Coherence and Cohesion（連貫與銜接）是評分項裡最常被誤解的——大部分考生以為「多用連接詞」=「分數高」。錯。塞太多 linker 反而會被扣分。

Coherence vs Cohesion 不一樣

| 概念 | 中文 | 衡量什麼 | |------------|----------|------------------------------------------| | Coherence | 連貫性 | 整篇邏輯是否清楚、段落是否各司其職 | | Cohesion | 銜接性 | 句子之間用什麼工具串起來（linker、代詞） |

Band 7 = 兩個都要。只有 cohesion（連接詞多）但段落混亂 = Band 6。段落清楚但句子之間斷掉 = Band 6。

官方描述 vs 白話翻譯

| Band | 官方 | 白話 | |------|----------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------| | 9 | uses cohesion in a way that attracts no attention | 連接詞自然到讀者沒注意到 | | 8 | sequences ideas logically; manages all aspects well | 段落像專業文章 | | 7 | logically organises information; clear progression; uses a range of cohesive devices | 段落清楚 + 用 5 種以上不同 linker | | 6 | arranges info coherently; effective overall progression but cohesion within and/or between sentences may be faulty | 大方向清楚但句子間銜接卡卡 | | 5 | presents info with some organisation; cohesive devices over/inadequately/inaccurately used | linker 用太多 / 太少 / 用錯 |

Band 7 的三大支柱

支柱 1：段落結構清楚

每段一個概念 + 明確的 topic sentence。例：

Topic sentence: The most pressing concern is the impact on children's mental health.

Develop: Recent studies in the United States have linked excessive screen time to rising rates of anxiety among adolescents...

Example: In Taiwan, for instance, a 2023 Department of Education survey found that...

Link back: These findings strongly suggest that the issue is not minor or transient.

支柱 2：句子間有「橋」

每兩句之間要有過渡——不是塞 linker，而是讓下一句承接上一句的關鍵詞。

Bad (Band 5): Pollution is a problem. Furthermore, traffic is also a problem. In addition, education is bad.

Good (Band 7): Air pollution remains a serious problem in Taipei. A closely related issue is congestion: the traffic that produces these emissions also makes the city slower and noisier than it should be. Both problems ultimately reduce quality of life for residents.

注意 A closely related issue / Both problems — 這是 referencing，不是 linker。

支柱 3：Linker 多樣 + 適度

| 功能 | Band 5 用法 | Band 7 用法 | |------------|-----------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 增加 | And, Also | Furthermore, In addition, A further point worth noting is... | | 對比 | But | However, That said, Nevertheless, Conversely | | 結果 | So | As a result, Consequently, This means that, Therefore | | 原因 | Because | Given that, In light of, Owing to | | 順序 | First, Second | To begin with, Subsequently, Finally | | 結論 | In conclusion | To sum up, On balance, Taken together |

規則：每一個 linker 整篇用最多兩次。重複 = 詞彙不夠，會被歸為 Band 6。

Referencing：Band 7 的隱形武器

Referencing = 用 代詞 / 指示詞 / 同義詞 把前後句綁起來，避免重複。

Bad: The government should invest in renewable energy. The government should also reduce subsidies for fossil fuels. The government should educate the public.

Good: The government should invest in renewable energy. It should also reduce subsidies for fossil fuels. In parallel, this same body must educate the public about the transition.

Referencing 工具箱：

  • 代詞：it / they / this / these / such
  • 指示：the former / the latter / the above / the aforementioned
  • 同義詞：The government → The state → Public authorities → This body

段落間的進步感

Band 7 essay 讀起來有「進步感」（progression）——每段都比前段更深一層，不是平行重複。

§2: Identify the problem (Air pollution is severe.)

§3: Identify a deeper cause (The root cause is over-reliance on private vehicles.)

§4: Propose a solution (Public transport investment, while expensive upfront, would tackle this root cause.)

§2 → §3 → §4 是「現象 → 原因 → 對策」，不是三個並排的點。這就是 progression。

三個常見扣分點

扣分點 1：Linker 過載

Firstly, education is important. Secondly, education is important because it improves society. Thirdly, in addition, furthermore, education also helps the economy.

每一句都塞 linker = Band 5。Band 7 是精準的少，不是滿滿的多。

扣分點 2：段落沒有 topic sentence

直接跳到例子或數據：In 2022, a study in Singapore found that... — 讀者要讀完才知道你在講什麼。先講重點。

扣分點 3：用錯 linker

最常見錯誤：

  • Although 後面用句號（應該用逗號連到下一句）
  • However 加 but（兩個對比詞重複）
  • Because 開頭整句（口語化，學術寫作要 Because of X, ... 或 Given that）

自我練習

拿一篇你寫過的 essay，做這個檢查：

  1. 每段第一句畫底線——是不是 topic sentence？
  2. 圈出所有 linker——重複率超過 2 次的有幾個？
  3. 找代詞（it / this / they）——有沒有 5 個以上？

如果三個答案都是「不夠」——你的 Coherence 卡在 6.0。先解決這三個，再談文法精準。

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