Do memorised linking phrases make an answer more coherent?

They make an answer sound organised for about thirty seconds, and then the effect turns against you. The descriptors reward connectives used with flexibility and, at Band 6, warn about ones used not always appropriately; a memorised list produces the second pattern rather than the first, because the phrases are chosen before the ideas exist. A more reliable route is to keep a small set of connectives with clear jobs, as in the table above, and practise them on new topics until the choice is made by the relationship rather than by habit.

IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors: What Fluency and Coherence Rewards →