04/11/2021
⚡Linking Words⚡
🛑Linking words help you to connect ideas and sentences when you speak or write English. We can use linking words to give examples, add information, summarise, sequence information, give a reason or result, or to contrast ideas.
🛑Here’s a list of the most common linking words and phrases:
🟢Giving examples
For example
For instance
Namely
🟢The most common way to give examples is by using for example or for instance.
🟢Namely refers to something by name.
“There are two problems: namely, the expense and the time.”
🔺Adding information
And
In addition
As well as
Also
Too
Furthermore
Moreover
Apart from
In addition to
Besides
🛑Ideas are often linked by and. In a list, you put a comma between each item, but not before and.
🟢“We discussed training, education and the budget.”
Also is used to add an extra idea or emphasis. “We also spoke about marketing.”
🛑You can use also with not only to give emphasis.
🟢“We are concerned not only by the costs, but also by the competition.”
🛑We don’t usually start a sentence with also. If you want to start a sentence with a phrase that means also, you can use In addition, or In addition to this…
🛑As well as can be used at the beginning or the middle of a sentence.
“As well as the costs, we are concerned by the competition.”
“We are interested in costs as well as the competition.”
🛑Too goes either at the end of the sentence, or after the subject and means as well.
“They were concerned too.”
“I, too, was concerned.”
🛑Apart from and besides are often used to mean as well as, or in addition to.
🟢“Apart from Rover, we are the largest sports car manufacturer.”
🟢“Besides Rover, we are the largest sports car manufacturer.”
🛑Moreover and furthermore add extra information to the point you are making.
“Marketing plans give us an idea of the potential market. Moreover, they tell us about the competition.”
🔺Summarising
In short
In brief
In summary
To summarise
In a nutshell
To conclude
In conclusion
🛑We normally use these words at the beginning of the sentence to give a summary of what we have said or written.
🔺Sequencing ideas
The former, … the latter
Firstly, secondly, finally
The first point is
Lastly
The following
🛑The former and the latter are useful when you want to refer to one of two points.
🟢“Marketing and finance are both covered in the course. The former is studied in the first term and the latter is studied in the final term.”
🟢Firstly, … secondly, … finally (or lastly) are useful ways to list ideas.
🛑It’s rare to use “fourthly”, or “fifthly”. Instead, try the first point, the second point, the third point and so on.
🛑The following is a good way of starting a list.
🟢“The following people have been chosen to go on the training course: N Peters, C Jones and A Owen.”
🔺Giving a reason
Due to / due to the fact that
Owing to / owing to the fact that
Because
Because of
Since
As
🛑Due to and owing to must be followed by a noun.
🟢“Due to the rise in oil prices, the inflation rate rose by 1.25%.”
🟢“Owing to the demand, we are unable to supply all items within 2 weeks.”
🛑If you want to follow these words with a clause (a subject, verb and object), you must follow the words with the fact that.
🟢“Due to the fact that oil prices have risen, the inflation rate has gone up by 1%25.”
🟢“Owing to the fact that the workers have gone on strike, the company has been unable to fulfill all its orders.”
🟢Because / because of
🔴Because of is followed by a noun.
🟢“Because of bad weather, the football match was postponed.”
🔴Because can be used at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. For example, “Because it was raining, the match was postponed.”
🟢“We believe in incentive schemes, because we want our employees to be more productive.”
🔴Since / as
Since and as mean because.
🟢“Since the company is expanding, we need to hire more staff.”
🟢As the company is expanding, we need to hire more staff.”
🔺Giving a result
Therefore
So
Consequently
This means that
As a result
🔴Therefore, so, consequently and as a result are all used in a similar way.
🟢“The company are expanding. Therefore / So / Consequently / As a result, they are taking on extra staff.”
🔴So is more informal.
🔺Contrasting ideas
But
However
Although / even though
Despite / despite the fact that
In spite of / in spite of the fact that
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
While
Whereas
Unlike
In theory… in practice…
🔴But is more informal than however. It is not normally used at the beginning of a sentence.
🟢“He works hard, but he doesn’t earn much.”
“He works hard. However, he doesn’t earn much.”
🔴Although, despite and in spite of introduce an idea of contrast. With these words, you must have two halves of a sentence.
🟢“Although it was cold, she went out in shorts.”
“In spite of the cold, she went out in shorts.”
🔴Despite and in spite of are used in the same way as due to and owing to. They must be followed by a noun. If you want to follow them with a noun and a verb, you must use the fact that.
🟢“Despite the fact that the company was doing badly, they took on extra employees.”
🔴Nevertheless and nonetheless mean in spite of that or anyway.
🟢“The sea was cold, but he went swimming nevertheless.” (In spite of the fact that it was cold.)
🟢“The company is doing well. Nonetheless, they aren’t going to expand this year.”
🔴While, whereas and unlike are used to show how two things are different from each other.
🟢“While my sister has blue eyes, mine are brown.”
🟢“Taxes have gone up, whereas social security contributions have gone down.”
🟢“Unlike in the UK, the USA has cheap petrol.