Exercise 1. Read this longer discursive text about working in groups.

As you read,
notice the different forms of cohesion that are used in the text. After you’ve read it,
move on to the colour-coding exercise that follows.
“Working in groups is a bad idea because it encourages weak students to let the others do
the work.” Discuss
The idea that working in groups is a bad thing is fundamentally mistaken because, overall,
the advantages of this way of configuring the class outweigh the potential disadvantages
[of this way of configuring the class]. In groups there is the opportunity for peer teaching,
which can often be invaluable. In addition, lessons organised in this way become less
teacher-centred. Moreover, in life today, team-working is a feature of every workplace and
one of the roles of university education is to provide a preparation for students’ future
careers.
Firstly, peer teaching can contribute to effective learning in most classroom situations.
Many students (especially in large classes) can benefit from this approach. Weaker students
are often less afraid of making mistakes and taking risks in front of their peers, than in
close contact with their teacher or in front of the whole class. Also, with regard to the
stronger students, a perfect way to consolidate their learning is to transmit that knowledge
to others. Furthermore, most pedagogic approaches today concur that a lesson that is
focused on the teacher at all times, is one from which the students are unlikely to benefit.
Certainly, some classroom activities, like project work for example, are best conducted in
small groups. The teacher as the source of all wisdom standing at the front of the class, the
‘jug and mug’ model of education, is not only antiquated, but also ineffective.
A further benefit of group-teaching is the preparation it provides for working in teams. In a
great variety of careers today, the employees are asked to, and are judged on their ability to
work in teams. Group working in class represents basically the same concept. The same
skills are being tested and developed – interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, to
mention just two. In business today, the ability to lead effectively and to support one’s
peers is prized almost above all other skills.
In conclusion then, while it may sometimes be true that the weak students may ‘take it
easy’ sometimes in groups, allowing others to work hard to compensate for their laziness, if
the lesson materials are interesting and the teacher motivating, this is a rare occurrence. As
outlined above, there are so many ‘pros’ to this method of classroom configuration that
these easily outweigh this somewhat questionable ‘con’.
Exercise 2: Creating Cohesion through the use of Logical Connectors
Below are sentences that need to be linked to each other by using a linking device. Study
the list of logical connectors given and use the appropriate one to link the two sentences.
You may need to change the word order or punctuation.

1. Crime continues to be a serious problem in South Africa. Numerous efforts have

been made to combat crime.
 in spite of numerous efforts crime continues to be a serious problem in South Africa
2. The accused was found guilty. The accused denied commiting the murder.
 despite having commiting the murder, the accused was found guilty
3. The financial management company charges an upfront fee. They charge an ongoing
operating expense.

4. He failed to win the race. He trained every day for five years.
 although he trained every day for five years, he failed to win the race
5. He has a lot of money because he commited fraud. He is a thief.

Exercise 3: Add cohesive devices to the essay.

Many students take the TOEFL every year as part of the requirements to be admitted to an
American University. This test is often used as a way to measure a student’s English
proficiency. Since the result of getting a low score can mean that students are not able to go
to the college they desire to attend, it is important to prepare well for this exam. In order to
prepare for the exam, students need to improve their knowledge of English, become
familiar with the format of the exam, and practice.
__therefore,___ students need to learn English. The English skills that need to be learned
are reading, listening, speaking, writing, and grammar (especially as those skills are used in
academic settings). Learning grammar is different on the TOEFL from what you might
think. Other types of English exams include a written grammar test to measure students’
knowledge of grammar. __thus,___ the TOEFL uses a different grammar assessment.
Grammar is measured by the application of grammar knowledge in context. When a test
taker speaks and writes on the test, the grammar they use is evaluated. It takes time to
improve your English, so do as much as you can to build your vocabulary, grammar, and
fluency in each of the skills.
_morover____ learning the format of the test is essential. Even a native speaker would not
be able to score perfectly if they were unfamiliar with the format of the test. First, you need
to know about the timing of the test. You should __obviously ___ be familiar with the types
of questions you will be asked. __indeed___ element of the format you should be familiar
with is how the test will be scored. _in addition____ there are some questions on the
reading section that are worth two points instead of one point.
 HOMEWORK

Categories of Linkers for IELTS Writing

Opinions**
 I think/feel/believe that…
 Personally, I feel that…
 As far as I am concerned…
 From my point of view…
 I admit that….
 I concur that…
 I agree that

Addition*

 Moreover,…
 Furthermore,…
 In addition,…
 Additionally,…
 Likewise,…
 On top of that,…

Emphasis**

 Clearly,…
 Indeed,…
 Especially,…
 In particular,…
 Particularly,…
 Without a doubt,…
 Obviously,…
 Importantly,…

Comparison/Opposition*
 However,…
 In contrast,…
 By contrast…
 In comparison,…
 Meanwhile,…
 On the other hand,…
 But…
 Alternatively,…
 Nevertheless,…

Condition**
  If…
 Unless…
 On the condition that…
 Provided that…
 As long as…
 Supposing that…

Concession**

 Admittedly,…
 Even though…
 Although…
 Despite…
 In spite of…

Example**

 For instance,…
 For example,…
 …,such as…
 A very good example is…
 The best example is…
 To illustrate,

Sequence*
 Firstly,…
 First of all,…
 To start with…
 Secondly,…
 Next,…
 Thirdly/fourthly/etc.,…
 Lastly,…
 Finally,…

Consequence/Result**

 As a result,…
 As a consequence,…
 Consequently,…
 Accordingly,…
 Therefore,…
 On that account,…
 For that reason,…

Conclusion**

 In conclusion,…
  To conclude,…
 In the end,…
 Finally,…
 To summarize,…
 To sum up,…

Practice with IELTS Linking Words for Writing Task 1

These graphics highlight several key trends. (1) __first______, in general terms, slightly
more than half the population owned computers in 2002. (2) __moreover______, that
number rose to roughly 75% over the next eight years. (3)____in addition____, these
numbers varied by group. (4)__indeed______, postgraduates were always ahead of the
general population: roughly three-quarters of postgraduates owned computers in 2002,
that figure rose to nearly 95% by 2010. (5)__finally______, those who had not finished
high school began with only a 15% computer ownership rate, which increased to about
45% after eight years.

(1)____in my opinion____, young people need freedom to make choices, especially when
it comes to their careers. Deep down, some parents may want their children to choose
prestigious careers, or jobs that will impact society in some way. These wishes are
normal and not necessarily harmful. (2)__however______, it can be problematic if these
desires turn into firm expectations. (3)___nevertheless_____, offering a child freedom
does not imply that parents should be absent. Parents should strive to foster open
communication about career decisions. (4)__for example_____, if Tim’s aspirations do
not line up with his parents’ wishes, he may, (5) _______ fear that approaching them
could lead to judgement and confrontation.