Writing a coherent essay is crucial, it ensures that ideas are well organised and there is a logical flow. Thus, helping the readers to understand the essay. This article outlines the seven steps to writing a coherent essay and helping students to get higher bands in IELTS writing. Each step is supported by tips and examples to elaborate how students should put each step into practice. But before we get into that we need to understand what coherence is. As explained by the University of Aukland’s Flexible Learning Centre (2024) ‘Coherence in writing means that the readers can easily follow and understand how ideas are connected with each other, and how the central focus of the essay is maintained’. To learn how this is done read the following steps and start your journey of higher scores in IELTS writing.
1 Understanding the question statement
The first step to writing a coherent essay is to fully understand the given question statement. If you are unable to do this then you could write something that is not even asked in the statement or write an essay that is off topic and does not focus on the key points given in the question. Read the following tips as mentioned by Chin (2013) and Linford (2014) to understand how you should interpret the essay statement:
Tips:
Break down the question statement to understand key terms and relationships.
Understand whether the question requires you to discuss, analyse, explain or argue.
Keep your essay linked with the statement of the question throughout the writing.
Now, check the given example to find out how you can use those tips to comprehend the question statement.
Example essay prompt: Some people say public transport is affordable, but other people have the opposite opinion. Discuss both views.
Analysis:
Key terms: ‘discuss’; ‘public transport’; ‘affordable’; ‘people’s opinion’
Purpose: To discuss why some people believe public transport is affordable, while others think it is not.
So, in this example, the analysis is done properly. If we discuss public transport independently or do not include people’s opinions, it will be wrong, which will obviously decrease our band scores.
2 Choosing a clear side
The most common mistake that students make is they don’t pick a side, which confuses the reader or examiner. After understanding the essay prompt, you should choose a clear side, especially in the agree or disagree type of essay. A clear stance helps in crafting a focused and coherent argument throughout the essay. The following tips summarise the key points that you must follow after you know what the question is demanding from you.
Tips:
- Take a clear stance on the topic.
- Ensure your position is reflected in the introduction and conclusion.
- Avoid writing vague statements in the introduction that do not clearly highlight your opinion.
Check the example given below to understand what a clear stance looks like:
Example essay prompt: Social media should be regulated to prevent misinformation. Do you agree or disagree?
Position: I agree that social media should be regulated to prevent misinformation because unchecked false information can harm public health, politics and social stability.
Here the writer has clearly stated their opinion, which will guide the direction of the essay and help in presenting a coherent argument.
3 Crafting a clear thesis statement
The thesis statement is basically your answer to the given Task 2 question. It should be specific and give reasons to support your argument. A well-written thesis statement gives the reader an idea of what is being discussed in the body paragraphs. (IELTS Liz, 2024).
Tips:
- Clearly state your main argument and the scope of your essay.
- Ensure your thesis presents a position that can be supported with reasons that can be explained in the body paragraphs.
- The thesis should offer a roadmap for your essay’s structure, helping you stay focused on the topic.
Below is an example where a student has written a clear thesis statement using the tips mentioned above:
Example essay prompt: Many working people do not exercise enough these days. What is the reason for such a situation?
Thesis statement: It is happening because they are tired after coming back from the office, thus they lack the passion to exercise.
This thesis statement is specific and provides a clear direction for the essay, indicating that the further body paragraphs will cover the idea of working people being lethargic due to a huge amount of work and not having any motivation to do physical activities.
4 Developing a detailed outline
An outline is a rough sketch for your essay – a map of your essay. It helps you to brainstorm some ideas that you are going to explain, connecting them with your thesis statement and claims, therefore, ensuring your essay flows logically from one point to the next. (George Mason University, 2024). Writing an outline saves you time while you are writing the actual essay, check the example outline written below:
Example essay prompt: In the future, many people will choose to go on holiday in their own country and not travel abroad.
Introduction:
Introduce the topic of increasing domestic tourism.
Present the thesis statement.
Mention reasons causing this change such as cost and environmental concerns.
Body paragraphs:
Financial benefits of local tourism
Discuss how a lot of money can be saved if people don’t travel abroad: no visa fees; no need for international flights; and reduced accommodation costs.
Example: How a family can save a significant amount of money by travelling locally compared to an international trip
Environmental concerns:
Explain how people nowadays are concerned about carbon emissions and how they are trying to reduce this by being more environment friendly, using electric cars, buses and trains.
Example: No carbon emissions if people do not use international flights for travelling
Conclusion:
Summarise the main points.
Restate the thesis in light of the discussion.
This outline ensures that each section of the essay logically follows the other and each part of the statement is explained well thus contributing to overall coherence.
5 Ensuring logical flow with cohesive devices
Cohesive devices such as transitions, reference and substitution are essential for guiding your reader through your essay. They ensure that your ideas flow logically from one paragraph to the next. It is also important that we should avoid the overuse of linking words, which have a negative impact on our score because it comes under repetition.
Tips:
- Use words and phrases like however, on the other hand, similarly and in contrast to show the relationship between ideas.
- Referencing involves the use of pronouns to refer to something mentioned in the previous part of the text and avoids the repetition of nouns.
- Substitution is the usage of synonyms to replace repeated words.
Some examples are:
Use of transitions
Domestic holidays offer financial benefits; on the other hand, international travelling gives us a chance to experience different cultures.
Use of substitution
International travelling is expensive, but it gives us a chance to experience different cultures.
Use of referencing
Tourism has an impact on local communities. This impact can be both positive and negative.
In the examples above we used: on the other hand; it; and this impact. All of which help us to ensures a smooth flow of ideas and avoid repetition of words.
6 Writing focused and cohesive paragraphs
Each paragraph should focus on a single idea related to your thesis. According to IDP (2024) it is important that we follow the one-idea-per-paragraph rule for higher scores in the coherence and cohesion section of the IELTS assessment criteria. Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence, followed by an explanation to extend the idea mentioned in the topic sentence, finishing with an example at the end of the paragraph.
Tips:
- Start each paragraph with a clear and specific topic sentence that directly relates to the thesis.
- Use relevant examples, data and references to support your points.
7 Revision
The final stage is to edit your essay to verify that it is coherent, clear and accurate. This step includes: checking for logical consistency; presenting your points effectively; and addressing any grammatical faults. It’s also critical to use substitute and connecting words correctly to improve the flow and readability of your essay.
Conclusion
Writing a coherent essay requires meticulous organisation, clear reasoning and extensive editing. By following these six steps – understanding the essay prompt; choosing a clear side; crafting a clear thesis statement; creating a detailed outline; ensuring logical flow with transitions; writing focused and cohesive paragraphs; and revision – you can write essays that are not only logical and persuasive, but also engaging and easy to follow. Remember, coherence is essential for effective communication; mastering these processes will help you excel in your IELTS writing module.
References
Chin, P., Reid, S., Wray, S. & Yamazaki, Y. (2013). ‘Understanding the essay prompt’. In Academic Writing Skills 3. Cambridge. Available from https://assets.cambridge.org/97811076/11931/excerpt/9781107611931_excerpt.pdf (Last accessed 18 October 2024).
George Mason University. (2024). ‘Outlining’. The Writing Center. Available from https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/writing-resources/writing-as-process/outlining (Last accessed 18 October 2024).
IDP. (2024). ‘IELTS Writing Task 2: 8 steps towards a band 8’. IDP. Available from https://ielts.idp.com/pakistan/prepare/article-ielts-writing-task-2-8-steps-to-band-8 (Last accessed 18 October 2024).
IELS Liz. (2024). ‘Opinion essay introduction: the thesis statement. Available from https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-thesis-statement-for-writing-task-2/ (Last accessed 18 October 2024).
Linford, J. (2014). ‘Essay planning: how to read a prompt’. San José State University Writing Center. Available from https://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/docs/handouts/Essay%20Planning%20-%20How%20to%20Read%20a%20Prompt.pdf (Last accessed 18 October 2024).
The University of Aukland. (2024). ‘Acheiving coherence’. Essay Writing. Available from https://flexiblelearning.auckland.ac.nz/essay-writing-2018/8.html# (Last accessed 18 October 2024).
Hamza Ahmad is from Pakistan. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in food science from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Teaching English to students from various cultures and backgrounds is his passion. In particular, he helps students prepare for the IELTS exam. He has been teaching English language and offering IELTS preparation sessions since 2023 and so far has taught around 110 students from 30 different countries.
