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Discourse markers are words or phrases like anyway, right, okay, as I say, to begin with. We use them to connect, organise and manage what we say or write or to express attitude: [friends are talking] A: So, I’ve decided I’m going to go to the bank and ask for a car loan. B: That sounds like a good idea. C: Well, you need a car. B: Right. A:
- Comparing and Contrasting
- Similarities
- Addition
- Giving Examples
- Cause and Effect / Reason
- Indicating Time Order
- Clarification
- Emphasis
- Conclusion
When you want to talk about how two things are different, or look at alternatives, you might use these words and phrases: 1. Whereas 2. On the contrary 3. Nevertheless 4. Even though 5. Instead of Read our full article about discourse markers to compare and contrastfor full example sentences and a lot more useful vocabulary.
To talk about two things that are almost the same, and highlight similarities, transition wordssuch as these will help: 1. Similarly 2. Likewise 3. Analagous to 4. In a similar fashion 5. Just as 6. Equally 7. In the same way Often, comparison and similarity signal words come hand-in-hand when you are relating one thing to another.
These expressions are used when you need to add to what you have already said: 1. As well (as) 2. Additionally 3. Furthermore 4. What’s more 5. On top of this 6. Besides Read all about discourse markers for addition.
If you need to illustrate a point or give an example of what you mean, these phrases can help: 1. For example 2. For instance 3. Such as 4. As we can see from 5. As shown by 6. In particular 7. Especially Our article about discourse markers for giving exampleshas much more information.
When talking about one thing that caused or impacted another thing, you’ll need some of these: 1. Because 2. As a result of 3. Thanks to 4. This has the effect of 5. Consequently 6. Since 7. In that case 8. Otherwise Discover more examples of discourse markers of reason and how to use them correctly. You might also want to read about affect vs effe...
These words and phrases are helpful for giving time order or structure to a sequence of events or points: 1. To begin with 2. First of all 3. Secondly 4. Then 5. After this 6. Finally 7. In the end 8. Last of all This is just a short list; there are more than 100 time order transition wordsfor you to explore.
If you need to explain something in a different way or clarify a point, you can use phrases like this: 1. What I mean is 2. Look at it this way 3. In other words 4. If I’m not mistaken 5. To be clear 6. This is to say that 7. For the avoidance of doubt
Sometimes you need to emphasize a particular point when speaking or writing. In these cases, the following emphasis discourse markersare useful: 1. As a matter of fact 2. Indeed 3. Actually 4. I must admit 5. To be honest 6. To tell you the truth 7. To say the least
And finally, it can be helpful to use these words and phrases to indicate the conclusion of what we are saying: 1. In conclusion 2. This brings us to the conclusion that 3. What this all means is 4. To wrap up 5. In summary 6. I’ll end by saying that For more details, you can check our full list of conclusion transition wordsand how to use them.
Usage in English. Common discourse markers used in the English language include you know, actually, basically, like, I mean, okay and so. Discourse markers come from varied word classes, such as adverbs ( well) or prepositional phrases ( in fact ).
A discourse marker is a particle (such as oh, like, and you know) that is used to direct or redirect the flow of conversation without adding any significant paraphrasable meaning to the discourse. Also known as DM, discourse particle, discourse connective, pragmatic marker, or pragmatic particle.
Discourse markers are words or expressions used to link sentences or paragraphs, helping to organize information and guide the reader through the text. Their function is to make the discourse more coherent and understandable, giving fluidity and structure to the content.
Discourse markers are words and phrases used in speaking and writing to 'signpost' discourse. Discourse markers do this by showing turns, joining ideas together, showing attitude, and generally controlling communication.
