english essay discourse markers

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Discourse markers ( so, right, okay )

Discourse markers are words or phrases like anyway, right, okay, as I say, to begin with . We use them to connect, organise and manage what we say or write or to express attitude:

[friends are talking]

A: So , I’ve decided I’m going to go to the bank and ask for a car loan . B: That sounds like a good idea . C: Well , you need a car . B: Right . A: Anyway , I was wondering if either of you would teach me how to drive .

The discourse markers in this extract have a number of uses: so marks the beginning of a new part of the conversation.

well marks a change in the focus (from getting a car loan to needing a car).

right marks a response (B is agreeing with C).

anyway marks a shift in topic (from buying a new car to having driving lessons).

We use different discourse markers in speaking and writing. In speaking, the following discourse markers are very common:

In writing, the following discourse markers are common:

Discourse markers do not always have meanings that you will find in your dictionary. However, they do have certain functions, and some discourse markers, such as well , can have a number of functions.

Actual and actually

Discourse markers that organise what we say

Some discourse markers are used to start and to end conversations. Some are used to start new topics or to change topics.

Starting a conversation or talk

A: Right , let’s get started. We need to get the suitcases into the car . B: Okay . I’ll do that. Katie, will you help me?

[at the start of a radio interview]

Now , we have with us in the studio today someone you will all know from television. John Rice, welcome to the show.

Ending a conversation

[A mother (A) and daughter (B) on the telephone]

A: So we’ll see you Sunday, Liz . B: Right , okay Mum .

A: Okay , see you then, love . B: Bye, Mum. Thanks for calling . A: Bye, Liz .

[At the end of a meeting]

A: Anyway , is that it? Has anyone got any questions? B: No. I think we’re done . A: Right , fine, thanks everyone for coming. We’ll circulate the documents tomorrow and make some follow-up calls about the project .

Changing or managing a topic

A: We went to town to buy wallpaper to match the carpet . B: Did you try Keanes? They have a sale .

A: We looked there, but Jim said he thought it was too expensive and he didn’t like any of their designs . B: What does he like? A: He likes geometric shapes. He hates flowers . Anyway , we eventually found some that we both liked and when we went to pay for it, we realised that neither of us had brought any money . ( Anyway marks a return to the main topic of buying wallpaper.)

Ordering what we say

We also use discourse markers to order or sequence what we say. Some of the common words and phrases which we use for this are:

A: I think Sheila might be having some financial problems at the moment . B: I don’t think so, Caroline . For a start , she has all the money that her aunt gave her. What’s more, she has a good job and she seems to have a good lifestyle .

Firstly , we are going to look at how to write an essay. Secondly we are going to look at what makes a good essay and what makes a bad one. Lastly , we’re going to do some writing activities.

We can use the letters of the alphabet ( a, b and c ), to list reasons or arguments for something:

There are two reasons why I think it’s a bad idea, a because it’ll cost too much money, and b because it’ll take such a long time.

Numbers: first , second , third

Discourse markers that monitor what we say

As we talk, we monitor (or listen to) what we are saying and how our listener is responding to what they hear. We often rephrase or change what we say depending on how our listener is responding. We use words and phrases such as well, I mean, in other words, the thing is, you know, you know what I mean, you see, what I mean is .

Saying something in another way

Sometimes, as we talk, we add phrases to show our listener that we are going to rephrase, repeat or change what we are saying. These discourse markers help to make what we say clearer for the listener:

I just had to leave early. What I mean is I hated the show. It just wasn’t funny.

You exercise regularly, you have a good diet and you don’t have too much stress. In other words , I think you have nothing to worry about. Your health seems very good.

I think I’ve found a house I’d like to buy. Well it’s an apartment actually . It’s ideal for me.

Shared knowledge

When we talk, we think about how much knowledge we share with our listener. We often mark what we think is old, shared or expected knowledge with you know and we mark new knowledge that we see as not shared with the listener with phrases like see, you see, the thing is :

You know , hiring a car was a great idea. (The speaker and the listener know about hiring the car.)

A: Why don’t you come and stay with me when you’re in Lisbon? B: It’d be difficult. I have to be back in Dublin by Friday . You see , my sister is getting married on Saturday so I won’t have time to visit . (B assumes that A doesn’t know about her sister’s wedding. This is new information)

Discourse markers as responses

As we listen to someone speaking, we usually show our response to what we hear either by gesture (head nod) or by a short response ( Mm, yeah, really, that’s a shame ). This shows that we are listening to and interested in what is being said. We call these short responses ‘response tokens’.

Common response tokens include:

We use response tokens for a number of functions:

A: So he opened the door . B: Yeah . A: And he went in very quietly without waking her . B: Right . A: He opened her bag and…

To show surprise

A: We’ve decided to go to Africa for a month next year . B: Oh really!

To show sympathy

A: He can’t play soccer for at least six months. He’s broken his leg . B: That’s terrible .

Adverbs as discourse markers ( anyway , finally )

Discourse markers showing attitude

Some expressions are used to mark attitude or point of view in speaking or writing.

Common expressions of attitude are:

If you ask me , Neil is making a big mistake leaving his job to go travelling with his friends.

We will obviously have to pay for the damage done to the window.

The whole problem has been caused, I think , by having too many cars on the road at busy times.

Sadly , Hilda has decided not to come with us.

Discourse markers: sounding less direct

We are careful when we speak not to sound too direct or forceful. We use words and phrases such as like, maybe, sort of to soften what we say (hedges).

We often use these words and expressions as hedges:

* sort of is more common in British English ; kind of is more common in American English .

Can I just ask you a question?

We can probably add some more water to the sauce.

Is this perhaps one of your first times driving a car?

Hedges ( just )

Discourse markers: um and erm

We can use um to introduce a new topic carefully:

Um , could I ask you a personal question?

Um , there’s something else we need to talk about.

We can use erm when we pause before saying something, especially when we are not sure about what to say:

He’s… erm he’s not very pleased with your work, I’m afraid.

Her last book was called… erm what was it? I can’t remember the name.

Discourse markers: interjections ( Oh! Gosh! )

An interjection is a single-word exclamation such as hooray, oops, ouch which shows a positive or negative emotional response:

A: The meeting’s been cancelled . B: Yippee!

A: I’ve just dropped the box of eggs . B: Oh no!

A: I don’t think this dessert looks very fresh . B: Yuck!

Interjections ( ouch, hooray )

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Making the most of it (How we talk about using opportunities)

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DISCOURSE MARKERS – LINKING WORDS

30th October 2019 By Alex Markham 11 Comments

Discourse markers are words or expressions that link, manage and help to organise sentences. They connect what is written or said with something else. They make no change to the meaning.

They are also often called linking words and, sometimes, fillers . They are important to make your speech or text flow and to avoid a series of short unconnected statements.

USING DISCOURSE MARKERS

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Discourse markers can be placed in any part of a sentence, including the beginning. We use different types of discourse markers for different types of links; informal markers for speech and formal type markers for formal writing, such as essays and reports.

Discourse markers do not always have meanings that you will find in your dictionary. Instead, they provide certain functions such as delaying, filling or hinting at emotions.

Discourse markers are important for fluency in English at an advanced level. They are important elements of speech and writing for living and working in English-speaking countries.

If you need to take IELTS exams, you’ll need to have a clear understanding of discourse markers for the Writing and Speaking tests.

INFORMAL AND SPOKEN DISCOURSE MARKERS

When speaking or informal writing, such as emails or texts to friends, the following discourse markers are often used. There are many of course, but here are some of the most common.

• Anyway – marks a shift away from a topic. It’s sold out, anyway, I didn’t want to go .
• Actually – indicates that what you are saying is a surprise to you or is the opposite of what might be imagined or introduces the opposite response to what someone wants or expects. I thought I didn’t like dance shows but actually , I quite enjoyed it. Actually, I’d prefer if if you didn’t smoke in here.
• As I was saying / As I said – continuing a theme after a change of subject. As I was saying before I was interrupted, I’d like to go to the cinema . As I said last week, I don’t enjoy opera.
• Absolutely – used as a stronger way of saying yes. A. Would you like a holiday in Thailand? B. Absolutely , when do we go?
• Exactly – used to emphasise what you mean. What exactly are you talking about? Exactly , that’s what I meant.
• Okay or OK – understood or agreed. Okay , I get it.
• Well – used to indicate an emotion including annoyance, anger, surprise, disappointment and relief. Well , that’s not what I wanted to hear. Well , I didn’t expect that!
• Fine – used informally to indicate that something is not good. That’s another fine mess you’ve got me into. A. How are you since your wife left you? B, Fine , what do you think
• Mind (you) – used to highlight or stress something you said to avoid misunderstanding. He couldn’t help me, mind you , I know he’s busy so it’s not his fault. Or to introduce something else that needs to be considered. My kids never listen to me. Mind you, I didn’t either at their age so I guess it’s normal.
• You know – indicates that what you’re saying is known by the listener. or to check they understand with a question mark. Also used as a filler while you’re thinking of what to say next. Studying economics is hard, you know.
• I mean – introduces a statement to justify what you’ve said. It was a tough driving test, I mean I took my test in the rush hour in the rain.
• For a start – introduces the first item of a logical sequence or the most important item of other possibilities. The driving test in Spain is difficult, for a start it’s all in Spanish.
• What’s more – introduces a new fact or argument and implies that this new fact or argument is more important than the one just given. Used without contraction for formal speech and writing. The stock market fell in 2008 and what’s more , our pension fund was tied up in stocks .
• On top of that – used to indicate something unpleasant in addition to what you’ve just said. I lost my job and on top of that, I was fined for speeding.
• To tell you the truth/truth be told – indicates that what you’re saying is honest and open. To tell you the truth , I was more than a little worried. Truth be told , I’m concerned about the project
• To be honest – explains that you are being truthful about what you’re saying, usually with an understanding that the person you’re talking to will be disappointed. To be honest , I don’t think your offer is sufficient.
• Sort of / kind of – used to describe that something is partly true but it’s not the entire explanation. Or that something is difficult to explain entirely. Your answer is sort of correct but there’s a bit more to it than that. My new car is a kind of blue-green colour . Not sure what colour you’d call it.

FORMAL AND WRITTEN DISCOURSE MARKERS

Discourse markers for more formal writing situations organise your text logically. They are typical when writing formal letters or when writing essays or reports, especially at work.

They will also be used in formal speaking situations, such as presentations or speeches. For the IELTS writing exam, they are necessary to gain maximum marks under coherence and cohesion which is 25% of the mark.

• Firstly, secondly and thirdly – organise your points logically. Firstly we need to reduce the prices of the products. Secondly , we need to upgrade the channel to market etc. etc.
• Finally – marks the final point of a list. Finally, I want to talk about the environment.
• To begin with –
• In addition – provides extra information. In addition to my earlier point, we also need to think about delivery.
• In conclusion – marks the summary and round-up of your essay or speech. In conclusion , I have demonstrated that savings will be 10%.
• In summary – another way to mark the conclusion. In summary , the average costs will reduce.

• Moreover – as a further matter, there is even more to tell you. It’s a difficult decision, moreover , they would have to move home.
• On (the) one hand, on the other hand – introduces two opposing ideas. On the one hand , it’s cheaper, on the other hand, it means a lot of work to make it worth the trouble.
• What is more – introduces a new fact or argument and implies that this new fact or argument is more important than the one just given. Used with contraction for informal. The stock market fell in 2008, what is more, is that the company had all its assets in stocks.
• Furthermore – introduces an additional fact or argument. Unemployment rates fell in 2018, furthermore , average salaries rose.
• Not only….but also – used to give emphasis to a second point. This phrase uses inversions. I not only worked in London but also in Paris.
• For example – used to give an example to show that something is true. This will never work, for example the spring is broken.
• Such as – introduces an example or examples of what you’re talking about. There are lots of types of car on the road today, such as saloons, hatchbacks and four-by-fours.
• As a result – introduces what happened because of something. He failed his exams and, as a result , couldn’t attend university.
• Consequently – because of this or as a result. The road is closed, consequently we’ll need to wait until it’s open again.
• Nevertheless – despite what has just been said or written. There are insufficient funds for the development, nevertheless, we’ll continue the work and hope something turns up.
• By/in contrast – a comparison which introduces something opposite to the first item. The economy in the EU shrunk by 2%, by contrast , the USA saw growth of nearly 5%.
• In comparison – used to discuss the ways in which two things are different. Costs have risen in comparison to last year.
• In my opinion – Used to give your opinion or point of view when you are confident of the facts. In my opinion , it’s better to invest in language training as early as possible in our schools .
• Of course – stating something that is known or obvious but it’s important to mention anyway. Of course, children benefit greatly from playing sports.

ORGANISING AND LINKING SENTENCES

A discourse marker is a word or an expression that organises our sentences. Also known as linking words, they can be thought of as the glue that connects sentences together.

Formal discourse makers are vital in academic and business texts as they organise the sequencing and connections.

Of course, there are many more discourse markers in use than those I’ve listed in this article. These ones should serve to cover most situations and you will pick up even more as you use English regularly at an advanced level

Click on the cover below to find out more information on how to pass the IELTS Writing Task

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2nd October 2020 at 20:26

Hi, Your web content is absolutely helpful for any one learning English language and preparing for IELTS. I am truly amazed and very to luckily come over your document. Thanks a lot.

Best Regards Pradeep

3rd October 2020 at 20:12

I’m glad it helps Pradeep

23rd October 2020 at 00:08

Great text! Very useful for my personal use and teaching. Thank you, Alex.

23rd October 2020 at 00:24

Hello Elder, I’m pleased it helps. Any questions, let me know

4th November 2021 at 23:20

Hi Alex. After a year. I find myself planning a lesson on discourse markers again and I wonder if you could help me with some common examples of discourse markers used for deduction.

28th April 2021 at 16:07

Hi, I just wanna say this website was so useful for me for doing my assignment ! Thank youuuuuuuuuuu !!!

2nd May 2021 at 19:15

Excellent, I’m pleased it helped

29th May 2021 at 15:33

Great content. I am studying IELTS and these words are so important in both writing and speaking. I have learnt a lot from this page. Thank you for helping me and people like me. God bless you.

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I’m pleased my website has helped you Abhishek

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Really I love this lesson.

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Discourse Markers

Discourse markers (words like 'however', 'although' and 'Nevertheless') are referred to more commonly as 'linking words' and 'linking phrases', or 'sentence connectors'. They may be described as the 'glue' that binds together a piece of writing, making the different parts of the text 'stick together'. They are used less frequently in speech, unless the speech is very formal.

Without sufficient discourse markers in a piece of writing, a text would not seem logically constructed and the connections between the different sentences and paragraphs would not be obvious.

Care must also be taken, however, to avoid over-use of discourse markers. Using too many of them, or using them unnecessarily, can make a piece of writing sound too heavy and 'artificial'. They are important, but must only be used when necessary.

  Key advice

1. What are the different discourse markers that can be used?

2. How can sentence connectors be replaced in order to increase variety in writing?

3. How are paragraphs linked together?

4. Discourse markers in a sample passage of academic English

  What are the different discourse markers that can be used?

There are many discourse markers that express different relationships between ideas. The most common types of relationship between ideas, and the sentence connectors that are most often used to express these relationships, are given in the table below. The discourse markers in the table are generally used at the start of a phrase or clause . (a clause is a minimal grammatical structure that has meaning in its own right, and consists of a subject and verb, and often an object too). Sentence connectors do not always begin a completely new sentence; they may be separated from the previous idea with a semi-colon.

Note that there are two particular features of the sentence connectors indicated below:

• Sentence connectors can be used to begin a new sentence or a new clause that follows a semi-colon;
• Some sentence connectors can be placed in different positions within the sentence: initial position (e.g. Because he is ill, he needs to rest.) and 'mid-way position' at the start of another clause (e.g. He must rest, because he is ill).

How can sentence connectors be replaced in order to increase variety in writing?

In your writing, you will want to spend some time ensuring that your work has a sense of variety. In order to do this, you might think of the following:

• Use conjunctions as well as/instead of sentence connectors . A conjunction is a word like 'and', 'but', etc, which is used to join two ideas together into a complex sentence. Unlike sentence connectors such as 'However', etc, a conjunction cannot be used at the beginning of a sentence and must come at a mid-point, at the end of one clause and the beginning of another. It is usually possible to rephrase a pair of sentences that use a sentence connector by using a conjunction instead. For example, instead of saying 'He studied French; however, his wife studied Physics', it might actually be more natural to say 'He studied English but his wife studied Physics'. Similarly, instead of saying 'English is hard; therefore, one must spend a lot of time practising it', we can say: 'English is hard so one must spend a lot of time practising it.' These are simple examples, but the principle of paraphrase can be extended to other, more complex sentences.
• Use conjunctions at least some of the time . Words like and and but may seem boring, but they help to lighten the style of your writing. This in turn helps the writing to sound less pompous and formal. And in any case, in writing, it is often helpful to use a variety of structures rather than just saying things in one way.
• It can also be helpful to omit discourse markers if they do not serve any useful purpose. Knowing when to omit the discourse marker is a subtle aspect of language use and comes with more practice and wider reading.
• Try joining two clauses together by making one subordinat e to the other. If we go back to the sentence 'He studied English but his wife studied Physics', we can rephrase this as follows: 'He studied English whereas his wife studied Physics', or 'He studied English while his wife studied Physics.' The clause beginning with while/whereas is subordinate. this means that it is used to qualify/add extra information to the sentence, but cannot stand on its own.
• Remember, it can be tedious to read a piece of writing which has too many discourse markers. The writing can seem pedantic, heavy and over-pompous. You are ideally seeking a light, flowing style, not a heavy or forced one.

  back ^

How are paragraphs linked together?

In much the same way that ideas within a paragraph are linked, a new paragraph must be linked in some way with the previous one. This, too, necessitates the use of discourse markers.

In the table below are some different ways in which the opening of a paragraph can link back to what has happened before. The three basic types of paragraph-paragraph relationship are : reinforcement of idea; contrast of ideas; and concession. Indicating these relationships builds a 'bridge' between paragraphs and makes reading the text easier.

In your own writing, it is useful to consider the following points:

• Do my paragraphs serve a definite purpose?
• What is the exact link between the paragraph I have written and the previous paragraph? Is that link clear?
• Are my paragraphs laid out strategically , in order to help me to organise my materials to best effect?
• Do my paragraphs help me to build up my ideas in a logical and gradual fashion?

Discourse markers – linking words

Choose the correct discourse markers to complete the sentences below..

1 A: Did he look sad? B: No, by the way obviously as a matter of fact , he was really cheerful.

2 Regarding Whereas As far as your question about our mobile rates, I have attached a document where you can see all our rate plans.

3 Well, I think we can declare the meeting closed. By the way Actually Anyway , who's going to have lunch at the canteen today?

4 Basically Obviously In fact , the most qualified candidates always get the best jobs.

5 I will help him, basically obviously after all , he has always been there for me.

6 The interiors are beautiful and what's more by the way obviously , they have designed them themselves.

7 The north of the country is industrialised and rich furthermore on the whole whereas the south is quite poor, with an economy based on agriculture.

8 Obviously Incidentally Basically , our objective is improving productivity and product quality at the same time.

9 Otherwise In other words All in all , we could say that the charity dinner was a success.

10 We'd better find a quick solution to this crisis, after all otherwise in fact our customers will start to lose faith in us.

Discourse markers

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Discourse markers are very important to structure text or speech to connect sentences in a meaningful and logical way. They express contrast, reason, purpose, result , etc. Here, you can find some common discourse markers, their meanings, and some examples.

By the way / incidentally

Used to change the subject, to say something you have just thought about that doesn’t have to be connected to what was being said before.

• Well, it has been a very productive meeting, don’t you think?  By the way/Incidentally , what time is it?
• I’ll try to fix my car this afternoon.  By the way/Incidentally , do you still have that screwdriver that I lent you?

Actually / in fact / as a matter of fact

Used to introduce information that might be in some way surprising or unexpected .

• I don’t like chicken. Actually/In fact/As a matter of fact , I have only ever eaten chicken once. 
• Everybody thinks he has a terrible temper, but actually/in fact/as a matter of fact , he is very kind.

Anyway / in any case

Used to  return to an earlier subject after a digression or to get to the most interesting point.

• It’s not so strange to lose documents. It happens to lots of people all the time. Anyway/In any case , we finally found the passports in …

Used to give a more important reason for something you are saying.

• I’m too tired to go, and it’s too late, and anyway/in any case , it’s too expensive.

As I was saying

Used to return to an earlier subject in the conversation after an interruption or digression.

• As I was saying , we could get up early and spend the whole day there. 

Used to introduce an additional point that supports or explains what you have just said.

• I might understand her better than you; after all , she is my wife. 
• Don’t be too hard on him. After all , he is just a kid. 

Used to say that something is  true despite what is believed or said.

• He is not such a bad professional, after all .

Used to introduce positive information when talking about something negative .

• Lots of people got injured in the accident, but at least nobody died. 
• I finished last in the race, but at least I finished. 

Used to reduce the effect of something we have said or to make something less certain or definite.

• He knows the president, or at least that’s what he says.  

= Taking into consideration all the parts of a situation.

• There were some mistakes, but all in all , you did a pretty good job. 
• Both TVs are great, but all in all , I think this one is better for you. 

On the whole

= Generally

• On the whole , men tend to avoid talking about feelings.
• There has been some criticism, but on the whole , customers like what we offer.

Used to add additional information (informal)

• I think it’s a beautiful place; besides , it’s very cheap.

Furthermore

Used to add additional (and often more important) information (formal)

• Electric cars are becoming more powerful and energy-efficient. Furthermore , they are much cheaper than a few years ago. 

What’s more

We use  what’s more  to add something interesting to what we have just said. It’s similar to furthermore but more informal.

• Scientists have found a big body of water under the planet’s surface. What’s more , they think it’s not the only body of water they will find. 
• He said that the new season will premiere this September and what’s more , he confirmed that it will not be the last. 

Used to introduce a fact that is easy to see or understand.

• Obviously , without qualifications, it’s harder to get a good job. 

Used to introduce the most important point or characteristic of something.

• Basically , what we do here is produce the plastic parts of the phone. 

In other words

Used to say  what has been said in simpler words .

• She said we should take a break and have time to ourselves; in other words , she dumped me.

That is to say

Used to explain or be more precise about something we have said. Similar to  in other words .

• The best thing about music is its repeatability; that is to say , you can listen to the same songs again and again and never get bored.  

Used after an order or suggestion to say what will happen if that order or suggestion is not followed.

• Be here at 8 o’clock; otherwise , you will miss your turn. 

Regarding … / as regards … / as far as … is concerned

= About. Used to introduce a topic of conversation.

• Regarding/As regards   the new player, we’ll have to decide if or when to sell him. 
• As far as the new player is concerned , …

On the other hand

Used to introduce a contrasting fact.

• Cycling is good for your health, and it’s a sport that is gentle with your muscles and joints. On the other hand , there are many fatal accidents among cyclists. 

It can be preceded by  on the one hand: 

• On the one hand , cycling is good for your health, and it’s a sport that is gentle with your muscles and joints. On the other hand , there are many fatal accidents among cyclists. 

We use  whereas  to compare and contrast two things or ideas. It means ‘while’ when it is used to express contrast.

• The north is cold, whereas the south is very hot. 
• Whereas people used to aspire to have a big house, kids, pets, etc., nowadays, preferences tend more towards apartments.

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Discourse markers

Discourse markers are words and phrases used in speaking and writing to 'signpost' discourse.

Discourse markers do this by showing turns, joining ideas together, showing attitude, and generally controlling communication. Some people regard discourse markers as a feature of spoken language only.

Example Words like 'actually', 'so', 'OK', 'right?' and 'anyway' all function as discourse markers as they help the speaker to manage the conversation and mark when it changes.

In the classroom Discourse markers are an important feature of both formal and informal native speaker language. The skilful use of discourse markers often indicates a higher level of fluency and an ability to produce and understand authentic language.

Further links:

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/clil-a-lesson-framework

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/context-developing-activities

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