IELTS Writing Linking Words
Most candidates learn a list of "Firstly, Moreover, Nevertheless" and sprinkle them everywhere. That gets you to band 6. Band 7 and above use cohesion logically — the right device for the right relationship.
Stop overusing these
Firstly / Secondly / Finally, Moreover, Furthermore, Nowadays, In conclusion. Every candidate uses them. Replace them with more specific devices where you can, and vary sentence openings instead.
Add these to your toolkit
For addition: In addition, What is more, Not only… but also. For contrast: By contrast, On the other hand, While, Although. For result: As a result, Consequently, This means that. For example: For instance, A clear example of this is, To illustrate.
Reference words are more important than linkers
Using "this", "these", "such", and "it" to refer back to ideas in the previous sentence is what makes writing feel cohesive at band 7+. Work on this before memorising more linkers.
A quick check
Read just the first word of every sentence. If they are all "Firstly, Moreover, However, Therefore", you are over-using mechanical linkers. Vary the openings instead.
Frequently asked
How many linking words do I need?
Quality over quantity. Around 10–15 well-chosen devices you can use accurately is enough. Accuracy matters more than rarity.
Can linkers alone lift me to band 7?
No — they help Coherence & Cohesion, but Task Response and Lexical Resource usually decide the overall band.
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