Connectors make ideas flow: Cohesion is what turns a pile of correct sentences into a piece of writing that flows. You get it from connectors (Bindewörter) — little linking words like außerdem, jedoch, deshalb — that signpost how one idea relates to the next. Good connectors raise Criterion A (range and accuracy of language) and help Criterion B, because organised ideas are easier to follow.
The jobs connectors do: Connectors come in families, grouped by the job they do. Learn the German words as vocabulary; the job each one does is named in English.
- Hinzufügen: außerdem, auch
- Gegensatz: jedoch, obwohl
- Grund: weil, da
- Folge: deshalb, deswegen
- Reihenfolge: zuerst, dann, schließlich
- Beispiel: zum Beispiel, das heißt
Variety beats repetition: Examiners reward a range of connectors. If every sentence starts with und (and) or aber (but), you cap your Criterion A mark. Aim to use several different linkers across your answer — the toolkit in the next section gives you one for each job.
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One connector for each job: Connectors come in families, grouped by the job they do. Learn one or two from each family and you can link any two ideas. The trick is matching the connector to the relationship: are you adding, contrasting, giving a reason, or showing a result?
- Addition (adding an idea): „außerdem“, „auch“ — „Sport ist gesund; außerdem macht er Spaß.“
- Contrast (setting ideas against each other): „jedoch“, „obwohl“, „dennoch“ — „Ich laufe gern; jedoch schwimme ich lieber.“
- Cause (giving a reason): „weil“, „da“ — „Ich bin nicht rausgegangen, weil es geregnet hat.“ / „Ich lerne Deutsch, da ich reisen möchte.“
- Consequence (showing a result): „deshalb“, „deswegen“, „also“ — „Es hat geregnet; deshalb bin ich zu Hause geblieben.“
- Sequence (ordering ideas): „zuerst“, „dann“, „schließlich“ — „Zuerst wärmst du auf, dann trainierst du und schließlich dehnst du dich.“
- Examples (illustrating a point): „zum Beispiel“, „das heißt“ — „Ich treibe Sport; zum Beispiel spiele ich Basketball.“
Six jobs to memorise: Addition · Contrast · Cause · Consequence · Sequence · Examples. Keep one go-to connector for each in your head — außerdem · jedoch · weil · deshalb · dann · zum Beispiel — and you'll always have a way to join your next idea on.
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Topic → develop → example → transition: A cohesive paragraph isn't a list of sentences — it's one idea, developed. Open with a topic sentence, develop it with a connector, back it up with an example, then transition to the next paragraph. The same four moves work for every paragraph you write.
Build a cohesive paragraph — 4 steps
1
Write a topic sentence
State the paragraph's main idea in one clear sentence — „Sport verbessert die Gesundheit.“
2
Develop it with a connector
Extend the idea using a linker: „Außerdem reduziert er Stress und verbessert den Schlaf.“
3
Add an example
Make it concrete with „zum Beispiel“ or „das heißt“: „Zum Beispiel hilft mir zwanzig Minuten Laufen am Tag beim Einschlafen.“
4
Conclude or transition
Close the idea or move on with „deshalb“, „zusammenfassend“ or „andererseits“: „Deshalb empfehle ich, täglich Sport zu treiben.“
Topic → Develop → Example → Transition
One idea per paragraph: Don't cram three points into one block. Give each idea its own paragraph built with these four moves — that's what makes your answer readable and protects your Criterion B (organisation) marks.
Choppy vs cohesive, side by side: Here are the same five ideas written two ways: first as choppy, disconnected sentences, then linked into one flowing paragraph with connectors. Watch how the second version reads better without adding any new content. The German is the example text; the English explains it.
From choppy sentences to a cohesive paragraph
The same ideas, linked
- „Sport ist gut. Man bewegt sich. Man lernt Leute kennen. Man lernt Disziplin. Es macht Spaß.“
- „Sport verbessert das Leben junger Menschen. Außerdem hält er dich fit und hilft dir, neue Leute kennenzulernen; zum Beispiel habe ich in meiner Mannschaft tolle Freunde gefunden. Er lehrt auch Disziplin, da man regelmäßig trainieren muss. Deshalb empfehle ich ihn allen.“
- The connectors that did the work: „Außerdem“ (addition), „zum Beispiel“ (example), „auch“ (addition), „da“ (cause) and „Deshalb“ (consequence). Each one signposts the relationship between ideas — that signposting is cohesion.
Same ideas, better marks: Notice the second version added no new information — only connectors. That's the cheapest mark in Paper 1: take the ideas you already have and link them. A handful of well-placed Bindewörter visibly lifts your Criterion A and B.
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Linking done well vs done badly: Cohesion goes wrong in predictable ways: leaning on und for everything, repeating one connector until it loses meaning, or forgetting that some German connectors change the word order. Here's the contrast between strong and weak linking.
Good use of connectors
- Start a result sentence with „deshalb“ (and invert the verb).
- Vary connectors by their job.
- Use „weil“ to send the verb to the end of the clause.
- Split ideas into clear paragraphs.
Mistakes that cost marks
- Forget the verb-second rule after „deshalb“ / „außerdem“.
- Join everything with „und… und… und…“.
- Repeat the same connector in every sentence.
- Write one giant paragraph with no breaks.
Mind the word order: German connectors change the word order. After „deshalb“ and „außerdem“ the verb comes second („Deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause“), and after „weil“ the verb goes to the end („…, weil es regnet“). Getting this right protects Criterion A as well as cohesion.