IELTS also referred to as the International English Language Testing System is easy to crack provided you prepare for it seriously. The test is divided into varied modules and each module has different sections. In each section, you will find questions of varied types. Every section has its importance. The score of all four modules together forms the final score. Hence, it is necessary to score well in each module.
Introduction
In this post, we have covered connectors and linking words in brief. They have great importance in IELTS tasks 1 and 2. You can read it carefully for a good understanding of connectors for task 2 and linking words in the popular International English Language Testing System test.
About Linking Words and Connectors
Let us understand if there is any difference between the two – Linking Words and Connectors. For the same, we will try to learn about both separately. They have found their usage in IELTS Task 1 where an applicant is required to write a minimum 150-word report on the shared visual information. Applicants also use connectors or linking words while attempting essays under Academic writing task 2. The essay needs to have a minimum of 250 words divided into 4 to 5 paragraphs.
Linking Words in the IELTS
Linking words – are generally used to connect together different sentences, clauses, and paragraphs. Linking words also identified as discourse indicators, connecting words, or transition words, are precise words and phrases you can use to link your ideas and sentences while inscription or talking. You can use linking words to give examples, add information, summarise the content, provide a reason, and contrast ideas. They can also help you put forth your views comprehensively. They can also help you display excellent communication and a variety of terminologies.
Some examples of Linking words for your knowledge
- Similar to
- At the same time
- In the same way
- In my opinion
- According to me
- In my view
- From my point of view
- I think
- It seems to me that
- I believe
- From my perspective
- To my way of thinking
- In common
- Also
- For example
- For instance,
- Such as
- In other words,
- Either…or
- Neither…nor
Connectors in IELTS
On the other hand, connectors are known to connect various phrases, sections, and sentences having different ideas. They also prove helpful in making multiple sentences a single sentence.
Examples of a few popular connectors used in IELTS Writing –
- Because
- Due to
- As a result
- Therefore
- Thus
- Consequently’
Importance of Linking Words or Connectors
In the IELTS exam, there are lots of ways to get mistaken! Many times, concise sentences in speaking or writing can make it difficult for a reader to understand the meaning you wish to convey. The use of complex and long sentences may confuse your listener or reader. Both situations may become the cause of your low score in the test. Now the question is – How do we construct meaningful sentences to score good Band in the test? One of the answers is the correct usage of connectors and linkers. Linking words or connectors can help make grammatically correct sentences that are good for both a reader and a listener.
Linking Words or Connectors have more importance in the IELTS writing tasks. It is used for many good to learn reasons and functions.
Let us have a quick look at its few advantages listed below:
- The right use of these makes your writing more effective
- They make your writing sound clear and professional
- Their usage makes complex messages simple to understand
- The appropriate use of connectors demonstrates your good hold in vocabulary
- They make it easy for readers to understand the relation of one sentence with the other
- They help you express your personal opinion, views, purpose or conclusion
- The use of connectors or linking words will ease the task for users. It will aid in making you understand a question and provide an appropriate answer to it.
How to get a good score with linking words?
To obtain a good band or score in the writing section, applicants must learn and equip with grammatical tools. Using linking words for IELTS essays or connectors for task 2 in your sentences is one method to progress the written exam. The writing section is divided into two parts, with similar pattern standards for both functions. However, task 2, an essay-style query, is worth twice as much as task 1 because it is more organised and has a minimum 250-word limit. On the other hand, Task 1 has a minimum word limit of 150 words.
Applicants can improve their band scores by knowing when to use suitable linkers. Devoted studies practice and preparation under the observation of expert trainers at Study Smart in Delhi and other locations can ease your journey to a good score in the IELTS exam.
Why use connectors in the IELTS?
You might wonder why using connectors in IELTS is so essential. Joining words or connectors is a crucial grammatical tool that progresses the legibility of an essay for the examiner. They help with sentence construction and serve to connect two associated text parts. Linkers can also assist applicants in communicating their points of view more effectively. It can also help you establish a wider breadth of information and language.
Below are a few reasons to use connectors in IELTS:
- Connectors for task 2 provide clearness to the text and give the written piece a sense of consistency
- It assists in displaying how a text’s components or sentences are connected
- Assist in the transmission of an idea or a goal
- They assist in the development of a reasonable conclusion
How many linking words must be used in the IELTS writing section?
Linking words in an essay is known to account for 25% of the marks. Thus, your understanding and clarification on the number of connecting words to be used in IELTS writing can ease your task of getting a better score. An expert recommends the use of Linkers at the beginning of a sentence or in the mid of a sentence. The various Linking words can be used to combine two or more clauses or sentences. You can make their use to improve the quality of your piece of content.
Final Thought
The above-discussed information may prove helpful in expanding your knowledge about connectors and linking words. The examples will make you familiar with the terms used as connectors or linking words. The need is to practice regularly. The more your practice the better will be your understanding.
In the IELTS speaking section, you will answer some questions about yourself and be given a task card to speak on a topic. The linkers for the IELTS speaking section have two roles.
Firstly, they will provide a direction for your thoughts and signal to the listener that you will now give an opposite view of a sentence. Secondly, linking words will provide buffer time to think while linking ideas for the second part of the speaking segment.
Remember, linking words or connectors in IELTS writing task 2 are significant. They improve your skills in speaking and writing. Your appealing content grabs an examiner’s attention because he or she considers connecting words in a write up of minimum 150 and 250 words. The effective use of linking words and connectors in a report or essay will attract additional credit resulting in better scoring.
