This document provides a list of linking words and phrases that can be used to connect ideas and improve coherence when writing. It explains that linking words are an essential part of speech that can elegantly combine ideas within sentences and paragraphs for the reader's benefit. Commonly used linking words are organized into categories including sequence, addition, reason, example, contrast, comparison, and conclusion. Using the right linking words helps to organize ideas and introduce them in a tightly connected structure.

1. LINKING WORDS
& PHRASES

2. LINKING WORDS
ALTHOUGH SOME OF THESE WORDS HAVE ALREADY
BEEN MENTIONED AS SENTENCE CONNECTORS, THEY
CAN ALSO BE USED TO DEVELOP COHERENCE WITHIN
A PARAGRAPH, THAT IS LINKING ONE IDEA /
ARGUMENT TO ANOTHER. PRINT OFF THIS PAGE TO
KEEP AS A REFERENCE OF USEFUL LINKING WORDS
AND PHRASES.

3. Sequence Result Emphasis
•First / firstly, second / secondly,
third / thirdly etc
•Next, last, finally
•In addition, moreover
•Further / furthermore
•Another
•Also
•In conclusion
•To summarise
•So
•As a result
•As a consequence (of)
•Therefore
•Thus
•Consequently
•Hence
•Due to
•Undoubtedly
•Indeed
•Obviously
•Generally
•Admittedly
•In fact
•Particularly / in particular
•Especially
•Clearly
•Importantly

4. Addition Reason Example
•And
•In addition / additionally / an
additional
•Furthermore
•Also
•Too
•As well as
•For
•Because
•Since
•As
•Because of
•For example
•For instance
•That is (ie)
•Such as
•Including
•Namely

5. Contrast Comparison
•However
•Nevertheless
•Nonetheless
•Still
•Although / even though
•Though
•But
•Yet
•Despite / in spite of
•In contrast (to) / in
comparison
•While
•Whereas
•On the other hand
•On the contrary
•Similarly
•Likewise
•Also
•Like
•Just as
•Just like
•Similar to
•Same as
•Compare
•compare(d) to / with
•Not only...but also

7. LINKING & CONNECTING WORDS
• IT IS ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTAND HOW LINKING WORDS, AS A
PART OF SPEECH, CAN BE USED TO COMBINE IDEAS IN WRITING -
AND THUS ENSURE THAT IDEAS WITHIN SENTENCES AND
PARAGRAPHS ARE ELEGANTLY CONNECTED - FOR THE BENEFIT
THE READER.
• THIS WILL HELP TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING (E.G. ESSAY,
COMMENT, SUMMARY (SCIENTIFIC) REVIEW, (RESEARCH) PAPER,
LETTER, ABSTRACT, REPORT, THESIS, ETC.).
•
IT IS ALSO FUNDAMENTAL TO BE AWARE OF THE SOMETIMES
SUBTLE MEANING OF THESE "SMALL" WORDS WITHIN THE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

8. LINKING WORDS
REMEMBER:
AN ESSAY SHOULD NOT BE MERELY A LIST OF NOTES AND SUB-HEADINGS
FOLLOWED BY A LIST OF DASHES (-) OR STARS (*) ACCOMPANIED BY ONE OR TWO
WORDS AND/OR QUOTATIONS FROM THE TEXT WITH NO EXPLANATION OF WHAT
THEY ARE DOING THERE. AN ESSAY SHOULD BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARGUMENT,
INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS THROUGH EXTENDED AND FLOWING NARRATIVE
(SEE OUR SECTIONS ON "HOW TO WRITE A PARAGRAPH" AND "HOW TO WRITE AN
ESSAY").

9. USING THE RIGHT LINKING WORDS HELPS YOU TO ORGANIZE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY
ABOUT A TEXT.
IT ALSO HELPS YOU INTRODUCE AND DEVELOP THE ESSENTIAL IDEAS THAT WILL FORM
THE BASIS OF YOUR ESSAY IN A TIGHTLY CONNECTED STRUCTURE AND AS SHORT A
SPACE AS POSSIBLE
LINKING WORDS AND OTHER CONNECTING DEVICES HELP YOU CARRY OVER FROM ONE
SENTENCE TO ANOTHER, FROM ONE PARAGRAPH TO ANOTHER, IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS
THE READER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR IDEAS. SINCE YOUR READER DOES NOT SEE
THE WORLD EXACTLY AS YOU SEE IT AND DOES NOT NECESSARILY MAKE THE SAME
MENTAL CONNECTIONS YOU MAKE, LINKING WORDS ALSO HELP YOU TO ARTICULATE
YOUR IDEAS AND COMMUNICATE THEM TO OTHER PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT SUPPORTS A
CLEAR AND PERSUASIVE ARGUMENT.
NOTE THAT CONNECTING WORDS AND PHRASES ARE AIDS TO WRITING, NOT ENDS IN
THEMSELVES. THEREFORE, THEY SHOULD NOT BE USED EXCESSIVELY.

10. COMMONLY USED CONNECTING WORDS AND PHRASES
* TO SHOW SIMILARITY:
SIMILARLY, LIKEWISE, IN A SIMILAR MANNER, LIKE, IN THE SAME WAY,
ANALOGOUSLY
* TO COMPARE OR SHOW CONTRAST:
HOWEVER, NEVERTHELESS, RATHER, WHEREAS, BUT, YET, ON THE OTHER HAND,
THE CONTRARY, BY COMPARISON, COMPARED TO, UP AGAINST, BALANCED
AGAINST, VIS A VIS, ALTHOUGH, CONVERSELY, BUT, MEANWHILE, IN CONTRAST,
AFTER ALL, OTHERWISE, ALTERNATIVELY.
* TO EXPRESS AN ALTERNATIVE:
OR, EITHER . . . OR, WHETHER . . . OR

11. * TO EXPRESS CONCESSION:
GRANTED, NATURALLY, OF COURSE, ONE MAY OBJECT THAT . . .
* TO INTRODUCE A NEW POINT:
FURTHERMORE, MOREOVER, IN ADDITION
* TO PLACE WHAT YOU HAVE JUST SAID IN A PARTICULAR CONTEXT:
IN THIS CONNECTION, IN THIS PERSPECTIVE
* TO ADD SOMETHING:
AND, AGAIN, AND THEN, BESIDES, EQUALLY IMPORTANT, FINALLY, FURTHER,
FURTHERMORE, NEXT, WHAT IS MORE, MOREOVER, AS WELL AS, IN ADDITION,
FIRST (SECOND, ETC.), NOT ONLY . . . BUT

12. * TO PROVE YOUR POINT:
BECAUSE, FOR, SINCE, FOR THE SAME REASON, OBVIOUSLY, EVIDENTLY, INDEED, IN
FACT, IN ANY CASE, THAT IS, DEMONSTRABLY.
* TO SHOW CAUSE AND EFFECT:
AS A RESULT, CONSEQUENTLY, HENCE, DUE TO, IN VIEW OF, ON ACCOUNT OF,
ACCORDINGLY, FOR THIS REASON, THEREFORE.
* TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE OR AN ILLUSTRATION:
FOR EXAMPLE, FOR INSTANCE, IN THIS CASE, IN ANOTHER CASE, TAKE THE CASE OF,
TO ILLUSTRATE, AS AN ILLUSTRATION, TO TAKE ANOTHER EXAMPLE, NAMELY, THAT
IS, AS SHOWN BY, AS ILLUSTRATED BY, AS EXPRESSED BY.

13. * TO REPEAT, INSIST AND/OR REFER BACK TO AN EARLIER POINT:
AS I HAVE SAID, IN BRIEF, AS I HAVE NOTED, AS SUGGESTED ABOVE, AS HAS BEEN
NOTED
* TO EMPHASIZE:
DEFINITELY, EXTREMELY, INDEED, ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, OBVIOUSLY,
NATURALLY, ALWAYS, NEVER, SURPRISINGLY, EMPHATICALLY, WITHOUT A DOUBT,
CERTAINLY, UNDENIABLY, WITHOUT RESERVATION, PERENNIALLY, FOREVER.
* TO CONCLUDE A PARAGRAPH OR AN ESSAY:
THUS, LASTLY, IN BRIEF, IN SHORT, ON THE WHOLE, TO SUM UP, TO CONCLUDE, IN
CONCLUSION, AS I HAVE SHOWN, AS I HAVE SAID