Useful linking expressions

The list below provides a selection of linking expressions that you will find useful in your writing.

1 Time sequence When/As soon as/ The moment they arrived, the meeting

began. On hearing the news, we immediately phoned to congratulate

them. From early childhood/an early age, she showed great aptitude

for music. Throughout his adult life, he has dedicated himself to helping

others. Up to that time, she ha never even been abroad. I shall return to this point This brings us to Presented in ascending order

2 Listing Afterwards, beforehand, eventually, finally, first, in the end,

lastly, later, meanwhile First of all, it must be stated that … Secondly, it could be argued that … Last but nor least, it must be remembered that … Finally, it is important to …

3 Adding information/emphasizing a point Also, as well, besides, furthermore, in addition, moreover, too,

what’s more Indeed, as matter of fact, in fact He left early – and on top of that/to cap it all, he didn’t pay for

his share of the meal. (informal) She didn’t really want to see the film, and

besides/anyway/anyhow she was too tired to go to the cinema now. (informal)

The rent is reasonable and moreover/furthermore/in addition the location is perfect.

Not only has he achieved a great deal, but he has also set an example for a generation.

They want new regulations in the hostel; above all, they want to restrict the noise level in the evenings.

These new medicines are perfectly safe. Indeed, they can be given to young children.

4 Giving examples

Many things contributed to her success, for instance/for example/such as hard work, good fortune and the support of her friends.

To illustrate this point, … Let’s take the example of … I should like to preface my argument with a true story

5 Explaining/reformulating Some cars are more environmentally friendly than others. That

is to say/In other words, they cause less pollution. He read the newspaper to confirm what he knew already, that

is/namely that his team had lost. You should treat you colleagues as friends, or, better still/rather,

as close friends if you want to create a good working atmosphere.

6 Contrast Even so, however, nevertheless, nonetheless, on the other

hand, still, yet She was very kind. By/In contrast, he seemed very callous. Some people learn languages easily. Conversely, others find it

very difficult. It wasn’t a good thing; on the contrary, it was a huge mistake. They decided not to take the car. Instead, they caught the next

train. On the one hand I enjoyed their company, but on the other

hand their strange lifestyle disturbed me.

7 Concession Although, but, despite, even if, even though, in spite of, while,

whereas Although/Even though he was feeling unwell, he attended the

meeting. Despite feeling unwell, he attended the meeting. He felt unwell; however/nevertheless/nonetheless, he attended

the meeting. He was feeling unwell but he attended the meeting all the

same/even so. (informal) My friends left the cinema before the end of the film

whilst/whereas/while I stayed until it had finished. No matter how many/However many times I listen to that

music, it still move me to tears. Whoever comes, it will be a valuable opportunity to discuss the

problem.

8 Giving opinions In my opinion/view, he is one of the most impressive writers of

our generation. It seems to me that one of the biggest problems facing us today

is …

(Personally,) I feel that more needs to be done to encourage young people to take responsibility for the environment.

I can honestly say that …

9 Commenting/expressing own attitude (sentence adverbials) Hopefully, Oddly enough, Understandably, worryingly Surely it must be obvious to anyone that this plan is doomed is

failure. Clearly, more needs to be done to persuade people to use

public transport. Not surprisingly, there has been considerable opposition to this

plan. Irritatingly/Annoyingly, the authorities have decided to cut the

funds available for the project.

10 Giving reasons As, because, since, so Seeing that/As it was getting late, they decided to return home. Trains are being delayed owing to/due to/because of the

inclement weather. They liked his idea, in so far as/to the extent that it made

money for the company.

11 Purpose In order to, to so that In order to her to live a comfortable life, she had to find a well-

paid job. She spoke quietly in order not to/so as not to wake the sleeping

child.

12 Results/consequences As a result, because of this, consequently, that’s why, therefore A lot of people voted for his entry and

thus/consequently/therefore/as a result/accordingly he was awarded the prize.

He became a citizen in 1999, thereby gaining the right to vote. Many areas have been modernized in such a way as to make

the city more attractive to tourists.

13 Comparisons It’s a good deal/a great deal/very much easier to watch sport

than to take part. She looked as if/as though she’d seen a ghost. He was nowhere near/nothing like as good at tennis as (he was

at) basketball. The more cities expand, the less access we have to the

countryside.

14 Attitude clauses

As far as I know, As I said, as we shall see, I am afraid, Believe it or not, as it turns out, the truth is

All things considered, taking everything into consideration, generally speaking, to be honest, judging by, speaking from memory, to tell the truth, or to put it another way

15 Generalizing As a rule, by and large, in the main, on the whole

16 Summing up Forced to conclude In conclusion, In summary, last of all, To conclude Although the day was not a complete success, all in all it went

as well as could be expected. To sum up/In short, it was a highly successful visit. Overall, what I most admire is their determination to succeed. In conclusion/Finally/To conclude, it seems clear that tourism is

having an adverse effect on the area. The team played well, but at the end of the day they just

weren’t good enough to win. (informal)

Formal Letter

1. Opening and ending - To a company: Dear Sirs,

Yours faithfully- To a single representative: Dear sir or Madam,

Yours faithfully- To a single representative whose name you know:

Dear Mr. Smith/Dear Ms. SmithYours sincerely

NB. Mrs. Smith is only a married woman

2. Reason for writing I am writing this letter mainly because I would like to

express my feelings about… and also to point out… I am writing with regard to/ in reference to your letter of

24th June/published recently in your newspaper on the effect of…on our lives.

I am writing to express my concern about/ disappointment with/ disapproval of/ apologies for/ dissatisfaction with

I am writing on behalf of my class to express… I am writing… and I would like to draw your attention

to/point out (certain inaccuracies). I am writing in response to your letter of /asking… I wish to bring to your attention some problems which I

encountered at…

3. Connectors Firstly/To begin with Moreover/ Furthermore/ In addition Although/However/Nevertheless/Though Finally/ Eventually Fortunately / Apart from that We also came to the conclusion

4. Useful sentences (I feel) I must also disagree with the suggestion I should also like to point out I would dare say/ I feel obliged to write After serious discussion between the members of (the

club), we realized that there are some problems which have to be solved

One of the main reasons these changes should be made As far as the clubroom is concerned/ Regarding … Having read carefully (your article), I feel The article raises the issue of/ it argues that I feel/ think/ believe/ To my mind/ In my opinion/ From my

point of view

I would like to add my views on this subject I endorse (recolzar) this view We recently carried out a survey/ undertook a survey and

conducted interviews among (the residents) According to your (article) (the writer)/ your article states

that Admittedly, there are certain points made by the writer

which cannot be argued with. Negative: to make matters worse, to add insult to injury,

had I known the food would be unsatisfactory.., disgusted by the standard of the service I decided to

5. Request for actions I would appreciate if/ be grateful if you would It seems only fair that you should I hope you will find this information of use I wonder if you could

6. Ending I look forward to receiving/ seeing/ hearing your prompt

reply Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any

further information

ESSAYParts:

IntroductionParagraphsClosing paragraph

Advice- Introduce the essay in the first paragraph- Refer to all the major points given in the question- Decide whether you are going to write a balanced or one-sided

argument- Spend at least 15’ writing an outline- Add relevant opinions of your own.- Make sure your argument is logical and coherent- Include an effective conclusion.- Choose a suitably neutral register- Use a variety of sentence openers and linkers.- Use synonyms and expressions to paraphrase the wording of

the question. - Summarise your main views in a conclusion.

Useful language- Generalizing

It is often said that... It is usually the case that... People tend to regard... The reality is that...

- Specifying The first text suggests that.../outlines how.../views... The second text raises the issue of... The writer is of the opinion that... Additionally, it is argued that... From the (singer)’s point of view Professional musicians are seen as

- Raising and argument On the question of No one would dispute Considering/ Looking at/ Taking the example of

- Giving one side One argument in favour of this is In support of It is true that

- Giving the other side At the same time In actual fact On the other hand, In contrast to

Weighed against this is This is not to say that

PROPOSAL

Parts:(Title “proposal for..”)Introduction (brief)

o The aim of this proposal is to….o This proposal describes/ outlines/ is related to…

Main Sectiono Different aspects in different paragraphs

Conclusion (positive concluding remark)o On balance, we are the opinion ofo In conclusion, I would say thato To sum up, I believe that

Advice:- (Use headings for each paragraph underlined)- Order the points so as to make the most convincing case.- Give a brief introduction.- Make clear recommendations.- Neutral or formal register.- Show conviction throughout.- Remember to be look-forwarding.

Useful language

Suitabilityo The (town/ centre/ stadium) is well equipped to deal with/

perfectly suited for (such events)o It is conveniently located/ ideally situated/ well connected

to (the capital)o There is little doubt/ We feel sure that it would be a

resounding success/ of great benefit to the (town/ company)

o We believe wholeheartedly in/ are convinced/ are 100% sure/ are totally committed to…

Amenities (=comoditats)o There is no shortage / a wide selection of (hotels/

cinemas) to choose fromo The (town/ conference/ centre) boasts (=alardea) an

impressive range of (amenities/ facilities)o Few (cities/ schools) can offer such a large choice ofo Not only can we provide …, but we can also…o It is beyond dispute/widely recognised/ commonly known

that…o The city’s good reputation for...

Travel and transport

o It is within easy reach / walking distance/ driving distance of the (centre/ hotel)

o It is just a short walk/ drive/ bus ride/ train ride/ from the (coast /station)

o The (town) has easy access to (the motorway network)o In terms of (transport)

Recommendationso Recommend + -ing; recommend thato Suggest + -ing; suggest thato Urge (you) to; urge thato Insist on + -ing; insist thato Argue for; argue thato I feel that…should…o I propose that…(should)o I would like to put forward the idea of…o I feel that it would be particularly beneficial/effectiveo One solution (to this problem) might be to…o Another possible way of dealing with the problem would

be for…o … is of particular relevance/importance becauseo Of equal merit is..o We would like to stress/underline/remind

REPORT

Parts:TitleIntroduction (brief)

o The aim of this report is to examine/evaluate/describe/outline

o This report aims to summarise…o It will also include/consider/suggest/recommendo The report is based on a survey conducted among…

Different headingso Further ideas will be elaborated in the next two

sections / below is a different interpretation ofo The aspects covered earlier suggest

Conclusion (addressing the final point of the task)o To sum up / in conclusion

Advice

Make a detailed plan. Draft sub-headings for each section. Add bullets when listing information. Signpost the information clearly. Neutral and impersonal style, Include passive structures. Use a range of relevant vocabulary (compound adjectives,

compound nouns)

Useful language

Opiniono The opinion has been expressed (by many students) thato Is/are seen to beo It is apparent/ the previous satment confirms thato As already discussed/alongside this decisiono As mentioned at the outset (inici)

Predicting the futureo The future looks bleak / remains uncertain / is promisingo This seems unlikely in the near / foreseeable future

Making recommendationso I would strongly recommend that (the school) should /

recommend doing somethingo Suggest-propose (that)/ doing somethingo It would be preferable to/ a good ideao It might be advisableo I feel it would be to our advantage ifo In the light of the results survey, I would strongly advise

against

o It should now be considered whether Compound adjectives

o Easy-going; half-day; long-standing; meticulously-planned; record breaking; trouble-free; wider-ranging.

REVIEW

It is often about a book or film, but it may also be about restaurant, hotel or other place.

Parts:(Title “Whiteout “ by Ken Follet)Brief summary of the book’s contentQuestions to engage the reader: opinion and encouraging. What you have learnt from itFinal recommendation

Advice

Make a detailed plan. It should be a balance of information and opinion. You need to include:

o Books /films: plot and character. Do NOT describe the whole plot.

o Place: details about the building, the facilities offered and the standard of service.

Needs to start with an impact and try to conclude your piece with a reflective comment which reinforces your purpose for writing.

Use reported speech and a variety of methods to maintain interest.

Variety of linkers, rhetorical questions, specialist terms. Name the film, book,. early in the review Appropriate register and suitability for the intended reader.

Think about the tone (light, persuasive, friendly) you should adopt, and how formal you should be.

Useful language

Commenting criticallyo Provides a fascinating/valuable/revealing insight intoo I found the plot rather predictable/disappointingo The acting is very impressive/convincingo She gives a compelling/memorable performance aso One particular strength/weakness of the film iso The design/characterization/production is second to none/

is no o its best feature. Encouraging others to read/watch/listen

o Don’t be put off by the title/critics/cover.o I will have you roaring with laughter/rushing out to buy

the sequel.o It is definite a must-see.o I would definitely give it a miss.

o I would highly recommend it to anyone interested ino I would strongly advise you to go out and buy/ see it.

Vocabulary

Action-packedAtmosphericClichédCompellingCredibleDisappointingExcruciating

ExhilaratingFast-movingGrippingImplausibleImpressiveInnovativeMemorable

MovingOutstandingOverhypedPowerfulPredictableSentimentalStunning

TediousUnconvincin

g

BlockbusterBudgetSub-plot

Portrayed (by)Heads outCrew

Digital imagingSpecial effectsStars

Feature

ARTICLE

Parts:

Title (to attract readers)Strong opening paragraph to encourage reader to go on readingConclusion: finish with an interesting conclusion. Leave the reader something to think about it.

Advice

Not very formal but not informal. It depends on the reader and magazine.

Ask questions and address the reader to involve them. Express your opinion. Link the paragraphs. Use a range of descriptive verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Use direct speech where appropriate but don’t over-use it.

Useful language

Introductiono ….. ? Then …. Seems to be the right solution for you. o Some students are still in the dark about…If you are one

of them, here are the answers to all your questions. o Imagine you…

Personal reactionso I was overwhelmed by…o I was amazed at how/what amazed me was how…o The fact gat…made a great impression on me o It made me feel..o What struck me was how…o It reminded me ofo I felt as if…