Analysis of the Use of Conjunctions as Cohesive Devices by 100 Level Students of the College Of Humanities at Al-Qalam University Katsina State

Abstract

English as a language of education and instruction in Nigeria continues to remain a rich ground of enquiry for linguists and language educators. The examination of its use by the teeming population often reveals the level of mastery of this language that is spoken in most places in Nigeria, especially on Nigerian tertiary institution campuses. From its word classes to its meaning, proficiency in English is considered as a positive stride in Nigeria. This study focuses on the analysis of the use of conjunctions as cohesive devices by 100 Level students of the College of Humanities at Al-Qalam University Katsina State. Halliday and Matthiessen's Conjunctions Theory was adopted for the study. The research employed a mixed method research design on five students’ essays randomly collected. The findings of the research show that investigating the use of conjunction is essential for students as it provides them with effective writing skills. Consequently, the results of the study reveal that students use different types of conjunctions in their written essays including additive, causal, temporal and clarification. The study concludes that the correct use of conjunctions helps to create coherence in sentences as shown in the sampled essays. The study recommends that ESL learners should improve on the appropriate use of conjunctions as cohesive devices to achieve coherence in their essay writing. It could be done by learning processes to prevent incoherent text of students writing.