How do Grade 12 EFAL learners use grammatical references to enhance cohesion in their essays?

Abstract

One of the key aspects of writing a well-connected essay is learners' ability to employ cohesive devices: this study aims to investigate how Grade 12 English First Additional Language (EFAL) learners in the Malamulele South circuit use grammatical references to enhance cohesion in their English essays. We employed a qualitative approach and collected data through document analysis. We found that these Grade 12 EFAL learners use all types of grammatical references, such as personal, demonstrative, comparative, and definite articles, as cohesive devices in their English essays. However, we also found errors of addition and mismatches in the learners' essays. The implication is that when learners use cohesive devices incorrectly this may hinder their understanding since these devices play a crucial role in helping readers link information across sentences in a text.