Minimum Number of Linking Words Required for Academic IELTS Writing Task 2

Linking devices are neither nouns, nor verbs. They provide a text with cohesion and illustrate how the parts of the text relate to each other. Any writing without linking words reads like a series of unrelated statements with no flow.

You need to just remember the use of the following 14 linking words for a simple but effective IELTS writing Task 2, though you should try to learn more, if you haven’t already, for your study.

First Paragraph	Second Paragraph	Third Paragraph	Last Paragraph
No linking word is required	1.       To begin with 2.       Furthermore 3.       Moreover 4.       In the same way	1.       Firstly 2.       Similarly 3.       In addition 4.       Finally	1.       To summarize 2.       I believe that
For example For instance As for example In particular (These 4 linking words should be used to elaborate & explain the points given in 2nd & 3rd paragraph) I will write about a simple IELTS writing Task 2 structure and the position of the above mentioned linking words in later writings.

If you want to learn more about the appropriate use of linking words, the following table is for you:

Giving examples For instance For example As follows That is Namely	Adding information And In addition As well as Furthermore Moreover Also Too Apart from In addition to Besides	Summarizing To summarize In short In brief In summary In a nutshell To conclude In conclusion Overall All in all	Sequencing ideas Firstly, secondly, finally The former, … the latter The first point is Lastly The following
Giving result As a result Therefore So This means that Consequently Because of this / that Thus, Hence For this / that So that, Under these circumstances	Giving reason Because Because of Due to / due to the fact that Owing to / owing to the fact that Since, As	Emphasizing Especially Particularly Above all too / enough Exactly because The more ....	Contrasting ideas But However Although / even though Despite While Whereas In spite of

You can go through some exercises of the Linking Words mentioned above HERE