Transitions & Academic Discourse

QuestionAnswer
a linking word meaning 'in spite of that; however'
nevertheless
The experiment had several flaws; nevertheless, the results were illuminating.
a linking word meaning 'in spite of what has just been said' (formal synonym of however)
nonetheless
The evidence was limited; nonetheless, the committee proceeded with the inquiry.
a linking word meaning 'although; even though' (used as a conjunction)
albeit
The project was completed on time, albeit at a higher cost than expected.
a linking word meaning 'in spite of; regardless of' (formal, often legal)
notwithstanding
The appeal was denied, notwithstanding the new evidence presented by the defense.
a linking word meaning 'in an opposite way; on the other hand'
conversely
Urban populations tend to grow rapidly; conversely, rural areas often experience decline.
a linking phrase meaning 'without being affected by; no matter what'
irrespective of
The policy applies to all employees, irrespective of their seniority or position.
a linking word meaning 'despite everything; without concern for'
regardless
The team decided to continue with the launch, regardless of the unfavorable conditions.
a linking phrase meaning 'despite what has been said; even so' (used to concede a point)
be that as it may
The cost is substantial; be that as it may, the long-term benefits justify the investment.
a linking phrase meaning 'even accepting that; assuming it is true that'
granted that
Granted that the sample size was small, the findings still warrant further investigation.
a linking word meaning 'used to concede a point before presenting a counter-argument'
admittedly
Admittedly, the initial hypothesis was flawed, but the revised model proved accurate.
a linking word meaning 'in an opposite manner; to the contrary'
contrarily
Some scholars support the theory; contrarily, others have raised serious objections.
a linking phrase meaning 'despite that; nonetheless' (two-word concessive phrase)
even so
The data is incomplete; even so, a clear pattern has emerged from the available records.
a linking phrase meaning 'although; accepting for the sake of argument' (five-word concessive clause opener)
while it is true that
While it is true that emissions have declined, the rate of reduction remains insufficient.
a linking phrase meaning 'on second thought; but reconsider' (two-word contrast phrase)
then again
The drug showed promising results in trials; then again, long-term side effects remain unknown.
a linking phrase meaning 'in spite of what was just mentioned; regardless' (three-word concessive phrase)
all the same
The critics were harsh; all the same, the film went on to win several awards.
a linking word meaning 'as a result of what has preceded'
consequently
The factory violated emission standards; consequently, it was shut down by regulators.
a linking word meaning 'for this reason; therefore' (formal)
hence
The region lacks rainfall; hence, irrigation is essential for agriculture.
a linking word meaning 'in this way; as a result of this' (formal, often mid-sentence)
thus
The membrane is semi-permeable, thus allowing only certain molecules to pass through.
a linking word meaning 'by that means; as a result of that action'
thereby
The new law increased penalties, thereby deterring future offenders.
a linking word meaning 'in a way that is appropriate to the circumstances'
accordingly
The budget was reduced; accordingly, several programs had to be eliminated.
a linking word meaning 'by which; through which' (used in formal clauses)
whereby
The university introduced a system whereby students could earn credit for internships.
a linking phrase meaning 'because of; due to' (formal)
owing to
Owing to the severe weather, all flights were cancelled for the remainder of the day.
a linking phrase meaning 'as a result; as an outcome of something'
as a consequence
Deforestation has accelerated; as a consequence, many species have lost their habitats.
a linking phrase meaning 'to the extent that; in so far as'
insofar as
The theory is valid insofar as it applies to closed systems.
a linking phrase meaning 'because of; due to' (used before a noun)
on account of
The trial was postponed on account of the unavailability of key witnesses.
a linking phrase meaning 'this being so; given the circumstances' (introduces a logical result)
this being the case
Funding has been drastically cut; this being the case, the research timeline must be extended.
a linking phrase meaning 'for that reason; because of the thing mentioned'
for this reason
The compound is highly unstable; for this reason, it must be stored at low temperatures.
a linking word meaning 'in addition; besides' (adds a stronger point)
furthermore
The study found a clear correlation; furthermore, it identified a possible causal mechanism.
a linking word meaning 'as a further matter; besides that' (introduces additional important information)
moreover
The drug was effective in reducing symptoms; moreover, it had fewer side effects than existing treatments.
a linking word meaning 'in the same way; also' (draws a parallel)
likewise
Increased taxation stifled growth in the north; likewise, the southern provinces saw an economic slowdown.
a linking word meaning 'in a like manner; in the same way as'
similarly
Mammals regulate their body temperature internally; similarly, birds maintain a constant core temperature.
a linking word meaning 'in a way that matches or agrees with something else'
correspondingly
As demand increased, prices rose correspondingly throughout the quarter.
a linking word meaning 'in fact; used to emphasise a statement or add emphasis'
indeed
The results were surprising; indeed, they challenged decades of established theory.
a linking phrase meaning 'combined with; together with' (adds to an existing point)
coupled with
Rising inflation, coupled with stagnant wages, has reduced consumer purchasing power.
a linking phrase meaning 'in addition to what has been mentioned; also' (informal but common in academic speech)
on top of that
The grant covers tuition fees; on top of that, it provides a monthly living stipend.
a linking phrase meaning 'additionally and with greater emphasis; to strengthen a point'
what is more
The treatment was cost-effective; what is more, patient satisfaction rates were exceptionally high.
a linking phrase meaning 'besides; in addition to the above' (three-word additive phrase)
apart from this
The study had a robust methodology; apart from this, its large sample size added credibility.
a linking word meaning 'after that; following the event just mentioned'
subsequently
The researcher collected the data and subsequently published the findings in a peer-reviewed journal.
a linking word meaning 'after that time; from then on' (formal)
thereafter
The treaty was signed in 1648; thereafter, a period of relative peace ensued.
a linking word meaning 'from this time on; from now forward'
henceforth
The board announced that, henceforth, all meetings would be open to the public.
a linking word meaning 'until now; before this time' (archaic/formal)
hitherto
The discovery revealed a species hitherto unknown to science.
a linking word meaning 'during the intervening time; at the same time as something else'
meanwhile
The clinical trials continued for two more years; meanwhile, the company sought regulatory approval.
a linking word meaning 'at the same time; happening concurrently'
simultaneously
The researchers monitored brain activity and heart rate simultaneously during the experiment.
a linking word meaning 'in earlier times; previously; in the past'
formerly
The building, formerly a textile mill, has been converted into a museum.
a linking word meaning 'at the beginning; at first'
initially
The proposal was initially rejected, but it was later approved after significant revisions.
a linking word meaning 'in the end; finally; as the last in a series of events'
ultimately
After years of negotiation, the two nations ultimately reached a comprehensive trade agreement.
a linking phrase meaning 'only if; on the condition that'
provided that
The scholarship will be renewed, provided that the student maintains a minimum GPA of 3.5.
a linking phrase meaning 'with the requirement that; only if (something is true)'
on condition that
The data was shared with the research team on condition that confidentiality would be maintained.
a linking phrase meaning 'instead of; as a substitute for' (formal)
in lieu of
The company offered stock options in lieu of a traditional salary increase.
a linking phrase meaning 'if that does not succeed; if the first option does not work'
failing that
Applicants should submit documents by email; failing that, postal submissions will be accepted.
a linking phrase meaning 'if that happens; should that situation arise'
in that event
The reactor could overheat; in that event, the automatic shutdown system would activate immediately.
a linking word meaning 'it may be argued that; as one could make a case for'
arguably
This is arguably the most significant archaeological find of the century.
a linking word meaning 'it is reasonable to suppose; probably'
presumably
The artifact is over a thousand years old, presumably dating to the early medieval period.
a linking word meaning 'apparently; seemingly (but perhaps not actually)'
ostensibly
The program was ostensibly designed to reduce poverty, but critics argued it primarily benefited corporations.
a linking word meaning 'as is certain to happen; unavoidably'
inevitably
As populations grow, demand for clean water will inevitably increase.
a linking word meaning 'in a way that seems contradictory or self-opposing'
paradoxically
Paradoxically, the more choices consumers have, the less satisfied they tend to be.
a linking word meaning 'by the way; as a side remark'
incidentally
The study focused on urban migration; incidentally, it also uncovered data about rural health disparities.
a linking word meaning 'without any doubt; certainly'
undoubtedly
Climate change is undoubtedly one of the defining challenges of the twenty-first century.
a linking word meaning 'at the most basic level; fundamentally'
essentially
The two theories differ in terminology but are essentially making the same argument.
a linking word meaning 'mainly; for the most part'
predominantly
The workforce in this sector is predominantly composed of skilled engineers and technicians.
a linking word meaning 'above all; chiefly; as the main focus'
primarily
The initiative was designed primarily to address literacy gaps in underserved communities.
a linking phrase meaning 'regarding; concerning; in relation to'
with respect to
With respect to funding, the committee has approved an additional allocation for the coming year.
a linking phrase meaning 'relating to; having to do with' (formal)
pertaining to
All documents pertaining to the merger must be submitted before the deadline.
a linking phrase meaning 'in relation to; compared with; regarding' (borrowed from French)
vis-a-vis
The report examines the country's position vis-a-vis its major trading partners.
a linking phrase meaning 'with the aim of; in order to achieve'
with a view to
The government introduced tax incentives with a view to stimulating foreign investment.
a linking word meaning 'separately and in the order mentioned'
respectively
The first and second groups scored 85% and 72%, respectively, on the final assessment.
a discourse marker used by a lecturer to signal they will provide more detail about a topic
let me elaborate on that
The professor said, "This reaction is exothermic — let me elaborate on that for a moment."
a discourse marker used to highlight the most important point of a discussion
the key takeaway here is
After reviewing the data, the lecturer concluded: "The key takeaway here is that early intervention matters."
a discourse marker used to rephrase or simplify an idea for clarity
to put it another way
The concept is complex — to put it another way, think of the cell as a tiny factory.
a discourse marker used to draw attention to a central point or argument
what I want to emphasise is
What I want to emphasise is that correlation does not imply causation.
a discourse marker used to refer back to a point made earlier in the lecture
as I alluded to earlier
As I alluded to earlier, the second law of thermodynamics places limits on efficiency.
a discourse marker used to connect the current point to a previous topic
this ties back to
This ties back to our earlier discussion about supply chains and global interdependence.
a discourse marker meaning 'the final result or consequence of this is'
the upshot of this is
The upshot of this is that smaller firms cannot compete without government subsidies.
a discourse marker used to provide a short summary of what has been discussed
to recap briefly
To recap briefly, we have covered three main theories of language acquisition today.
a discourse marker meaning 'the central or most important point of the issue'
the crux of the matter is
The crux of the matter is whether renewable energy can scale fast enough to meet global demand.
a discourse marker meaning 'keeping this in mind; with this consideration'
bearing this in mind
Bearing this in mind, we should examine the ethical implications before proceeding.
a discourse marker meaning 'with the preceding caveat acknowledged; despite the above'
having said that
The model has limitations; having said that, it remains the best predictor available to us.