Linking Words & Discourse Markers

QuestionAnswer
a linking word meaning 'in spite of that; yet' (formal alternative to 'however')
nevertheless
The evidence was limited; nevertheless, the findings were considered significant.
a linking word meaning 'in spite of that' (synonym of 'nevertheless')
nonetheless
The project faced numerous challenges; nonetheless, it was completed on schedule.
a linking word meaning 'although; even though' (used mid-sentence)
albeit
The results were positive, albeit somewhat limited in scope.
a linking word meaning 'in spite of; despite' (very formal)
notwithstanding
Notwithstanding the economic downturn, consumer spending remained surprisingly robust.
a linking word meaning 'in the opposite way; on the other hand'
conversely
Urban areas tend to have higher living costs; conversely, rural areas offer more affordable housing.
a linking word meaning 'on the contrary; in an opposite way'
contrarily
The policy was expected to boost employment; contrarily, it led to increased layoffs.
a linking word meaning 'without being affected by; regardless of'
irrespective of
All citizens should have access to healthcare, irrespective of their income level.
a linking word meaning 'without being affected by anything to the contrary'
regardless
The university admits students on merit, regardless of their socioeconomic background.
a linking phrase meaning 'even so; despite what has just been said'
be that as it may
The study had a small sample size; be that as it may, the conclusions are worth considering.
a linking phrase meaning 'while accepting that something is true'
granted that
Granted that the initial costs are high, the long-term savings justify the investment.
a linking word meaning 'it must be accepted that; honestly speaking'
admittedly
Admittedly, the research has certain limitations, but the overall findings are robust.
a linking word meaning 'as a result; therefore' (formal)
consequently
The factory closed down; consequently, hundreds of workers lost their jobs.
a linking word meaning 'for that reason; therefore'
hence
The population is ageing rapidly; hence, demand for geriatric care will continue to grow.
a linking word meaning 'as a result of this; therefore' (formal)
thus
Deforestation reduces carbon absorption, thus contributing to global warming.
a linking word meaning 'for this reason; therefore' (very formal)
thereby
The new law restricts emissions, thereby reducing the country's carbon footprint.
a linking word meaning 'in a way that is appropriate to what has just been said'
accordingly
The budget was reduced; accordingly, several planned initiatives had to be postponed.
a linking phrase meaning 'because of this; as a result'
as a consequence
Pollution levels rose sharply; as a consequence, respiratory illnesses increased across the region.
a linking phrase meaning 'by means of which; through which'
whereby
The company introduced a system whereby employees could work remotely three days a week.
a linking phrase meaning 'given that; since' (formal)
in view of the fact that
In view of the fact that resources are limited, priorities must be established carefully.
a linking phrase meaning 'to the extent that; because'
insofar as
The policy was successful insofar as it reduced unemployment in the short term.
a linking phrase meaning 'because of; as a result of' (formal)
owing to
Owing to a lack of investment, the transport network has deteriorated significantly.
a linking phrase meaning 'because of; due to'
on account of
The event was cancelled on account of severe weather conditions.
a linking word meaning 'in addition to what has been said; besides' (formal)
furthermore
The proposal is cost-effective; furthermore, it has minimal environmental impact.
a linking word meaning 'as a further matter; in addition' (formal)
moreover
The drug proved effective in clinical trials; moreover, it had very few side effects.
a linking word meaning 'in the same way; also' (for drawing comparisons)
likewise
Investment in education benefits the economy; likewise, spending on healthcare yields long-term returns.
a linking word meaning 'in a similar way; in the same manner'
similarly
Japan has an ageing population; similarly, South Korea faces a declining birth rate.
a linking word meaning 'in a way that matches or is proportionate to'
correspondingly
As demand has increased, prices have risen correspondingly.
a linking word meaning 'what is more; in addition' (emphatic)
indeed
Renewable energy is cleaner than fossil fuels; indeed, it is now often cheaper as well.
a linking phrase meaning 'in addition to this; what is more'
on top of that
The city suffers from traffic congestion; on top of that, public transport is unreliable.
a linking phrase meaning 'together with; as well as' (formal)
coupled with
Rising temperatures, coupled with deforestation, have accelerated biodiversity loss.
a linking phrase meaning 'on the condition that; only if'
provided that
Renewable energy can replace fossil fuels, provided that sufficient investment is made in infrastructure.
a linking phrase meaning 'as long as; only if' (formal)
on condition that
The grant was awarded on condition that the funds be used exclusively for research purposes.
a linking phrase meaning 'in that case; if that is the situation'
in that event
If funding is not secured, the programme will be cancelled; in that event, staff will be reassigned.
a linking phrase meaning 'if not; in any other case'
failing that
The ideal solution is to increase public funding; failing that, private partnerships should be explored.
a linking phrase meaning 'instead of; as a substitute for'
in lieu of
The company offered employees additional leave in lieu of a pay increase.
a linking word meaning 'after that; from that point on'
subsequently
The initial trial was successful; subsequently, the programme was rolled out nationwide.
a linking word meaning 'after the thing just mentioned; from that time'
thereafter
The regulation was introduced in 2010; thereafter, pollution levels dropped significantly.
a linking word meaning 'from this time on; from now onwards'
henceforth
The board announced that henceforth all meetings would be conducted in English.
a linking word meaning 'until now or until the point in time under discussion'
hitherto
The research explored a phenomenon that had hitherto been largely overlooked by scholars.
a linking word meaning 'in the time between two events'
meanwhile
The government debated the policy for months; meanwhile, the crisis continued to worsen.
a linking word meaning 'at the same time; happening together'
simultaneously
The university aims to simultaneously improve research output and enhance teaching quality.
a linking word meaning 'before now; at an earlier time'
formerly
The building, formerly a factory, has been converted into a modern art gallery.
a linking word meaning 'at first; at the beginning of a process'
initially
The policy was initially met with resistance but gradually gained widespread acceptance.
a linking word meaning 'in the end; after everything else has been considered'
ultimately
The decision will ultimately depend on whether sufficient funding can be secured.
a linking word meaning 'that is to say; in other words' (used to clarify)
namely
One factor above all determines IELTS success, namely consistent and targeted practice.
a linking word meaning 'more exactly or accurately' (used to refine a point)
more precisely
The region is experiencing growth — more precisely, a twelve per cent increase in GDP this quarter.
a linking word meaning 'especially; in particular'
notably
Several countries have made progress in renewable energy, notably Denmark and Germany.
a linking word meaning 'with particular reference to; more exactly'
specifically
The report addresses environmental issues, specifically the impact of plastic waste on marine life.
a linking phrase meaning 'as an example of what has just been said'
a case in point
Many countries struggle with urban pollution; China is a case in point.
a linking phrase meaning 'to make something clearer by using an example'
to illustrate this point
To illustrate this point, consider the dramatic rise in online learning since the pandemic.
a linking word meaning 'for the most part; mainly'
predominantly
The workforce in the technology sector is still predominantly male.
a linking word meaning 'for the most part; chiefly'
primarily
The decline in bee populations is primarily caused by pesticide use and habitat loss.
a linking word meaning 'at the most basic level; fundamentally'
essentially
The two proposals are essentially identical, differing only in their implementation timelines.
a linking word meaning 'without doubt; certainly'
undoubtedly
Climate change is undoubtedly one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today.
a linking word meaning 'it may be supposed that; probably'
presumably
The new regulations will presumably lead to higher production costs for manufacturers.
a linking word meaning 'it could be argued that; one could claim that'
arguably
Arguably, education is the single most important factor in reducing poverty.
a linking word meaning 'as far as appearances suggest; seemingly'
ostensibly
The programme was ostensibly designed to help small businesses, but in practice it favoured large corporations.
a linking word meaning 'as is certain to happen; unavoidably'
inevitably
As populations grow, cities will inevitably face greater pressure on housing and infrastructure.
a linking word meaning 'in a way that seems contradictory but may be true'
paradoxically
Paradoxically, increased connectivity through social media has led to greater feelings of isolation.
a linking word meaning 'by the way; as a minor or less important point'
incidentally
The study focused on urban pollution; incidentally, it also uncovered high noise levels in the area.
a linking phrase meaning 'taking everything into consideration; overall'
all things considered
All things considered, the benefits of globalisation outweigh its drawbacks.
a linking phrase meaning 'to summarise; in short'
in a nutshell
In a nutshell, the success of any education reform depends on adequate teacher training.
a linking phrase meaning 'considering all aspects of a situation'
on balance
On balance, the policy has had more positive effects than negative ones.
a linking phrase meaning 'as a final point; lastly'
last but not least
Last but not least, the role of parental support in academic achievement must not be overlooked.
a linking phrase meaning 'in relation to; about' (formal)
with respect to
The report raised serious concerns with respect to the safety of the proposed construction site.
a linking phrase meaning 'concerning; on the subject of' (formal)
pertaining to
New guidelines pertaining to data protection have been issued by the regulatory authority.
a linking phrase meaning 'in connection with; about' (formal)
with reference to
With reference to your enquiry, I can confirm that the deadline has been extended.
a linking phrase meaning 'in comparison with; relative to'
vis-a-vis
The country's economic performance vis-a-vis its neighbours has been disappointing.
a linking phrase meaning 'with the aim or purpose of'
with a view to
The company restructured its operations with a view to improving long-term profitability.
a linking phrase meaning 'in order to prevent something from happening'
so as to avoid
Strict protocols were implemented so as to avoid any repetition of the previous contamination incident.
a linking word meaning 'as another option; instead'
alternatively
Students may write a dissertation; alternatively, they may complete a research portfolio.
a linking word meaning 'separately or individually in the order already mentioned'
respectively
The UK, France, and Germany contributed 30%, 25%, and 20% respectively to the joint research fund.
a linking phrase meaning 'in a corresponding manner; to the same degree'
by the same token
Higher taxes may reduce inequality; by the same token, they may also discourage investment.
a linking phrase meaning 'from the point of view of; as far as something is concerned'
in terms of
In terms of academic achievement, Finland consistently ranks among the top nations worldwide.
a linking phrase meaning 'as a result of; arising from'
in the context of
In the context of rapid urbanisation, affordable housing has become a critical policy issue.
a linking phrase meaning 'to a large degree; very much so'
to a great extent
The success of the initiative depends to a great extent on community involvement.
a linking phrase meaning 'to only a small degree; partly'
to a limited extent
The reforms have improved efficiency, but only to a limited extent.
a linking phrase meaning 'viewed from a wider perspective; in general'
in the broader sense
In the broader sense, education encompasses not just formal schooling but lifelong learning.
a linking word meaning 'above all; most importantly'
first and foremost
First and foremost, any reform must prioritise the well-being of the most vulnerable members of society.
a linking phrase meaning 'with no exceptions; completely'
without exception
Without exception, all participants reported an improvement in their language skills after the course.