When you write an essay, is your text difficult to follow?
Well, learning how to use linking words, aka connectors, will help you solve this problem.
To get a high score in your essay, you need to use linking words, also known as connectors, to connect (or link) your ideas and sentences in a clear, logical way.
When you use linking words correctly, it makes it easier for the reader to follow what you've written. If the reader has difficulty following your writing, how can you expect to get a high score?
1. List of linking words: how to use connectors to enhance your essays.
List Words: Use list words in your paragraphs in order, or inside a paragraph to put your points in order.
- firstly
- secondly
- thirdly
- finally / lastly
Example 1 uses listing words to start a sentence.
There are several reasons why I believe cars should be banned from city centers.
Firstly, their exhaust fumes pollute the air, which reduces air quality. Secondly, ... Thirdly, ... Lastly, ...
Example 2 shows how 2 linking words can be used within one sentence.
I believe cars should be banned from city centers because, firstly, they ... and, secondly, they ...
2. Linking Words to add information
These linking words tell the reader you are about to provide more information.
- furthermore
- moreover
- additionally / in addition to
- apart from
- besides
- also
- as well as
Examples:
The market research gives us an idea of our target market. Furthermore / Moreover, it tells us who our target customer is.
In addition to our London branch, we have offices in Dubai and Sydney.
Additionally, we can give you a 10% cash discount.
Apart from / Besides Samsung, we are the the most significant television manufacturer in Asia.
Carsin cities generate a lot of noise, as well as air pollution.
3. Linking Words for results and consequences
Use these words to explain the consequences or results of something.
- consequently
- therefore
- as a result
- hence
- for this reason
Examples:
Using a computer for too long may cause eye strain in children. Consequently, many kids end up wearing glasses.
If the population in cities is increasing too quickly we should, therefore, look at ways to minimize it.
As a result of lack of sports at school, many kids are becoming overweight. For this reason, they need to play games at least twice a week.
4. Linking Words for highlighting and stressing
These words help you to emphasize specific points to give precise meaning.
- clearly
- obviously
- of course
- particularly
- especially
Examples:
Clearly / obviously, it is not suitable for the natural environment when factories dump toxic waste into nearby rivers.
It is particularly / especially essential for governments to provide public parks and gardens in cities.
When tourists visit small towns and spend money it, of course, benefits local people such as shopkeepers and restaurant owners.
5. Linking Words for giving examples
To support your ideas, you can give examples using these linking words.
- for example
- for instance
- such as
- to illustrate
- an obvious example is
Examples:
In many countries, high school students are required to do a lot of homework. For example / for instance, in my country, Japan, we usually do 2–3 hours of homework every night.
Unhealthy habits, such as eating junk food and lack of sleep, are becoming increasingly common.
To illustrate why I believe tertiary education is not essential for everyone, I will use my father as an example. He left school at 16 and…
There are many problems related to city living, and an obvious example is…
6. Linking Words for giving your opinion
Use these when you are required to give your opinion.
- in my opinion
- in my view
- I believe
- I think
- I do not agree
- I disagree
Examples:
In my opinion / in my view, entry to museums should be free because…
After considering both sides of the argument, I believe / I think that….
While I understand why some people think entry to museums should be free, I do not agree / I disagree because…
7. Linking Words for expressing contrast and concession
Use these when you need to give an opposing idea or viewpoint.
- even though
- although
- despite
- in spite of
- on the other hand
- in comparison
- nevertheless
- alternatively
- but still / but even so / but all the same
- conversely
Examples:
Even though it has been proven that smoking causes cancer, millions of people worldwide continue to smoke.
In spite of the fact that smoking has been proven to kill, people still smoke.
Life today is more hectic than in past times. On the other hand, people today are living longer.
Living in the countryside is quieter and more relaxing than in cities, but even so, I think it is too dull.
8. Linking Words for making a conclusion
These are generally used in your final paragraph to finish off your essay.
- in conclusion
- to conclude
- to sum up
Examples:
In conclusion, I believe it is suitable for high school students to have a part-time job as long as it doesn’t interfere with their studies.
To conclude, I think the disadvantages of living in cities are outweighed by the advantages, due to the reasons I have outlined above.
Conclusion
This ends a very long blog post focusing on the main types of linking words. I hope you'll find them helpful and will be able to use them in your essays.
Do you think this article can help some of your friends? Please help us by sharing it today.
Leave us a comment and tell us what you think about this post.
