you, we, us etc.

Examle: ” I am pleased to submit the project proposal for your review.”

In this sentence, “I” and “your” refer to you and the person that you’re sending your message to.

-Demonstrative reference- e.g. This/these, that/those, here/there

Example: "Thank you for considering my application. I am confident that this opportunity will allow me
to contribute significantly to your team, and I look forward to discussing how I can add value to your
organization."
In this sentence, "this opportunity" is a demonstrative reference, pointing to the job or role being
discussed, and helping to connect the ideas cohesively.

Comparative reference- ; Here things compared show likeness or unlikeness.

Exampe: “I successfully led a team project in my previous company; similarly, I am confident that I can
contribute effectively to your organization’s initiatives.”

“Similarly” compares the past achievement with the expected future contribution, creating cohesion.

2. Substitution –

It is replacement of one linguistic item by another i.e. replacement of one word/phrase with another
word/phrase. It is Used to avoid repetition of a particular item

Example: “I am confident that I possess the skills required for this role, and if you need evidence, I can
provide some.”

Here, the word “some” substitutes for “evidence” to avoid repetition and maintain cohesion.

3. Ellipsis –

It is the deletion or omission of a linguistic item. An occasion when words are deliberately left out of a
sentence, though the meaning can still be understood.

Example: “Some employees preferred to submit the report early; others [preferred to submit it]
later.”

The words “preferred to submit it” are omitted after others because they’re understood from the first
clause. That omission (ellipsis) makes the sentence cohesive without repeating the whole phrase.

4. Conjunction- A word which joins words and sentences such as but, when, and, so, or, unless etc.

Example: “I am eager to apply for this position because it aligns with my career goals and allows me to
further develop my skills.”

The conjunctions “because” and “and” connect the ideas smoothly, creating cohesion.

Categories:

-Additive (substance added to another) - -

Example : “I have experience in customer service, and I also have strong skills in administrative
support.”
 The additive conjunctions “and” / “also” add new but related information, making the sentence
cohesive.

Adversative (contrary to expectations)

Example: “I have limited experience in sales, but I am highly motivated to learn and adapt quickly to
new challenges.”

The adversative conjunction “but” contrasts two ideas, making the sentence cohesive.

-Causal (relations expressed by so, hence, therefore, thus)

Example: “I have extensive experience in project management; therefore, I am confident that I can
contribute to your company’s growth.”

“Therefore” signals the effect (confidence to contribute) resulting from the cause (experience).

-Temporal (relation expressed by “then”)

Example: “I worked as an assistant manager for two years, and then I gained valuable experience in
customer relations.”

“Then” shows the sequence of events, making the sentence cohesive.

Example:

5. Lexical cohesion- Lexical cohesion is established through vocabulary. While reference, ellipsis and
conjunction tend to link clauses which are near each other in the text, lexical cohesion tends to link
much larger parts of the text.

Lexical cohesion is created by Reiteration and Collocation

•Reiteration – involves the repetition of the same word, a synonym or near-synonym, or a general
word

example: " I am writing to express my interest in the marketing assistant position, as this role matches
my experience in marketing strategies and my passion for digital marketing.”

The repeated use of “marketing” (position, strategies, digital) ties the sentence together.

. •Collocation - is the way in which particular words tend to occur or belong together.

Example: “I am confident that my ability to meet deadlines and manage projects efficiently will make
me a valuable asset to your team.”
The collocated pairs “meet deadlines” and “manage projects” work together to create cohesion and
natural flow.