At B1 you collected linking words. At B2 the question changes: not do you know "however", but does your text hold together when the linkers are removed? Cohesion is the invisible stitching — reference words, synonyms, and old-before-new order — and linkers are only the visible buttons.
What you can do after this lesson
You can choose linkers precisely (concession vs contrast vs result), position them correctly, and stitch sentences together with this/these/such and synonyms instead of repetition.
The lesson
Upgrade the linker kit — by exact job:
- Contrast (two things differ): whereas, while, in contrast, on the other hand
- Concession (surprising combination): although, despite + noun/-ing, nevertheless, even so
- Result: consequently, as a result, therefore, hence
- Cause: owing to, due to, since
- Addition with force: moreover, furthermore, what is more
- Reformulation: in other words, that is to say
- Exemplification: a case in point is…, notably
Contrast vs concession is the pair B2 exams probe: whereas compares (The north is dry, whereas the south floods); although concedes something unexpected (Although the budget doubled, results did not improve).
Grammar of the linker matters: despite + noun (despite the rain), although + clause (although it rained). However takes a full stop or semicolon before it — never a bare comma.
Cohesion beyond linkers:
- Reference chains: The university introduced a new policy. This change… — this + summary noun (this approach, this trend, these measures) is the single most useful academic stitch.
- Synonym chains: the ban → the measure → the policy — vary the noun, keep the referent.
- Old before new: start each sentence with what the reader already knows; put the news at the end. Texts feel "choppy" mostly because this order is violated, not because linkers are missing.
Examples
Choppy: The government built new classrooms. The government did not train more teachers. Class sizes stayed large.
Stitched: The government built new classrooms. However, this investment was not matched by teacher training; as a result, class sizes stayed large.
Three stitches: a correctly punctuated however, the reference this investment (= new classrooms, renamed), and as a result making the logic explicit.
Concession vs contrast in action: Fuel prices fell, whereas food prices rose (comparison) vs Although fuel prices fell, transport fares did not (expectation defeated).
Common mistakes
- ✗ Despite it rained, we travelled. → ✓ Despite the rain / Although it rained, we travelled. (Match the grammar to the linker.)
- ✗ The results were poor, however the team continued. → ✓ …were poor. However, the team continued. (Comma splice — however is not a conjunction.)
- Linker inflation: Moreover… Furthermore… In addition… in three consecutive sentences reads as padding. One explicit linker per two or three sentences; let reference words carry the rest.
- On the other hand without a first hand — it pairs with an earlier on the one hand or at least an established first side.
- Repetition instead of reference: naming the policy five times when this/it/such a measure would stitch tighter.
Self-check — what can I do now?
- Choose and justify: ______ the committee approved the plan, funding never arrived. — whereas or although? (although — defeated expectation, not comparison)
- Take three short sentences you wrote recently and stitch them using exactly one linker + one this + summary noun reference.
- Print (or imagine) a paragraph of yours with every linker deleted. Does it still hold together through references and old-before-new order? If yes, the linkers were seasoning — as they should be.