Abstract

This study looks into the use of reiteration relations in EFL student writing. The aim is to determine the extent to which Moroccan college students rely on lexical cohesion to produce native-sounding texts. Twenty essays written by college students from two different levels were analyzed quantitatively using Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) and Hoey’s taxonomies (1991). The results of the independent sample T-test confirm previous studies, revealing that repetition is the most dominant cohesive relation used by students from both levels. However, the use of synonyms is not frequent in spite of the learners’ language proficiency development. Students from both levels are also found to overuse conjunctions to connect their sentences as a result of their weak vocabulary and theirlack of awareness of the role of lexis in the creation of continuity and connectedness in their writings.

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