Connectors & cohesion

Connectors make ideas flow: Cohesion (la coesione) is what turns a pile of correct sentences into a piece of writing that flows. You get it from connectors (i connettivi) — linking words like inoltre, però, perciò — that signpost how one idea relates to the next. A good range of connectors raises Criterion A (range and accuracy of language) and helps Criterion B, because organised ideas are easier to follow.

il connettivo

a connector — a linking word or phrase between ideas

la coesione

cohesion — how well the ideas hang together and flow

inoltre / e / anche

besides / and / also — connectors of ADDITION

ma / però / tuttavia

but / however / nevertheless — connectors of CONTRAST

perché / poiché

because / since — connectors of CAUSE

quindi / perciò / dunque

so / therefore / thus — connectors of CONSEQUENCE

Variety beats repetition: Examiners reward a range of connectors. If every sentence starts with e (and) or ma (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.

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. Match the connector to the relationship — adding, contrasting, giving a reason, showing a result, ordering, or giving an example — and your writing will hang together.

Six jobs to memorise: Aggiunta · Contrasto · Causa · Conseguenza · Sequenza · Esempi. Keep one go-to connector for each in your head — inoltre · però · perché · perciò · poi · per esempio — and you can link any two ideas in your answer.

A few connectives take the congiuntivo: Most everyday connectors (perché, quindi, però…) take the ordinary indicative. But a handful — benché, sebbene (although), affinché (so that), a patto che (provided that) — trigger the congiuntivo: «Sebbene piova, esco.» You don't need many of these; one used correctly shows real control and lifts Criterion A.

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.

One idea per paragraph: Keep one main idea per paragraph and connect the sentences inside it. Then use a linker (d'altra parte, inoltre, infine) to move to the next paragraph. That structure alone makes your answer read as organised — worth marks under Criteria A and B.

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. Tap Mostra traduzione for the English, or 🔊 to hear the Italian.

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 connettivi visibly lifts your Criterion A and B.

Linking done well vs done badly: Cohesion goes wrong in predictable ways: leaning on e (and) for everything, repeating one connector until it loses meaning, choosing a connector whose meaning doesn't fit (using «perché» where you mean «però»), or writing one giant paragraph with no structure. Here's the contrast between strong and weak linking.

Match the meaning, then vary: First make sure each connector means what you need — «perché» gives a reason, «però» sets a contrast, «perciò» gives a result. Then vary them: swapping «e» for «inoltre», «poi» or «infine» costs nothing and immediately reads more sophisticated.