IELTS Grammar Test: Linking Words & Cohesive Devices
Choose the best option to complete each sentence, then check your answers.
___ receiving substantial government subsidies, the clean energy project failed to meet its annual revenue targets due to unexpected supply chain disruptions.
The blank precedes a gerund phrase ('receiving substantial government subsidies'). 'Despite' is a preposition that correctly takes a gerund or noun phrase object. 'Although' and 'Even though' are subordinating conjunctions that require a subject and finite verb, while 'In spite' lacks the required preposition 'of'.
The newly implemented fiscal policy stimulated short-term economic growth; ___, it exacerbated income inequality across urban centers.
The position between a semicolon and a comma introducing an independent clause requires a conjunctive adverb like 'however'. Subordinating conjunctions such as 'whereas' and 'although' cannot be immediately followed by a comma in this punctuation framework, and 'despite' is a preposition requiring a noun phrase.
___ introducing strict legislation on corporate carbon emissions, the minister proposed a tax incentive scheme for sustainable enterprises.
The blank is followed by the gerund phrase 'introducing strict legislation...'. 'In addition to' functions as a complex preposition that correctly takes a gerund object. Transition adverbs like 'Furthermore', 'Moreover', and 'In addition' introduce standalone main clauses and cannot take a gerund directly as a prepositional object.
The university cancelled all face-to-face lectures ___ a sudden surge in seasonal influenza cases among the student population.
The blank is followed by the noun phrase 'a sudden surge in seasonal influenza cases'. 'Due to' functions prepositionally and correctly introduces a noun phrase. 'Because' is a subordinating conjunction requiring a finite clause, while 'consequently' and 'as a result' are conjunctive adverbs requiring clause-linking punctuation rather than functioning as prepositions.
Developing countries often struggle with severe infrastructure deficits, ___ developed nations tend to focus funding on modernising existing technology networks.
The sentence connects two full independent clauses directly across a comma. 'Whereas' is a subordinating conjunction that joins two contrasting clauses. 'In contrast to' and 'despite' are prepositions requiring noun phrases, while 'conversely' is a conjunctive adverb that requires a semicolon or separate sentence.
___ the fact that remote work improves employee satisfaction, many executives remain reluctant to abolish traditional office requirements.
The preposition 'Notwithstanding' correctly takes the complex noun phrase 'the fact that remote work improves...'. 'Although' and 'Even though' are conjunctions that connect directly to clauses without 'the fact that', making their combination with 'the fact that' ungrammatical here; 'Despite of' is incorrect because 'despite' never takes 'of'.
No new construction will be permitted in the designated preserve ___ a comprehensive environmental impact assessment has been completed.
The blank is followed by a complete finite clause ('a comprehensive environmental impact assessment has been completed'). 'Until' is a subordinating conjunction that introduces a finite temporal or conditional clause. 'Despite', 'in spite of', and 'without' are prepositions that must be followed by a noun or gerund, not a finite clause.
Automated sorting technology has drastically reduced human error in logistics centers; ___, overall operational costs have decreased by twenty percent.
A semicolon before the blank and a comma after it indicate that a conjunctive adverb is required to express result. 'Consequently' fits this position and punctuation. 'Because of' and 'Owing to' are prepositions that cannot introduce a full clause in this manner, and 'since' is a subordinating conjunction that does not take a comma immediately after it.
___ rigorous the quality assurance testing may be, unforeseen software bugs occasionally escape into the final production build.
The structure 'However + adjective + subject + verb' ('However rigorous the quality assurance testing may be') expresses concession. 'Although' cannot front an adjective in this specific word order, 'Despite' requires a noun phrase, and 'Whatever' would require a noun phrase structure like 'Whatever rigorous testing'.
The research team anonymised the patient records ___ prevent any potential breaches of confidentiality during the multi-center clinical study.
The blank is directly followed by the bare infinitive verb 'prevent'. 'So as to' forms a purpose clause with a bare infinitive. 'So that' and 'in order that' must be followed by a subject and finite verb clause, whereas 'with a view to' requires a gerund ('preventing').
The urban redevelopment plan includes the construction of several public parks; ___, it provides funding for the restoration of historical landmarks.
The sentence structure uses a semicolon before the blank and a comma after it, calling for a sentence adverb to add information. 'Moreover' is a conjunctive adverb that correctly fills this slot. 'In addition to', 'along with', and 'as well as' are prepositions or prepositional markers requiring a direct noun object rather than a new finite clause.
___ analyzing the ancient manuscript using multispectral imaging, the archeologists discovered faded marginal notes written in Latin.
The participle phrase 'analyzing the ancient manuscript...' represents a reduced adverbial clause, which can be introduced by the subordinating conjunction 'While'. 'Whereas' does not form reduced participle clauses of this type, 'Despite of' is an ungrammatical form, and 'In contrast' requires 'to' to act prepositionally.
The company selected the local supplier on the basis of cost efficiency, ___ taking into account their poor record on environmental compliance.
The construction 'rather than' functions as a conjunction/preposition that can take a gerund directly ('rather than taking...'). 'Instead' requires 'of' to take a gerund object, 'whereas' requires a finite clause, and 'in spite' is incomplete without 'of'.
___ the initial trials showed promising results, the pharmaceutical company decided to fund a large-scale Phase III clinical trial.
The blank introduces a complete cause-and-effect clause with a subject and verb ('the initial trials showed...'). 'Inasmuch as' is a formal subordinating conjunction introducing a finite clause of cause. 'Because of', 'On account of', and 'Due to' are prepositions and cannot take a finite clause directly.
___ severe financial constraints, the non-profit organization expanded its educational outreach programs to three new districts.
The blank is followed by the simple noun phrase 'severe financial constraints'. 'In spite of' is a prepositional phrase that takes a noun phrase object. 'Even though', 'Although', and 'Much as' are subordinating conjunctions that must be followed by a complete clause containing a verb.
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Cohesive devices and linking words are the structural scaffolding of academic English. They signal relationships between ideas—such as contrast, cause and effect, condition, and addition—allowing complex arguments to flow logically and smoothly. For candidates targeting Band 6.5 to 8.0 in the IELTS exam, mastering these words is essential for securing high scores in Coherence and Cohesion in Writing and Speaking, as well as accurately tracking complex logic in Reading and Listening texts.
To achieve higher band scores, you must look beyond simple sentence connectors like ‘and’, ‘but’, or ‘so’ and master sophisticated devices such as ‘notwithstanding’, ‘inasmuch as’, ‘whereas’, and ‘however’. Crucially, you must understand the syntactic constraints of each cohesive item—specifically whether a linking word requires a full finite clause, a gerund, a noun phrase, or specific punctuation markers like semicolons and commas.
This practice test is designed to challenge your precise knowledge of connective grammar in formal, academic contexts. By analyzing the structural environment following each blank, you will learn to distinguish between prepositions, subordinating conjunctions, and conjunctive adverbs, helping you avoid frequent grammatical errors in your IELTS exam.
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