Choosing the right conjunction can make a major difference in how clearly readers understand a piece of writing. A 2026 study by Sri Muryati, Sukarno, Muhlis Fajar Wicaksana, Dewi Kusumaningsih, and Dilla Alvita Devi from Universitas Veteran Bangun Nusantara examined how conjunctions connect sentences and paragraphs in opinion articles written by Grade 12 students at SMA Negeri 1 Weru Sukoharjo. The researchers analyzed student writing from the 2020/2021 academic year, with their findings published in the International Journal of Applied Educational Research. The study found that appropriate conjunction choices strengthen the cohesion of a text, helping readers follow the relationships between ideas more easily.
The finding is relevant beyond grammar lessons. In written communication, readers need to understand whether one statement explains a cause, adds information, presents a contrast, expresses a purpose, or provides an example. Conjunctions help signal these relationships. When they are used incorrectly, the connection between ideas can become unclear, even when the individual sentences are understandable.
For students learning to write opinion articles, this distinction is particularly important. The study notes that writing instruction requires students to develop not only ideas but also the language skills needed to organize those ideas into coherent texts. The researchers also identified continuing difficulties among students in selecting words, using punctuation, and applying conjunctions correctly.
How the Researchers Examined Student Writing
Muryati, Sukarno, Wicaksana, Kusumaningsih, and Devi used a descriptive qualitative approach. Instead of relying on numerical measurements, they closely examined conjunctions appearing in student opinion articles.
The source material consisted of opinion essays written by students in Grade 12 classes XII IPA 2 and XII IPA 4 at SMA Negeri 1 Weru Sukoharjo during the 2020/2021 academic year. The essays were obtained through coordination with a Bahasa Indonesia teacher responsible for the subject during the final school examination.
The researchers read the essays, identified conjunctions, recorded relevant examples, and classified them according to their function and position. They then examined whether the conjunction used appropriately connected the ideas expressed in the surrounding sentences or paragraphs. Discussions among members of the research team were also used to support the validity of the analysis.
Five Major Functions Found in Sentence Connections
The analysis identified five major groups of meanings in conjunctions used between sentences.
1. Cause and consequence
Words and phrases such as sebab, karena, oleh karena itu, dengan demikian, jadi, maka, and maka dari itu can show that one statement leads to another.
2. Addition
Expressions such as demikian juga, selain itu, seperti halnya, and di samping itu introduce information that adds to an earlier idea.
3. Contrast
Conjunctions such as akan tetapi and namun signal that the following statement contrasts with the previous one.
4. Purpose
Words such as supaya and agar express an intended result or purpose.
5. Exemplification and identification
Words such as misalnya and contohnya introduce examples that clarify an earlier statement.
The researchers found that selecting a conjunction based on its intended meaning is more important than simply inserting a familiar connecting word. A conjunction needs to match the logical relationship between the ideas it connects.
One example involved the use of jadi. In one student text, the conjunction was used between statements that expressed similar arguments rather than a conclusion. The researchers considered sama halnya more appropriate for that particular relationship.
Another example involved tetapi. The study found that it was incorrectly used to connect separate sentences in one passage. The researchers indicated that akan tetapi would be more appropriate when establishing a contrast between sentences.
Paragraphs Need Cohesion, Too
The study also examined conjunctions connecting one paragraph to another. This is important because a text can contain grammatically correct sentences while still feeling disconnected when the paragraphs do not follow a clear logical sequence.
Implications for Education and Writing Skills
The findings from Universitas Veteran Bangun Nusantara suggest that teaching writing should go beyond encouraging students to produce ideas. Students also need practical guidance on how to connect those ideas logically.
For teachers, conjunctions can provide a useful entry point for teaching students how to organize arguments. Rather than memorizing lists of connecting words, students can learn to identify the relationship between two ideas first and then select the conjunction that expresses that relationship.
For students, the lesson is straightforward: a sentence may be grammatically acceptable on its own but still fail to communicate the intended relationship with the sentence before or after it. Choosing the appropriate conjunction can make the overall argument easier to follow.
The authors from Universitas Veteran Bangun Nusantara emphasize that appropriate conjunction use contributes to cohesion between sentences and paragraphs. Their analysis shows that conjunctions function not merely as grammatical connectors but also as signals that help readers understand how ideas are related.
The study does have limitations. Its data came from a specific group of students and a particular school setting, meaning the findings cannot automatically be generalized to all Indonesian students. The researchers recommend broader studies involving more diverse settings, longer observation periods, and different research methods.
Author Profile
Sri Muryati is the corresponding author of the study and is affiliated with Universitas Veteran Bangun Nusantara. She conducted the research with Sukarno, Muhlis Fajar Wicaksana, Dewi Kusumaningsih, and Dilla Alvita Devi, who are also affiliated with Universitas Veteran Bangun Nusantara. Their work focuses on Indonesian language education, writing, conjunctions, and textual cohesion.
Research Source
Article title: Strengthening Between-Sentences and Between-Paragraphs Cohesion by Selecting the Most Appropriate Conjunction
Authors: Sri Muryati, Sukarno, Muhlis Fajar Wicaksana, Dewi Kusumaningsih, Dilla Alvita Devi
Affiliation: Universitas Veteran Bangun Nusantara
Journal: International Journal of Applied Educational Research (IJAER)
Publication year: 2026
Volume: 4, Issue 3, pp. 153–170
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijaer.v4i3.2
Official journal: https://journalijaer.my.id/index.php/ijaer/index
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