Small Words, Big Impact: Why Ignoring Cohesive Devices Undermines Comprehension

Q: What are cohesive devices?

Cohesive devices are often referred to as 'small words' or cohesive ties; they are fundamental linguistic elements that serve as the 'glue of comprehension' in reading. These words and phrases connect ideas within and between sentences, ensuring a text flows smoothly and logically. They help readers build a coherent understanding of the text by guiding inference, logic, and meaning.

Q: What are 5 types of cohesive devices?

The five types of cohesive devices are: 1) Reference – using pronouns or demonstratives to refer back to earlier words, 2) Conjunctions – linking ideas with words like 'and', 'but', 'because', 3) Inter-clausal Connectors – using transitions like 'therefore' or 'as a result' to guide logic, 4) Lexical Cohesion – reinforcing ideas through synonyms or repetition, and 5) Substitution and Ellipsis – removing redundancy by replacing or omitting words.

Q: What are cohesive devices, or cohesive ties, examples?

Examples include pronouns like 'he', 'she', and demonstratives like 'this' and 'those'. Conjunctions such as 'but' and 'so' show contrast or cause-effect. Transitional phrases like 'as a result' clarify logical relationships. Lexical cohesion involves repeating key terms (e.g., 'global warming', 'carbon emissions') to reinforce meaning. Substitution replaces repeated nouns, such as using 'one' instead of repeating 'pen'.

Q: Why do students need explicit instruction?

Students need explicit instruction in cohesive devices to recognize how one part of a text depends on another for meaning. Without this, struggling readers may decode accurately but still fail to grasp relationships between ideas, making comprehension much harder.

Author: Wanda Humphrey

Key Takeaways:

Cohesive devices may seem like "small words," but they have a significant role in comprehension
By teaching students to notice pronouns, synonyms, and connectors, we strengthen their ability to navigate complex texts\
Cohesive devices help readers understand where they are in the text and anticipate what is coming next
For struggling readers, ignoring cohesive devices can mean missing the message entirely

Recently, in a 4th grade classroom, a student was struggling to read a text about a girl who wanted to join the soccer team. I noticed he looked puzzled and reread the sentences a couple of times.

“Maria practiced every afternoon. However, she did not make the team. Therefore, she decided to work harder and try again next year.”

When asked what happened, he says, "Maria practiced every afternoon. She made the team next year." He misses the contrast signaled by however and the cause/effect signaled by therefore. To him, the sentences feel like a simple list of events. Not understanding the inter-clausal connectors will make the overall message about perseverance unclear to him.

I realized that the student's struggle isn't with decoding, but with following the logic and flow created by cohesive devices. Many teachers overlook the smaller words (pronouns, synonyms, and transitions) that actually hold those structures together. These "small words" provide clues to the structures used to organize writing. This organizational framework helps readers understand where they are in the text and anticipate what is coming next, which is particularly helpful in informational and instructional texts.

Cohesive Devices: A Simple Definition

To define it simply, cohesive devices are the "small words" (also called cohesive ties) that are the "glue" of comprehension.

When students miss cohesive devices in reading, they may decode the words correctly but fail to follow the meaning of the text or struggle with inference. For struggling readers especially, ignoring cohesive devices can mean missing the author's message entirely.

Why Do Cohesive Devices Matter for Comprehension?

Research highlights the critical role cohesive devices play in reading comprehension. Snow (2002) emphasized that cohesion is foundational for building mental models of text and stressed the importance of scaffolding how students process these "glue words." Without attention to these small but powerful words, students may read sentence by sentence without fully grasping how ideas connect.

Cain (1999, 2011) demonstrated that explicit instruction in cohesive devices, such as inter-clausal connectors like because, so, and therefore, significantly improves comprehension, particularly for struggling readers, and found that weak comprehenders often fail to track pronouns and synonyms, hindering their ability to make essential inferences.

Skilled readers, on the other hand, naturally weave pronouns, synonyms, and connectors into a coherent mental model of meaning. Teaching students to notice and use cohesive devices strengthens their understanding of text structure, enhances inferencing skills (such as determining what he, this, or that refers to), and even supports writing, as students learn to use cohesive devices to connect their own ideas.

What Are Cohesive Devices?

Cohesive devices are the words and phrases that connect ideas within and between sentences. They contribute to a text's smooth progression, reducing the cognitive load on readers as they move from one sentence to the next.

By signaling transitions and logical connections, cohesive devices allow readers to focus on content without needing to work out how each sentence fits within the overall meaning. They act like signposts, guiding readers so they don't get lost in the text.

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Types and Examples of Cohesive Devices

Cohesive devices are classified by the function they serve in helping readers and writers connect ideas across sentences and larger texts. It is not about difficulty or parts of speech, but how they build meaning and help link ideas. For example, a pronoun (he) and a transition (as a result) are very different word types, but both help link ideas.

Cohesive devices are classified into several types:

Reference: Pronouns (he, she, it, they), demonstratives (this, that, these, those), and other reference words tie sentences together by pointing back to previously mentioned items, creating continuity.

For instance, in "John went to the store. He bought some milk," the pronoun he helps readers understand that John is the subject in both sentences, thus clarifying the narrative.

Conjunctions: Cohesive devices such as conjunctions (and, but, because, therefore) explicitly show relationships between ideas, helping readers understand how concepts connect.

For example, "He was tired, but he kept working" indicates contrast, while "She missed the bus, so she was late" shows cause and effect. These ties prevent confusion and help readers grasp the intended meaning quickly.

Inter-clausal Connectors/Transitions: Inter-clausal connectors (also called transitions or conjunctive ties) are words or short phrases that connect clauses, sentences, or ideas. They signal the relationship (addition, contrast/opposition, cause/effect, sequence-time, comparison) between one idea and the next, guiding the reader through the text. Think of them as bridges—without them, ideas may feel disconnected or confusing. Missing them often leads to a misunderstanding of text structure (van den Broek, Risden, & Husebye-Hartmann, 1995).

For example, "It rained heavily. As a result, the game was canceled."
The connector shows cause-effect, contrast, sequence, or comparison.

Lexical Cohesion: Repetition, synonyms, and collocations unify ideas across a text, reinforcing main themes or concepts.

For instance, in a paragraph about climate change, terms like global warming, carbon emissions, and environmental impact all relate to the central theme, reinforcing understanding. Lexical cohesion reduces ambiguity and helps readers infer relationships without constantly seeking clarifications.

Substitution and Ellipsis: Substitution and ellipsis reduce redundancy in text without losing meaning.

For example, "I need a pen, and she needs one too" uses "one" to avoid repeating "pen," allowing readers to follow along without distraction. By minimizing unnecessary repetition, cohesive devices make the text more concise and easier to process, promoting better comprehension.

Cohesive Devices in Language Arts Standards

Did you know that cohesive devices are already embedded in many of your language arts standards? Whether it’s:

using pronouns to maintain clarity
connecting ideas with conjunctions like because or therefore, or
adding flow with transitional words and phrases

These “small words” are explicitly called for in the Common Core and state standards. For example, standards expect students to link ideas within and across categories using appropriate connectors, choose words to convey ideas precisely, and use a variety of transitions to manage the sequence of events.

Instructional Strategies for Teaching Cohesive Devices (Grades 3–12)

Instructional strategies focused on cohesive devices help students recognize and use these "glue words" and structures. Research demonstrates that explicit instruction in cohesive devices enhances comprehension.

As mentioned, Cain & Nash (2011) showed that teaching causal connectors, such as because or therefore, improves young readers' ability to infer meaning and follow text structure.

Students need explicit instruction to understand that cohesion occurs when the interpretation of one element in a text depends on another. Without this instruction, readers, especially struggling readers, have to work harder to make sense of the relationships between ideas.

Adapting for Different Proficiency Levels

Cohesive tie instruction can be tailored for varying language proficiency levels. Primary grades may start with simple conjunctions (and, but, because), pronouns, and repeated words, while intermediate students can expand transitions, work on synonyms for lexical cohesion, and substitutions. Advanced students can focus on subtle cohesion techniques, such as ellipsis and nuanced conjunctions, to create sophisticated and complex writing. Across grades 3-12, focus on connecting cohesive instruction to both reading comprehension (noticing ties in text) and writing (using ties for clarity).

Takeaway for Teachers and Coaches

Cohesive devices may seem like "small words," but they have a significant role in comprehension. They are essential elements that connect ideas within a text, guiding readers smoothly from one thought to the next. These ties include various linguistic elements, such as conjunctions, pronouns, synonyms, and transitional phrases, which help maintain the flow and unity of a text. Explicit instruction on cohesive devices helps students see how texts hang together. By teaching students to notice pronouns, synonyms, and connectors, we strengthen their ability to navigate complex texts in grades 3–12 and empower them to use those same strategies in their own writing.

Cohesive Device Recap and FAQs

What are cohesive devices?

Cohesive devices are often referred to as "small words" or cohesive ties; they are fundamental linguistic elements that serve as the "glue of comprehension" in reading. Cohesive devices are the words and phrases used to connect ideas both within and between sentences, ensuring a text flows smoothly and logically. These devices are essential because they fundamentally govern how readers process and build a coherent understanding of text, impacting inferencing, logical tracking, and overall meaning construction.

What are 5 types of cohesive devices?

There are 5 cohesive device types based on the function they serve in connecting ideas across sentences and larger texts:

Reference: These devices tie sentences together by pointing back to previously mentioned items, which creates continuity.
Conjunctions: These are cohesive devices that explicitly show relationships between ideas, helping readers understand how concepts connect.
Inter-clausal Connectors/Transitions: Also called transitions or conjunctive ties, these are words or short phrases that connect clauses, sentences, or ideas. They signal the relationship between ideas, which can include addition, contrast/opposition, cause/effect, sequence-time, or comparison, guiding the reader through the text. These connectors act as "bridges" to prevent ideas from feeling disconnected or confusing.
Lexical Cohesion: This type unifies ideas across a text through repetition, synonyms, and collocations, which reinforce main themes or concepts.
Substitution and Ellipsis: These devices are used to reduce redundancy in the text without losing meaning, making the text more concise and easier to process.

What are cohesive devices, or cohesive ties, examples?

Examples include pronouns (he, she, it, they) and demonstratives (this, that, these, those). For instance, the pronoun he in "John went to the store. He bought some milk" helps readers understand that John is the subject of both sentences, thus clarifying the narrative.
Examples of conjunctions are and, but, because, therefore. For example, but indicates contrast ("He was tired, but he kept working"), and so shows cause and effect ("She missed the bus, so she was late").
An example is using "As a result" to show a cause-effect relationship: "It rained heavily. As a result, the game was canceled".
For example, in a text about climate change, terms like global warming, carbon emissions, and environmental impact all relate to the central theme, reinforcing understanding and reducing ambiguity.
Substitution uses words like "one" to replace repeated nouns (e.g., "I need a pen, and she needs one too").

Why do students need explicit instruction?

Students need explicit instruction to understand that cohesion occurs when the interpretation of one element in a text depends on another. Otherwise, struggling readers have to work harder to make sense of the relationships between ideas.

References

Cain, K., & Nash, H. (2011). The influence of connectives on young readers' processing and comprehension of text. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(2), 429–441.
Cain, K., & Oakhill, J. (1999). Inference making ability and its relation to comprehension failure in young children. Reading and Writing, 11(5–6), 489–503.
Halliday, M.A.K., & Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. London: Longman.
McNamara, D. S., Kintsch, E., Songer, N. B., & Kintsch, W. (1996). Are good texts always better? Interactions of text coherence, background knowledge, and levels of understanding in learning from text. Cognition and Instruction, 14(1), 1–43.
Snow, C. E. (2002). Reading for Understanding: Toward an R&D Program in Reading Comprehension. RAND Corporation.
van den Broek, P., Risden, K., & Husebye-Hartmann, E. (1995). The role of causal inference in reading for meaning. Discourse Processes, 20(3), 291–307.

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