IELTS Writing Task 2 Linking Words for Band 7–8 (With Examples)
Students often treat linking words like a score cheat code: paste Moreover and Furthermore into every sentence and wait for Coherence to rise. When we mark those scripts, the band usually does not move. Examiners score Coherence & Cohesion — clear paragraph jobs, ideas in a sensible order, and cohesive devices that earn their place — not linker density.
Get the essay structure & format right first. Then use the phrases below as a small toolkit, not a stamp for every line.
Last updated: July 25, 2026
On this page (why linkers are not enough, by function, Band 6 vs 7, overuse list, FAQ)
Why linkers alone do not raise the band
A Band 6 essay that starts every sentence with Furthermore is still Band 6. Band 7 cohesion usually needs one main idea per body, a path the reader can follow without guessing, and a mix of linking words, reference (this, these, such policies), and substitution — not a linker in every line.
One student stuck around overall 6 kept sending technology essays that looked “organised” on first glance: Firstly… Secondly… Moreover… Furthermore… In conclusion…. Underneath, each body was two thin claims. CC sat at 6.0 while TR was not much better. We did not give him a longer linker list. We cut half the connectors, forced one concrete office example into Body 1, and made Body 2 answer a real downside instead of adding another Moreover. On the next timed draft, CC moved before the vocabulary changed. That is the usual order: logic first, then glue.
Related: band descriptors guide · Task 2 complete guide.
Adding and sequencing
When a second point really is new, In addition or Another can help: In addition, remote work reduces commuting stress. Another benefit is lower office costs. Similarly works when two situations share a pattern — Similarly, rural clinics face staffing shortages.
What we see too often is additive glue on sentences that are not additive. If the next line only restates the same idea, skip the linker and use reference instead (This pressure…, Such costs…). Firstly / Secondly are fine in a five-minute plan; as body openers they get stiff if every paragraph starts that way.
Contrasting and conceding
Contrast is where Band 7 scripts usually earn cohesion — or fake it. However, Although, While, and Despite are enough for most Task 2 turns:
Flexibility helps many workers. However, it can blur work–life boundaries.
Although costs rise initially, long-term savings can be significant.
While some favour bans, others prefer taxation.
The weak habit is a bolted-on concession: It is true that X. However, Y with no real engagement with X. If you concede, answer the critic. Opinion essays lean on this move a lot — see the agree/disagree guide.
Examples and results
Examples do more for cohesion than another Moreover. For example / For instance only work when the scene is specific enough that the reader can picture it — For example, office workers often report interruptions during deep work beats For example, technology is bad.
Result markers (Therefore, As a result) are riskier. They only fit if the previous sentence earned the outcome. If the “result” is just your opinion restated, examiners feel the glue more than the logic. Ask bluntly: would this sentence still make sense if I deleted Therefore?
Concluding
You need one clear closer, not a stack. In conclusion and Overall are both fine: Overall, the advantages outweigh the drawbacks. To sum up is acceptable if you do not also pile In conclusion and To conclude into the same paragraph.
The conclusion’s job is to restate the lean you already proved. A new argument in the last three lines usually looks bolted on — and no amount of Finally / To sum up fixes that.
Band 6 vs Band 7 cohesion
Band 6 (linker pile, thin ideas):
Furthermore, technology is important. Moreover, people use phones. Furthermore, this is bad.
Band 7 (logic first, linkers where needed):
Technology simplifies many daily tasks. However, constant notifications can reduce concentration. For example, office workers often report interruptions during deep work.
The gap is not “more advanced connectors.” It is fewer empty ones and more developed thought between them. Read the Band 7 version out loud: the turns still feel natural if you delete one linker; the Band 6 version falls apart because the linkers were doing all the work.
Useful words — and five to limit
Reach for (with variety): however, therefore, although, while, in addition, for example, similarly, consequently, despite, overall, in contrast, as a result, namely, alternatively, thus, meanwhile, in particular, on the other hand, in conclusion, such
Limit (often overused in Band 6 scripts): furthermore, moreover, in this day and age, it is undeniable that, and the full on the one hand… on the other hand frame in every essay
Memorised openers hurt Lexical Resource as much as Cohesion. Prefer a plain paraphrase of the prompt: introduction examples.
Questions students ask
How many linking words per essay?
From the scripts I mark, there is no lucky number. A clean Band 7 draft might use half a dozen different devices in about 280 words — or fewer, if reference and paragraph order are doing the work. Count only matters when every sentence starts with a linker; that usually means the ideas underneath are still thin.
Are informal linkers OK?
I notice Also at the start of five sentences in a row more than I notice the occasional And / But. Occasional And / But appears in modern formal writing; stacking Also looks unfinished. When you need a clear turn, However or In addition is safer.
Do linkers help Task 1 as well?
Yes — especially for trends and comparisons (however, similarly, respectively). This page is written for Task 2, but the same rule holds: if the chart point is unclear, a fancy connector will not save it.
How do I practise cohesion without rewriting whole essays?
Take one weak body from your last draft. Cut two empty Furthermores, add one concrete example, and check that each sentence follows from the last. That short rewrite matches mixed practice on Personalized Practice — Practices 1–15 mix cohesion with logic and sentence work; Practices 16–20 are timed essays; Practices 1–2 are free. Then rescore the full essay with the free essay checker and look at CC before you chase rarer vocabulary.
After you check your score
Most free tools stop at another band estimate. EssayGradeWise adds criterion drills inside a 20-practice plan (TR, CC, LR, GRA) so you practise the weak spot — not another full essay at random.
- Free IELTS essay checker — no login for score-only
- Try Practices 1–2 free
EssayGradeWise is not affiliated with or endorsed by IELTS, IDP, or the British Council.