A linguistic analysis of grammatical cohesion devices in discussion sections of undergraduate theses

This study aims (a) to identify the types of grammatical cohesion used in the discussion sections of undergraduate theses and (b) to quantify the usage of these cohesive devices by EFL students in Aceh, Indonesia. Data were collected using an analytical sheet to identify instances of grammatical cohesion. The analysis revealed three types of grammatical cohesion in the discussion sections, with a total of 561 cohesive devices identified. The theses demonstrate a strong dependence on conjunctions (48.66%) and references (42.78%). Meanwhile, substitution is employed less often (8.56%), and ellipsis is entirely absent. Conjunctions and reference were the most frequently used due to their role in linking ideas and maintaining coherence, whereas substitutions were the least used because they are less effective for connecting larger segments of text. The findings of this study highlight students’ understanding of the importance of grammatical cohesion as it helps ensure logical and clear sentence flow in academic writing.