Linking Words

Writing phrases
and linking words

To State the Reasons
There are different reasons why it ...
There are several explanations for ...
There are many positive/negative reasons for ...
There are some/more/fewer benefits/disadvantages to ...

To Give an Opinion
(Why) I believe
I’d like to explain why
Personally
I’d enjoy
I would prefer
I think
In my opinion
As far as I’m concerned
It seems to me
I suggest

To Set Up a Condition
If
Even if
If I could
Whether (or not)
. . .may/might
. . .can be

To Further the Argument
First (of all) . . . Second . . .Third
Firstly ... Secondly ... Thirdly
In addition
There are three reasons why
Similarly
Furthermore
Moreover
Further
As an example
For instance
What’s more
Not only . . . but also
. . . including
More than
Also
. . . coupled with
Both . . . and

To Summarize / Conclude

In conclusion
Finally
As a result (of)
In summary
Therefore
To sum up
In other words
To summarize
Then
In brief
On the whole
To conclude
As we have seen
As has been said

To Restate or Repeat an Argument

To put it differently
To repeat
Namely
That is
In other words

To Show Cause/Reason and Effect/Result

Consequently
Because (of)
Due to
Thanks to
If this occurs, then
To this end
Since
For this reason
As a result
Caused by

To Show Time Relationships

Immediately
Then
Later
Afterwards
After
Before
While
During
As soon as
As
Sometimes
Last
Frequently
When
Once
Often
Oftentimes

To Generalize

Overall
For the most part
In general
Generally speaking
By and large

To Show Contrast/Make an Exception

Some may argue that
Although
Even though
Whereas
Instead
In contrast
On the one hand
On the other hand
However
In spite of
Despite
Unlike
On the contrary
But
Yet
Rather than
Either
Or
Nor
Neither
Either . . . or
Neither . . . nor
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
Sometimes
Once in a while
Occasionally
Some…other(s)
Other(s)
Often
None

To Emphasize

Above all
Obviously
Clearly
Evidently
Actually
In fact
Certainly
Definitely
Extremely
Indeed
Absolutely
Positively
Surprisingly
Unquestionably
Without a doubt
Objectively
In fact

To Argue/Make a Suggestion

. . . seems to warrant
. . . contend/s
. . . argue/s
. . . justify/ies
This observation is supported by
To plead
. . . suggest/s
The suggestion is valid
. . . propose/s
. . . claim/s
. . .state/s
. . . clearly proof enough
If I had the choice
. . . examine/s
. . . assert/s

To Show Disagreement

. . . object/s (to)
. . . disagree/s with
. . . contradict/s
. . . doesn’t/don’t support
. . . is/are invalid
These arguments, one by one, can be challenged
. . . is absurd/ridiculous/unfounded/illogical
. . . not to be taken seriously
. . . has/have no scientific basis
. . . dispute/s

To Choose One Option over

Another
. . . might be the better option
. . . make/s it a better policy
It’s beneficial/better/positive
It’s detrimental/worse/negative
. . . is true/false
The assertion that…
. . . seem/s to offer strong arguments for/against
. . . is/are better/worse than

To Show Similarity

Just as
As . . . as
In the same way
Similarly
Likewise
As in/as with/as was/etc.

To Show Purpose

In order to
For
So that
So as to

To Show Evidence/Give an Example

As evidence of
The legitimacy of
Such as
For example
A few of these are
In the case of
In addition
For one thing . . . for another

To State the Problem

The problem is (how)
The question is
What is being asked/challenged

To State the Options

One option is
The other option is

Introduction

More and more families are choosing to have only one child.
The trend nowadays is towards having smaller families.
Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of ...
Recent research indicates that the number of teenagers who smoke is increasing.
Hardly a week goes by without another report of ... appearing in the media.
This raises the issue of whether ...
Although most people would generally agree that ... few would deny that ...
There are differing explanations \ opinions as to why….
It is first necessary to explain…
In the following essay will be examined.

People (sometimes) claim that … but I feel that ...
It is often said/argued that ... However, it seems to me that ...
It is a fact that ...
Over the past few months/years, it seems that …
Recently, we have all become concerned that …
Nowadays, we are all realising that ...
In the past, people used to …, but now ...
These days, it seems that ….

Giving opinion

It seems to me that ... I would also say that ...
I am convinced that ...
I am inclined to believe that ...
There is no doubt in my mind that ...
One of the drawbacks of ... is ...
However, one of the benefits is that ...
I think that
In my opinion \ in my own view \ to my mind
This is a matter of opinion
In my experience
As far as I know
As far as I am concerned
To tell you the truth
I am convinced that
I firmly believe that
As I see it,
To me,
From my personal point of view,
It seems to me that
I personally believe that
From my perspective
To my way of thinking
It appears to me that

Presenting arguments

One justification often given for ... is that...
Advocates \ Proponents would claim that ...
Those who object to ... often argue that ...
Another objection is that ...
However, it should not be forgotten that ...
... are opposed to ... on the grounds that ...
From the point of view of ...

Describing causes

One factor which has led to ... is ...
As regards the causes for this, ...
Concerning the causes for this, ...
As for the causes, ...
One of the factors which has brought this about is ...
The problem often stems from ...
The situation has been exacerbated by ...
... has only made the situation worse.
One consequence of ... is ...

Proposing measures

As regards the most appropriate response to this situation, one suggestion would be to ...
The first step to be taken would be to ...
To alleviate the situation people should ...
In addition they ought to ...
To begin to tackle this situation society \ individuals \ the government need \ s to ...
... would certainly ameliorate the situation.
This can only be dealt with if ...
To overcome this problem, ...
Were the government to ..., the situation would doubtless improve.
Individuals can do a great deal to ...
The burden of responsiblity lies in the hands of ...
It is vitally important that ...
Legislation should be introduced to control ...
It would be a grave error if we ...

Contrasting

Another important distinction between … and … is that…
I would like to distinguish between ... and ....
The essential difference is that…
The essential point on which I differ is that…
There is however an important difference between ... and ....
There are some respects in which … differs from ...
This difference clearly cannot be explained by…
We must here make a distinction.
Whereas
Withal (до того ж)
Nonetheless
Notwithstanding
Even so
Even though
However,
But
On the contrary,
On the other hand,
Differ from
Although
Though
Otherwise
Instead
Alternatively

Generalizing

Generally,
Generally speaking,
Overall,
On the whole,
In general,
By and large,
It seems to me that
All in all,
Basically,
Essentially,
As a rule,
All things considered
For the most part

Expressing certainty

Absolutely
Certainly,
Definitely,
Doubtless,
Genuinely
Indubitably
Needless to say
No doubt,
Of course,
Rightfully
Sincerely
Surely
Truly
Undoubtedly,
Without doubt

Expressing partial agreement

Almost,
Dubious (сомнительный)
Dubitable (Open to doubt or suspicion)
In a way,
More likely
More or less,
Most likely
Possibly
Probably
So to speak,
To some extent,
Up to a point,

Showing cause

Due to
Because
Because of
Owing to

Showing effect

Therefore,
As a result,
Consequently,
For this reason,
Thus,
So,
thereby
Eventually,
Hence,
The reason why

Marking sequence

After
After this \ that
Afterwards
As soon as
At the same time
Before
Currently
During
Eventually
Finally
First of all,
First, Second, etc.
Firstly,
Following this
Formerly
Henceforth (отныне, впредь)
Hitherto, Heretofore (до сих пор)
Immediately
In due time
Initially
Last
Lastly,
Later
Meanwhile
Next
Once
Previously
Simultaneously
Since
Soon
Subsequently
Then,
To begin with
While

Adding Information

Another possibility is that…
As well as
At the same time it is true to say…
Besides
Furthermore
In addition…
In any case…
It should also be emphasized that…
It should also be noted that…
Likewise
Mention should also be made of…
Moreover
Related to these arguments is the critique that…
Similarly
The corollary of this is that…
The key point to note is that…
The same can be said of…
The same is true of…
There were other factors which arguably counted for more.
This idea is supported by
This is further illustrated by….
This is further shown by the fact that….
What’s more

Expressing condition

Given
If
In case
Providing
One the condition of
Provided that
Provision, proviso (A stipulated condition)
Stipulate (Specify as a condition or requirement in a contract)
Unless
Whenever
Whether

Weighing up arguments

On the one hand ... on the other hand
To consider the advantages and disadvantages
Arguments for and against
To discuss the pros and cons
In theory ... in reality
Both... and...
Not only ... but also
As a matter of fact
By no means \ not at all

Giving examples

A classic illustration often cited is…
Another example of this may be given.
et cetera \ and so on \ and so forth
In particular \ particularly
In the … case this was perhaps the most obvious.
More detailed studies show that…
Only in one respect does the advantage seem to be with…
The evidence of … is even more obvious in the case of…
The origins of … can be traced back to…
This was by no means unique.
This was typified by…
To illustrate this point
To take yet another illustration…

Giving explanations

A general explanation remains difficult to find \ elusive.
How are we to explain …?
If one looks at … in historical perspective, one finds that …
Moreover it is at least arguable that…
Partly for this reason it was inevitable that…
The first thing we notice is the…
The main reason it happened was that…
The reality was at best that…
This achievement was primarily due to…
This applies especially to…
This in turn means that…
This is the key to the problem.
This means that…
This takes us to the heart of the matter
This was one of the most important reasons why…
Yet the important point to note is that…

Arguing

At the same time it could be argued that…
For one thing it could be argued that…
Indeed, it might be argued that…
It is interesting to speculate on what would happen if…
It is tempting to pose another question.
It may well be asked how…
It might be argued that…
Nor is it entirely fanciful to suggest that…
Of course it could be argued that…
Still, there is no denying that…
This is not to say that there are not…
Though it may seem a stretch to compare x with y…
More controversial is the question as to whether…

Concluding

All in all it seems to me that ...
All things considered, ...
Consequently
Corollary (естественный вывод)
Finally \ Lastly,
For the aforementioned reasons, there is no doubt that
Given these facts
Hence
In all due fairness
In conclusion,
In the final analysis this may be the best explanation of all.
It is difficult to escape the conclusion that…
It seems not implausible to link … with …
Judged by this criteria…
Judged by this measure…
Last but not least
More generally it seems hard to deny that…
Nothing can detract from the central fact that…
On balance, I tend to believe that ...
Overall
Summing up
Taking everything into account \ consideration,
The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that ...
Thence (From that fact or reason or as a result)
Therefore
Therefrom (From that circumstance or source)
Thereof (Of or concerning this or that, From that circumstance or source)
Thus
Thusly (In the way indicated)
To conclude,
To put it briefly
To put it simply…
to sum up \ to summarize we can say
To sum up the foregoing,
To summarize
With good judgment,
……………………. it can be said \ claimed that …
……………………. it seems \ appears that…
……………………. it would seem that…
……………………. it is likely \ unlikely \ possible \ foreseeable that …
……………………. it is clear \ obvious that…
…………………….. there is no \ little doubt that …
…………………….. it is true to say that …
…………………….. although it must be said that …
……………………. it may be concluded \ said that …



Other useful phrases

‘it’

It can be argued that…
It is important to recognize that…
It is only to be expected that…
It is also worth noting that…
It is likely that…
It is possible that…
It is anticipated that…
It is not clear whether…
It is significant that…
It is assumed that…
It is not surprising then, that…
It is sometimes suggested that…
It is clear that…
It is not surprising to find that…
It is unlikely that…
It is difficult to see…
It is not unreasonable to suggest that…
It is worth pointing out that…
It is essential, therefore, that…
It is not, however, simply a matter of…
It may seem surprising to say that…
It is evident that…
It is noteworthy that…
It seems that…
It is for this reason that…
It is now clear that…
It would seem clear that…
It is important to note that…
It is often argued that…

‘one’

one could envisage
one might expect
one need only turn to
one could argue that
one might ask
The question one seeks to answer is
one could seriously question
one must remember

To describe

To portray
To depict (изображать, описывать, обрисовывать)
To exhibit
To illustrate
To expose
To present
To paint a portrait
To limn (описывать, изображать, украшать)
To delineate (очерчивать, обрисовывать)
To represent
To demonstrate
To constitute - Form or compose
To embody - (v) Represent or express in tangible form (embodiment); embodied - (adj)
To prove

To manifest - Provide evidence for; stand as proof of
To attest - Provide evidence for
To testify - Provide evidence for
To certify - Provide evidence for
To endorse, indorse - Give support or one's approval to
To shew - Establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment
To establish
To instance - (v) Clarify by giving an example of
To exemplify - (v) Clarify by giving an example of
To compare or contrast

Positive words - Strong Adjectives

magnificent
grandeur - The quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand, the quality of being exalted in character or ideals or conduct
magnanimous - The quality of being exalted in character or ideals or conduct
fantastic
fantastical
phenomenal
wonderful
extraordinary
marvelous
superb
good
fine
great
avid - Emotionally desirable
avid ambition to succeed
excellent
spectacular
prodigious
grand
brilliant
glorious - Bringing great happiness and thankfulness
illustrious - Widely known and esteemed
notable - Worthy of notice
respected
impressive
splendid
splendiferous - Having great beauty and splendor
resplendent - Having great beauty and splendor, Richly and brilliantly colorful
flamboyant - Elaborately or excessively ornamented, Richly and brilliantly colorful
redoubtable - Having or worthy of pride
formidable - Extremely impressive in strength or excellence
prowess
superior
terrific
tremendous
wondrous - Extraordinarily good
wonderful
sublime - Inspiring awe, Lifted up or set high
flair - natural talent
knack - A special way of doing something
outshine - Attract more attention and praise than others
paramount - Having superior power and influence
predominant
preponderating
prevailing

To show intelligence

profound
shrewd – hardheaded (practical experience and observation) intelligence
astute
acumen - Shrewdness shown by keen insight
insightful
savvy - The cognitive condition of someone who understands
cognition - The psychological result of perception, learning and reasoning
genius
smart
sharp
keen
mastermind
Einstein - Someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
work of art
fine art
maven - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
mavin - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
adept - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
whiz - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
wizard - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field

To intensify

incredibly
exceedingly
toppingly - extremely well
extremely
extraordinarily
truly
really
very
utterly - Completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers, With sublimity; in a sublime manner
absolutely
perfectly
sublimely
dramatically
sheer - (adj.) Complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as an intensifier; (adv.) Directly "he fell sheer into the water"

It is said

enounced, enunciated - Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way
pronounced - Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way
articulated - Express or state clearly
vocalized - Express or state clearly
posited - Put firmly
stated
expressed
reported
alleged - Declared but not proved
averred - Report or maintain, To declare or affirm in a grave manner and formally as true
affirmed, asserted
wrote
composed
indited - Produce a literary work
penned - Produce a literary work
spelt - Indicate or signify
voiced, sounded - Give voice to
demean - Reduce in worth or character, usually verbally

It is noted

remarked
denoted - Be a sign or indication of, "Her smile denoted that she agreed"
observed
commented
mentioned
referred
announced
noticed

Precisely

explicitly
accurately
expressly
exactly
incisively

Numerous

innumerable
many
various
several
diverse
umpteen
umteen
myriad (noun and adj.)

Praise

extol - (v) Praise, glorify, or honor
exalt
glorify
laud
proclaim
revere
idolize
worship
venerate

Call forth

evoke - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
arouse - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
elicit - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
enkindle - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
provoke - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
inflame - Arouse or excite feelings and passions
awake - Stop sleeping
conjure - Evoke or call forth, with or as if by magic
invoke - Evoke or call forth, with or as if by magic
summon - Gather or bring together
instill - deposit gradually

Adding ideas

again
also
as well as
besides
coupled with
for example (e.g.)
for instance
furthermore
in addition
in fact
indeed
likewise
moreover
once more
similarly
that is (i.e.)
then too

As expected

as a matter of fact
for that matter
it follows that
naturally
obviously
of course
surely
to be sure

Restatement

in essence
in other words
namely
that is
that is to say
in short
in brief
to put it differently

Cause and effect

accordingly
and so
that’s why
as a consequence
as a result
as might be expected
consequently
for this purpose
for this reason
hence
otherwise
since
so then
subsequently
then
therefore
thereupon
thus
wherefore

Contrast

at the same time
but
by the same token
contrast
conversely
despite
however
in contrast
in spite of
instead
likewise
nevertheless
nonetheless
not at all
notwithstanding
on one hand
on the contrary
on the other hand
rather
similarly
still
unlike
yet

Sequence

at first
first of all
to begin with
in the first place
at the same time
for now
for the time being
the next step
in time
in turn
later on
meanwhile
next
then
soon
the meantime
later
while
earlier
simultaneously
afterward
in conclusion
with this in mind

Concession

although
but of course
certainly
doubtless
granted that
of course
though
to be sure
to doubt that
whereas

Direction

here
there
over there
beyond
nearly
opposite
under
above
to the left
to the right
in the distance

Degrees of certainty

anyhow
anyway
certainly
doubtless
in all likelihood
in all probability
in any case
indeed
perhaps
possibly
probably
surely

Qualification

especially
frequently
if
in case
in general
in particular
inasmuch
lest
occasionally
particularly
provided that
specifically
unless

Repetition

as noted
as noted earlier
as we have seen
besides
in any case
in fact
in other words
indeed
to put it another way
to repeat

Similarity

comparatively
coupled with
correspondingly
identically
likewise
similar
moreover
together with

Emphasis

above all
chiefly
with attention to
especially
particularly
singularly

Generalizing

as a rule
as usual
for the most part
generally
generally speaking
ordinarily
usually

Exemplifying

as an example
as an illustration
chiefly
especially
for example
for instance
for one thing
illustrated with
in particular
in this case
including
markedly
namely
particularly
specifically
such as

Exception

aside from
barring
besides
except
excepting
excluding
exclusive of
other than
outside of
save

Summary

all in all
all things considered
briefly
by and large
finally
in a word
in any case
in any event
in brief
in conclusion
in short
in summary
in summation
in the final analysis
in the long run
on balance
on the whole
therefore
to conclude
to make a long story short
to sum it up
to summarize