Useful expressions and linking words/phrases
• To list points:
Firstly, First of all, In the first place, To begin/start with, Secondly, Thirdly, Finally
• To list advantages:
One/Another/A further/An additional (major) advantage of… is … The main/greatest/first advantage of… is …
• To list disadvantages:
One/Another/ A further/An additional (major) disadvantage/drawback of. The main/greatest/most serious/first disadvantage /drawback of… Another negative aspect of…
• To introduce points/arguments for or against:
One (very convincing) point/argument in favour of… / against, A further common criticism of… /
It could be argued that…..
often claimed/suggestedIt is widely argued maintained that…..
generally felt/believed/held
Some/many/most people/experts/scientist/skeptics/criticsclaim/suggest/argue/feel that…
maintain/believe/point out/agree/hold that…
advocate (+ing/noun)/support the view that…
oppose the view that…are in favour of/against…
are of the opinion that/convinced that…
are opposed to…
• To add more points to the same topic:
in addition (to this), furthermore, moreover, besides, apart from, what is more, as well as, not to mention (the fact) that, also, not only …
but also/as well, both …
and, There is another side to the issue/question/argument of…
• To make contrasting points:
on the other hand, however, still, yet, but, nonetheless, nevertheless, even so,it may be said/argued/claimed that,…others/many people oppose this viewpoint/strongly disagree…
, claim/feel/believe this argument is incorrect/misguidedalthough, though, even though, while, whilst, whereas, despite/in spite of (the fact that), regardless of the fact that
Opponents of … argue/believe/claim that…
The fact that… contradicts the belief/idea that…
While it is true to say that…, in fact…
While/Although …, it cannot be denied that…
Useful expressions and linking words/phrases
• To introduce examples:
for example, for instance, such as, like, in particular, particularly, especially, This is (clearly) illustrated/shown by the fact that… One/A clear/striking/ typical example of (this)… The fact that…. shows/illustrates that…
• To emphasise a point:
clearly, obviously, it is obvious, naturally, of course, needless to say, indeed
• To express reality:
In fact, the fact (of the matter) is, actually, in practice, it is a fact that, in effect
• To make general statements:
as a (general) rule, generally, in general, on the whole, by and large, in most cases
• To make partially correct statements:
to a certain extent/degree, to some extent/degree, in a way/sense, this is partly true (but), to a limited extent, there is some truth in (this), in some cases, up to a point
• To explain/clarify a point:
in other words, that is to say, this/which means that
• To express cause:
owing to, due to (the fact that), on account of, on the grounds that, given that, because, as, since
• To express effect:
therefore, thus, as a result/consequence, consequently, so, for this reason, if… were to happen, … the effect/result would be…
• To express intention: to, so as to, in order to, so that, with the intention of (+ing)
