Linking words

Linking words help you to connect ideas and sentences, so that people can follow your ideas.

Giving examples


For example
For instance
Namely

The most common way of giving 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 fulfil 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."

In theory… in practice… show an unexpected result.

"In theory, teachers should prepare for lessons, but in practice, they often don't have enough time."




Related pages on english-at-home.com


Telling a story
How to write better English
Better English speaking skills


26 comments on “Linking words”

Cadette Batie

I'm not a story teller therefore, it is always difficult for me to start telling a story or writing a letter. Due to the lack in my English, I feel stuck most of the time not to be able to express mylself freely. I wish, one day that I can pass that barrier.

simon

this is a verry good exercise to learn to writing and use the grammar thank you for the test

Tin Moe Moe Win

This is very good for learners.

Khosrow

Thank you so much. I had not already seen a collective of linking words!I believe hoestly that your prepared list will be useful for learners.Thank you again.

Ruth

I found it is helpful to all students for the writing practice.

Moritz

Thank you so much… there is a short list of linking words in my book but i want to get a better grade and i find this very helpfull. thank you!

Khin Ye' Lwin

Thank you so much. This is very helpful to me.

Rolando

Thanks, I think your website it's very usefull. I want to get a better grade in my essay tomorrow and those linking words are carefully explained, it's great!!!!

Lauren

This is great. I have a test and we have to write an editorial. We only got a few from school, so this will be a HUGE help. Thankyou so much!

German Student

Thank you so much, this site really helped me prepare for my English exam.

audrey

very good site…found it useful for my hw :)

abbie

thanks this helped alot with essay coursework on Macbeth and how to arrange sentences and sound smart! LOL
xx

Allen. k

Linking words are wonderful and useful. Most important is your EZ explanations that hardly can find in other websites.
Allen kay

J. Taylor

I'm in the process of writing a discursive essay, and was tired of using the same linking words to convoy the two diffrent sides of an arguement. This has really helped. Thanks

Marie

This will be of a great help for me - well organized and listed infromatio, eexactly what I was looking for =)

mohamed tarhat

thank you very much these are important lessons

fatima mir abbasi

thanks a million! that was GREAT! i had been looking for the exact meanings of linking verbs.that part was so practical for me & also for many others i think.

Danny

Thanks for that! It'll be a great help!
I was just looking for a well ordered list like that.
~

Ikhlas

Very good site especially for an English Trainer like me. Found appropriate supports for my lessons.

SERHAN

thank you very much
it was a very helpful ex

natacha

thnx a lot.. it's very helpful and of great advantage especially for witing the essays. thnx:-))

dana

i have always been looking out for linking words . this has been very useful as my students will be able to use this as a guide . thanks a lot

ilayda

thank you very much!!You have summarized all linking words and rescued me from studying the 'refining composition skills' over there on my table… thanks thanks thanks!

David

I really appreciate to find this kind of staff in web. Keepon working and continue providing these relevant writing tools.

FAWAZ NAHSHAL

I highly appreciate the way the linking words are presented here.Thank you very much.

Bhaskar

Which word should I use to link two contradictory versions of two parties?
For instance, I want to link the following sentences:

1. Microsoft chief executive Steven A. Ballmer said that the economics demanded by Yahoo do not make sense (but) (. However, …)
2. Yahoo officials described the amount by Microsoft to be less than what they expect.

Although Microsoft chief executive Steven A. Ballmer said that the economics demanded by Yahoo do not make sense,
2. Yahoo officials described the amount by Microsoft to be less than what they expect.

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