THE USE OF CONJUNCTION AS A COHESIVE DEVICE IN PERSUASIVE PARAGRAPH WRITING BY INDONESIAN EFL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY

Oleh :
Annisa Lintang Ayu Susilo - K2222016 - Fak. KIP

Annisa Lintang Ayu Susilo, K2222016. Supervisor: Dewi Cahyaningrum, S.Pd., M.Pd. The Use of Conjunction as a Cohesive Device in Persuasive Paragraph Writing by Indonesian EFL University Students: A Case Study. Thesis, Surakarta: Teacher Training and Education Faculty of Universitas Sebelas Maret, 2026.This study investigates the use of conjunctions as cohesive devices in persuasive paragraphs written by Indonesian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university students. It aims to identify: 1) the types of conjunctions employed and 2) examine how their application contributes to text cohesion. A qualitative case study was conducted involving four persuasive paragraphs written by second-semester undergraduate students in an English Education Department at a public university in Indonesia. Data were collected through textual analysis, semi-structured interviews, and member-checking procedures. The textual data were analyzed using the conjunction taxonomy proposed by Halliday and Hasan (1976) and Halliday and Matthiessen (2014). The findings reveal that: 1) the participants employed all four major conjunction categories: additive (n=19/41%), adversative (n=4/8%), causal (n=14/30%), and temporal (n=9/19%), among the 46 identified conjunctions. Although most conjunctions appropriately connected ideas, instances of overuse and misuse were identified, particularly involving repetitive additive conjunctions and inappropriate causal or adversative markers. 2) Conjunctions contribute to text cohesion by establishing logical relationships between ideas and supporting paragraph unity. The study concludes that Indonesian EFL university students have developed a basic understanding of conjunction use but still require greater awareness of selecting conjunctions appropriately to produce cohesive persuasive writing Keywords: Cohesive Device, Conjunction, Persuasive Paragraph Writing, Text Cohesion, EFL Writing