20200714 - Linking Words / Phrases - Taken from the Appendix of Virginia Evans's Successful Writing

Personal Opinion

In my opinion, In my view, To my mind, To my way of thinking, I am convinced that, It strikes me that, Is is my firm belief that, I am inclined to believe that, It seems to me that, As far as I am concerned, I think that the economic recession of the previous decade was foreseeable.

To list advantages and disadvantages

One advantage of, Another advantage of, One other advantage of, A further advantage of, The main advantage of, The greatest advantage of, The first advantage of of riding a motorcycle in a big city is that of not getting caught up in traffic.

 

One disadvantage of, Another disadvantage of, One other disadvantage of, A further disadvantage of, The main disadvantage of, The greatest disadvantage of, The first disadvantage of driving a car in a large metropolis is that of finding parking.

To list points

Firstly, First of all, In the first place, Secondly, Thirdly, Finally, To start with, To begin with, we have to address the inadequacies within the education system before we can tackle unemployment fully.

To list points in a specific sequence

Beginning

First, To start with, To begin with, First of all, the Home Secretary will make a introductory speech.

Continuing

Secondly, After this / that, Afterwards, Then, Next, the Prime Minister will speak.

Concluding

Finally, Lastly, Last but not least, the Chancellor of the Exchequer will announce the new budget.

To add more points to the same topic

What is more, Furthermore, Apart from this / that, In addition (to this), Moreover, Besides (this), ... not to mention the fact that your choice of career is a fundamental decision which will influence the rest of your life.

Not only is your choice of career a fundamental decision, but it is also one that will influence the rest of your life.

Your choice of career  is both a fundamental decision and something that will influence the rest of your life.

To refer to other sources

With reference to, According to the latest scientific research, the use of mobile phones can be damaging to one's health in the long run.

To express cause

The man was acquitted of the crime because, owing to the fact that, due to the fact that, on the grounds that, since, as there wasn't any substantial evidence.

In view of, Because of, Owing to the lack of substantial evidence the man was acquitted of the crime.

There was a lack of substantial evidence; for this reason the man was acquitted.

Seeing that there was a lack of substantial evidence, the man was acquitted.

The man is to be retired now that some new evidence has come to light.

To express effect

There was a sudden deluge; thus, therefore, so, consequently, as a result, as a consequence,  he sprinted home.

To express purpose

Due to the storm, the pilot decided to turn back, so that the flight would not be jeopardised.

Due to the storm, the pilot decided to turn back, so as to / in order to avoid putting the flight in danger.

Due to the storm, the pilot decided to turn back,  in case the flight was jeopardised.

They purchased the old mansion with the purpose of / with the intention of converting it into a luxury hotel.

To emphasise a topic

Indeed, Naturally, Clearly, Obviously, Of course, Needless to say, the scheme was bound to fail due to insufficient funds.

To express reality

It is a fact that, In effect, In fact, As a matter of fact, The fact of the matter is (that), Actually, In practice, Indeed, smoking over a long period of time will seriously increase the risk of lung cancer.

To express the difference between appearance and reality

Initially, At first, the proposal was viewed with suspicion, but after much deliberation it was finally accepted.

To give examples

For instance, For example, by establishing day-care centres across the country, working mothers can be encouraged to resume their careers.

By providing incentives such as, like day-care centres, working mothers are encouraged to resume their careers.

If working mothers are to resume their careers then the provision of incentives, particularly, in particular, especially day-care centres is essential.

To make general statements

As a (general) rule, By and large, Generally, In general, On the whole, countries nearer the equator have warmer climates.

To make partially correct statements

Up to a point, To a certain extent / degree, To some extent / degree, In a sense, In a way, To a limited extent, this is true but computers will always need human input.

To express limit of knowledge

To the best of my knowledge, As far as I know, Canary Wharf is the tallest building in London.

To state other people's opinion

It is popularly believed that, People often claim that, It is often alleged that, Some people argue that, Many argue that, Most people feel that, Some people point out that wealth will bring happiness.

Contrary to people's belief, wealth does not necessarily bring happiness.

To make contrasting points

It is a well-known fact that living in the city is harmful to one'e health yet, however, nevertheless, bu, even so, still, nonetheless, a lot of people move to the city every year in search of a better future.

Although, Even though, Regardless of the fact that, In spite of the fact that, Despite the fact that, While it is a well-known fact that living in the in the city is harmful to one's health, more and more people move to the city every year in search of a better future.

To express balance (the other side of the argument)

Opponents of using animals in experiments argue, claim, believe that alternative methods of testing can always be used.

While it is true that genetic engineering holds the key to solving many of the world's serious problems, in fact it should be viewed with caution.

The fact that a great number of university graduates cannot find employment contradicts the belief / idea that a university education is the key to a successful career.

Negative addition

Neither smoking nor consuming too much alcohol are considered healthy.

Smoking is not considered healthy; nor, neither is consuming too much alcohol.

Smoking is not considered healthy and consuming too much alcohol isn't, either.

To express exception

He had collected every edition of the magazine apart from, but, except (for) one.

To clarify / rephrase

In other words, That is to say, To put it in another way, if you drive more carefully you are less likely to have an accident.

To express similarity

Brushing your teeth daily is fundamental for good oral hygiene; similarly, likewise, in the same way, not eating food containing too much sugar in between means also promotes a good oral hygiene.

To give an alternative

We could use (either) a chainsaw or an axe.

We could use an axe. On the other hand, Alternatively, a chainsaw would be simpler and faster.

To express condition

His father promised to buy him a car on the condition that, provided (that), providing (that), only if, as long as he passed his exams.

In the event of a fire alarm, In the event that, If a fire alarm should ring, please leave the building by the nearest fire exit quickly and quietly.

Take a map in case you get lost.

Do you happen to know whether (or not) this is the most direct route?

You should call her, otherwise, or (else) she will get worried.

To express the consequence of a condition

The price of underground tickets is due to increase once again; consequently, then, so, in which case, I will start taking the bus.

I'm hoping to get paid today; if so, I'll be going out tonight, if not, otherwise, it'll be another night in front of the TV.

To express comparison

My best friend is as intelligent as, more intelligent than, twice as intelligent as, less intelligent than me.

To conclude

Finally, Lastly, All in all, Taking everything into account / consideration, On the whole, All things considered, In conclusion, On balance, For the above mentioned reasons, Therefore I feel that, To sum up, it is unlikely that there will be peace in all the countries of the world concurrently.

Time

Press the button when, whenever, before, until, till, after the light comes on.

There have been no earthquakes since July last year.

He saw her as he was leaving the shop. He saw her while he was waiting.

I never see him now that his hours have changed.

Relatives

It was those people over there who / that did it.

That's the witness whose testimony will be heard later today.

That is the judge who / that will adjudicate your claim.

That's the law court where you will be tried.

That's the woman who / whom / that I think was responsible.

Reference

I am writing to advise you of a meeting regarding, concerning the upcoming award ceremony.

I am writing with respect / regard / reference to, in regard / reference to your recently published article.

Summarising

In short, Briefly, To put it briefly, his performance on stage was simply fantastic!