Connecting and Linking Words

1. Time: Connecting words and expressions

1.1 One thing before another
-Formal:
+…prior to Ving
I had written to her prior to meeting the committee.
+Previously…
It was nice to be in Venice. Previously I’d only been to I
+Formerly… (sth changed its name)
The street is now called Treetop Avenue. Formerly it was
Hedge Lane.
-Informal:
+Before that,…
It was nice to be in Venice. Before that, I’d only been to I
+…early on
I was in the office from 2.30. I was out earlier on.
+In the meantime/Meanwhile,...
Dinner will be ready in about an hour. In the
meanwhile/Meanwhile, relax and have a drink
1.2 Things happening at the same time
+…at the very time/the very moment…
She was entering at the very time/the very moment I was
leaving.
+As/just as
She was entering as/just as I was leaving
+During/Throughout sth,…
During the war, she lived in Dublin. Throughout the war,
they remained in the city.
1.3 One thing after another
-Formal:
+Following sth,…
+Subsequently V: at sometime after that
Following/After my 1st visit to Beijing, I read books about
China and subsequently decided to take a six-month
course.
+…thereafter.
I revisited China on several occasions thereafter.
-Informal: After …
1.4 Time when
+The moment/The minute…
The moment/the minute I saw his face I knew I’d met
him before.
+…the time (that)…
I stayed in that hospital the time that I broke my leg.
+Formal: On that occasion…
I met Paula at Mark’s wedding. On that occasion she was
with a different man.
1.5 Non-specific time expression
+At a later stage…
We can discuss the budget now. At a later stage we can
discuss the detailed arrangement
+At some point…
At some point we will have to place our computer, but
we’re OK for the moment.
2. Condition
2.1 Words connecting sentence parts
-…unless…
You cant come in unless you have a ticket
-..as/so long as/so long as… <Provided/Providing(that)
…,<…on condition that…
-In case of…,/In the event of…,: notices
In case of fire/In the event of fire, dial 122.
You can stay, as long as/so long as you don’t mid sleeping
on the sofa
Provided/Providing/On condition that you don’t mind
cats, you can stay with us.
2.2 Supposing… and What if…
Supposing/What if he doesn’t turn up – what shall we do
2.3 Condition with –ever
ever: it does not matter which…
+However/whichever/wherever/whoever
+No matter:
However you decide to travel = No matter how you…
No matter who wins the next election,
2.4 Some nouns which express condition
-Conditions<prerequisite<requirements
-Under any circumstances: sth you can’t do
I would not move to London under any circumstances.
3. Cause, Reason, Purpose and Result
3.1 Cause and Reason
-Informal:
+Because, since, as
+Be due to sth, be caused by sth
The collision was due to/caused by the icy conditions.
+The cause of sth is sth
The cause of the collision was ice on the road.
+Sth caused sth to V
The heavy rain caused the river to flood.
+Owing to sth, /Owing to the fact that + Clause
Owing to the icy conditions, the 2 cars collided.
Owing to the fact that the conditions were icy, the two
cards collided.
-Formal:
+Sth give rise to/provoke/generated sth<Sth spark
(off)sth
The rise in prices sparked off a lot of political protest.
The President’s statement gave rise
to/provoked/generated a lot of criticism.
+Bright about/lead to : political, social change
The new law has brought about/led to great changes in
education.
+Stem from sth: direct origins of events
This problem stems from the inflation of recent years.
The court case arose from/out of allegations med in a
newspaper.
+Arose from/out of sth
3.2 Reasons for and purpose of doing things
-Her reason for Ving is that Clause = The reason why …
is=The purpose of .. is..
-Formal:
+Purpose: motives in Ving, with the aim of Ving=with a
view to Ving, The purpose of sth
I wonder what his motives were in sending that email
She wrote to the press with the aim of/with a view to
exposing the scandal
+Reason: prompt sb to V, …on the the ground that Clause
I wonder what prompted her to send that message
He refused to answer on the grounds that his lawyer
wasn’t there.
3.3 Results
-Formal:
As a result/At a consequence/Consequently
The result/consequence of sth is that
… result in…
process/event/meeting/discussion has an outcome that
= the upshot of… is that
When…, sth ensue.
4. Concession and Contrast
4.1 Verbs of concession
-Concession: accept one part of an idea/fact, but put
another, more important argument or fact against it.
Although, Nevertheless
Acknowledge/accept that … but=I agree but
Admit Clause, but = be guilty of
I concede that…, but = win this point in argument
4.2 Adverbs and other phrases showing
contrast
-Informal:
That’s all well and good/That’s all very well, but
After all,
It’s all very well saying Clause, but
Clause but for all that,
-Formal:
Admittedly, Clause, but
In contrast: compare 2 things
On the other hand=that is true and this is also true if we
look at it from a different viewpoint
On the contrary/ Quite the opposite, The reverse was
true =that is not true, the opposite is true
4.3 Collocating phrases for contrast
are poles apart.
There’s a world of difference/a great divide/a yawning
gap/huge discrepancy between
5. Addition
5.1 Expressions for linking sentences/clauses
In addition/Additionally /Furthermore/Moreover/What’s
more,
Equally/Likewise
On top of that,
Plus (N or Clause)
5.2 Expressions at the end of
sentences/causes
And so on
And so on and so forth (long continuation)
Into the bargain/to boot
5.3 Expression on begin/middle
-Further to N (open for a letter or email)
Further to my telephone call to you yesterday, I am now
writing to…
-In addition to/As well as/ Besides/Apart from: N/Ving
In addition to winning the gold medal, she also broke the
world record.
-Alongside+N
Alongside her full-time job as a dentist, she does
voluntary conservation work at weekends.
-…,along with/together with+Sb
Jo Evans was there, along with/together with a few other
people who I didn’t know.
6. Referring words
6.1 Text-referring words
-problem
-issue (topic causing great argument and controversy)
Question
Topic (subject to argue or discuss)
Aspect (part of topic)
6.2 Problem-solution words
-situation, problem affect, approach, solution to the
dilemma
-You claim that, this fact, the real point, that argument,
our position, that view
Situation: state of affairs, position (with regard to)
Problem: difficulty, crisis, matter
Response (to): reaction (to), attitude (to), approach (to)
Solution: answer (to), resolution (to), key (to), way out
(of)
Evaluation (of the solution): assessment, judgment

7. Discourse markers in spoken English

7.1 What are discourse markers?
-Discourse markers: expressions which organize,
comment on or in some way frame what we saying
Well
Right/Ok: in classroom
7.2 Organizing a conversation
Now/So, Good/Well then, Now then (in control),
Fine/Great (close conversation), So, where was I (after an
interruption, come back to main topic)
7.3 Modifying and commenting on what you
say
Mind you = however
Let me see,
Listen/Look (introduce a suggestion)
Hang on/hold on
-Other
Explain: you see
Hesitation: you know, sort of
Not sure to say sth: kind of/like
Change/close: Anyway
Contrast: still, on the other hand
Make clear: I mean
a)…b)…
8. Linking words in writing
8.1 Organizing a formal text
First/Firstly/First of all, Next, Secondly, thirdly
,Finally/Lastly
Turning to, Leaving aside, In parenthesis
In summary/To sum up/In sum
In conclusion/To conclude
8.2 Explain, exemplify, rephrase
In other words/That is to say
Briefly: short explain, So to speak/as it were: less precise
Say/For example/for instance
8.3 Referring backwards and forwards in text
The following N : introduce a list
…above/earlier that: earlier in the text
See…, see below, be given overleaf, For further sth, refer
sb to, with reference to email of (begin of email to link it
with an earlier text)