A text is cohesive when the elements are tied together and considered meaningful to the reader

What is cohesion?

Cohesion is a term in linguistics that refers to how the structure and content of a sentence or text is linked together to create meaning.
Cohesion needs to be achieved in a sentence, within a paragraph and across paragraphs for a text to make sense.

Why is cohesion important?

Cohesion means that writing is well structured with linked ideas that follow a logical pattern. Sentences and paragraphs flow smoothly and are written in the same tense, meaning the piece of writing as a whole is fluid and makes sense.
It is important for children to learn about cohesion, as it builds literacy and creative writing skills.
Cohesion is important as:

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  It teaches children how to order and structure sentences and paragraphs
  
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  It means related ideas are kept together and flow logically from one to another
  
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  It helps children express their ideas in a way that the reader will clearly understand
  

How can cohesion be achieved?

To achieve cohesion, children must be able to select appropriate nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs in order for a sentence to make sense.
They must then write appropriate sentences, which organise their ideas and follow a logical sequence.
There are 4 main types of sentences that children can choose from:

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  Statements - convey information
  
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  Questions - ask something and usually end with a question mark
  
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  Commands - give instructions or tell you to do something
  
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  Exclamations - usually begin with ‘What’ or ‘How,’ include a verb and can end with an exclamation mark
  

For more help, try these Types of Sentences Display Posters.

What are cohesive devices?

Cohesive devices are techniques that can be used to help create cohesion. Some examples of these are:

Adverbials

Expressing place, time or manner, adverbials can help create cohesion in or across paragraphs. Take a look at this example:
Without adverbials:
"Tim left home. He realised he had forgotten his homework."
With adverbials:
"Tim left home early in the morning. Later that day, he realised he had forgotten his homework."
The adverbial of time keeps the sentences in a logical order and makes it easier for the reader to follow the text.