FCE Reading Part 6 nouns and pronouns matching.

Cohesion in Texts: Essential Strategies for FCE Reading Part 6

Read the lesson, then try the quiz at the bottom

Cohesion in texts is crucial for understanding and answering questions effectively, especially in the FCE Reading Part 6, which tests your ability to understand the structure and coherence of a text. Here are some essential strategies to help you manage this part of the exam.

1. Using Linkers

Linkers, or connecting words, help you understand how ideas in a text are related. They make the text flow smoothly and indicate the relationship between sentences and paragraphs. Common linkers include:

• Addition: and, also, moreover, furthermore, besides, in addition
  • Example: "She enjoys reading books, and she also likes to write stories."
• Contrast: but, however, on the other hand, yet, although, even though
  • Example: "He studied hard; however, he did not pass the exam."
• Reason and Cause: because, since, as, due to, owing to
  • Example: "She went to bed early because she was very tired."
• Result: so, therefore, thus, consequently, as a result
  • Example: "It rained heavily; therefore, the match was postponed."
• Time: when, while, as soon as, before, after, until
  • Example: "She called me as soon as she arrived."
• Example: for example, for instance, such as
  • Example: "There are many ways to stay healthy, such as eating well and exercising regularly."

2. Noun-Pronoun Agreement

Noun-pronoun agreement ensures that pronouns correctly refer back to the nouns they replace, maintaining clarity in the text. Pronouns must agree with their nouns in number (singular/plural) and gender (male/female/neutral).

• Example: "The student lost his book." (singular) / "The students lost their books." (plural)
• Gender Agreement: Use 'he', 'his' or 'him' for males, 'she' or 'her' for females, and 'they' or 'them' for neutral or unknown gender.
  • Example: "John forgot his keys." / "Sarah forgot her keys." / "Someone forgot their keys."

3. Synonyms

Using synonyms helps to avoid repetition and keeps the text engaging. They are words with similar meanings.

• Example: "The weather was beautiful. It was a perfect day to go to the beach."

4. Lexical Sets

Lexical sets are groups of related words that help connect ideas within a theme.

• Example: "She bought a variety of fruits: apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes."

5. Reference Words

Reference words like pronouns (he, she, it, they) and demonstratives (this, that, these, those) refer back to something mentioned earlier in the text.

• Example: "The cat slept on the sofa. It looked very comfortable."

6. Ellipsis

Ellipsis is the omission of words that are understood from the context, making sentences shorter and avoiding redundancy.

• Example: "She likes coffee, and he does too." (instead of "and he likes coffee too")

7. Substitution

Substitution involves replacing a word or phrase with another word to avoid repetition.

• Example: "I need a pen. Do you have one?"

Remember to practice your cohesion and linking skills regularly to improve your skills and confidence in this part of the test. These are also important skills to master in general English, whether you are studying or at work.