connectives essay english

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Connectives List

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Linking Words, Connecting Words: Full List and Useful Examples

Linking words (connecting words) are something we need to know in any style of writing, because it helps the reader to follow the flow of what you are saying. Whether it’s an argument in an essay , or an epic scene in a fantasy novel, your reader needs to be able to follow what you are saying. So, what are linking words, why should you bother learning them, and what does it look like in practice? Well, this guide will answer all of those questions!

Linking Words

What Are Linking Words?

Linking words are words that connect ideas together in a piece of writing . It shows that two things are related in some way, or that the point you are making has supporting information. The difference between linking words and simple paragraph starters that we looked at previously, is that linking words can be found at the start of paragraphs, but also in the middle of sentences to connect two ideas together too.

Why Should I Learn Linking Words/Connecting Words?

The answer to this one is fairly straightforward. If you don’t know a variety of linking words to connect ideas together in a piece of writing, then you’re writing won’t make sense. In the very best case here, your reader will become confused and fail to follow the message you are trying to get across in your writing, because the bits of text that should ordinarily fit together, just won’t without the linking words there to connect them.

So, you know what they are and why you need to know them – but what are some examples of linking words? We couldn’t possibly include them all because there are literally hundreds, but hopefully by highlighting some examples and showing their importance in a sentence, you’ll be able to understand the job they do more clearly and focus on learning some other ones for yourself.

Examples of Linking Words

Linking words to add more information.

These words simply add additional information to your sentence or paragraph to show that two ideas are similar. Here are some examples:

• It started to rain  and  I got soaked – ‘and’ is the linking word that connects the two ideas of the individual being in the rain and getting soaked.
• It can’t be the dog’s fault  nor  the cat’s – ‘nor’ connects the idea that neither the cat or dog was at fault.
• We could go shopping first  then  get a bite to eat – ‘then’ shows that both ideas are connected, it also adds some sequence to the sentence by showing the order of things.

Linking Words to Contrast a Point

Sometimes you need to link two ideas together that are actually opposites in terms of what you are trying to say. Here are some words that will help you do that:

• Annie could have gone for a run  but  she decided she was too tired – ‘but’ connects two ideas that are related, but they oppose one another. She could have gone for a run, but she didn’t.
• It’s my turn to make dinner tonight  although  a takeout might be easier – ‘although’ provides an opposite argument again, so it links the ideas in a contrasting way.
• Carrots seemed to be the bunnies preferred food.  On the other hand ,  lettuce was chosen second most frequently and the difference was marginal – ‘on the other hand’ shows clearly to the reader that a different point of view is coming.

Linking Words to Support a Point

If you’re trying to prove something or say something happened as a result of something else, then you will need words like the following:

• I failed my test  because  I didn’t study – ‘because’ gets the reader ready to learn  why  somebody failed their test.
• I could have done something differently,  in fact  we all could have – ‘in fact’ shows that the two ideas are linked together and support one another.
• Jack had been sad  since  his girlfriend broke up with him – ‘since’ is being used here to explain why Jack was sad, so it links the ideas again.

There are many more examples and reasons for using linking words, but if you do some more research into the different linking words that there are, you’ll be able to see how you might use them to connect two ideas together in some way. Remember, they don’t always need to support one another. Sometimes ideas are connected because they oppose one another too.

Learn more with an ultimate guide to transition words and phrases in the English language. 

Complete List of Linking Words & Connecting Words

Linking words – result.

Function: To provide the result of what has been stated or has occurred

• Accordingly
• As a consequence (of)
• As a result
• Consequently
• For this reason

Connecting Words – Emphasis

Function: To put forward a point or idea more forcefully

• Importantly
• It should be noted
• Particularly / in particular
• Surprisingly
• To emphasize
• Undoubtedly
• Unquestionably
• With attention
• Without a doubt

Linking Words – Addition

Function:  To add to what has been previously stated

• Additionally/an additional
• Apart from this
• As well as that
• Coupled with
• Furthermore
• In addition
• In addition to this
• In the same fashion
• Not only…but also
• Not to mention
• Together with

Linking Words – Reason

Function: To provide reasons for what has been stated or has occurred

• For the purpose of
• Granted that
• In order to
• Provided that
• Seeing that
• With this in mind
• With this intention
• With this purpose

Connecting Words – Illustration

Function: To provide examples

• As an example of
• For example/ For instance
• For one thing
• Illustrated by
• In another case
• In the case of
• In this case
• In this situation
• On this occasion
• Proof of this
• Specifically
• To demonstrate
• To demonstrate/ To clarify
• To simplify

Linking Words – Contrast

Function: To show how things are different

• Alternatively
• As opposed to
• Contrary to
• Despite/in spite of
• Differing from
• In contrast (to)
• In opposition
• Nevertheless
• Nonetheless
• Notwithstanding
• On the other hand

Linking Words – Comparison

Function:  To show how things are similar

• By the same token
• Compare / compare(d) to (with)
• Correspondingly
• In a similar manner
• In like manner
• In the same way
• In the spitting image of
• Just as…so too
• Most important
• Still another

Connecting Words – Order

1. Function:  To indicate the order of what is being said

• First/ firstly
• Second/ secondly
• Third/ thirdly
• At this time
• Subsequently

2. Function:  To mark the end of an ascending order

• Lastly and most importantly
• Last but not least

3. Definition: To mark the beginning of a descending order

• First and foremost…

Connecting Words – Summary

Function: To sum up what has been previously stated

• All things considered
• As demonstrated above
• As shown above
• As you can see
• By and large
• Generally speaking
• Given these points
• In any event
• In conclusion
• In the final analysis
• On the whole
• To conclude
• To summarise

Linking Words – Condition

Function: To provide a condition to what has been stated

• Although this may be true
• In that case
• In the event that
• On the condition that

Connecting Words – Concession

Function: Connecting words and phrases to accept a point or idea with reservation

• All the same
• Although/Even though
• Be that as it may
• Even though
• In spite of
• Regardless of this
• Up to a point

Connecting Words – Generalisation

Function: To make a general statement

• Broadly speaking
• For the most part
• In general/ Generally
• In most cases
• More often than not
• Predominately

Connecting Words – Restatement

Function: To express an alternative to what has been previously stated

• Alternatively stated
• Expressed simply
• In a nutshell
• In other words
• In simple language
• In simple terms
• In summation
• Otherwise stated
• Put differently
• Put in another way
• Said differently
• That is to say
• To put it differently

Connecting Words – Reference

Function: To a relationship between continuing ideas presented in your essay.

• As applied to
• Considering
• In connection to
• Pertaining to
• Some examples of these might be:
• Speaking about/of
• The fact that
• With regards to
• With respect to

Connecting Words – Clarification

Function: To indicate that you will be exploring your ideas in more detail.

• In explanation
• In lay terms
• Simply stated
• To break it down
• To clearly define
• To make plain
• To put it clearly
• To put it in another way

Connecting Words – Space/ Location

Function: To clarify spatial relationships/ provide spatial order and reference.

• At the rear
• Surrounding
• To the left

Linking Words and Phrases | Video

Learn transition words video with American English pronunciation.

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Connectors in English: How to Use Them

Are your essays in English marked poorly despite your grammatically correct sentences?

Have you ever been told that your paragraphs don’t connect to each other even though they talk about the same topic?

This is where English connectors come in—a.k.a., the words I’ve marked in bold above!

Today, I’m going to talk about what connectors in English are, the most common ones you’ll come across and how to practice them.

Once you’re done with this article, I hope you’ll agree that these words and phrases are simply magical!

What Are English Connectors?

English connectors for cause and effect, english connectors for illustration, english connectors for emphasis, english connectors for comparison, english connectors for contrast, english connectors for sequence, english connectors for conclusion, tips for practicing english connectors, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

English connectors are little words and phrases that help you connect sentences, paragraphs and ideas. Used both in spoken and written English, they help make your English sound more logical and structured.

You can think of connectors as like the thread that holds a necklace’s beads (i.e. sentences, paragraphs and ideas) together.

In fact, you probably already use them without even realizing it!

Note that English connectors are different from English conjunctions . While conjunctions link two or more words or clauses within a sentence, connectors establish that two separate sentences or ideas are related to each other. 

To help you understand further, I’m going to walk you through some of the most common connectors in English and how they’re used. Some are used formally, while others are more casual. Some are even  interchangeable —that is, you can use them in place of similar words.

In everyday conversations , we often need to explain things.

Perhaps you were late for school because your car ran out of gas. Or you want to buy chocolates because you want to surprise your mother on her birthday.

Explaining things will be much easier if you throw in these important English connectors.

Let’s take a look at them!

Giving illustrations or examples helps us prove our point and convince other people to believe us. These words help people understand what you’re trying to say and can help them see why you believe what you believe.

While discussing an issue or idea, you may want to focus on a particular point or example. To make the listener understand the importance of that specific idea, you can use the following connectors.

Sometimes, we need to draw attention to certain similarities to make a point or explain something. This is especially important in writing!

To make better comparisons, use the following English connectors.

Sometimes, we need to express different or contradicting ideas side-by-side. Doing this helps the listener or reader focus on important differences and makes them aware of the many sides of a topic.

These connectors are useful when you’re giving step-by-step instructions or listing points.

Finally , how do you let your reader know that you’ve reached the end? (See what I did there?)

There are certain connectors that we usually use during conclusions or when we’ve reached the end of what we wanted to say. When writing or stating conclusions, you usually repeat the most important points.

Here are some quick tips that’ll help you learn English connectors more efficiently.

Make Your Own Sentences

To explain the meanings and uses of different connectors, I’ve provided example sentences for each. However, you’ll remember them much better if you come up with your own examples.

You can start by using connectors in your diary entries, notebooks, essays and the like. Soon, you’ll find yourself using these connectors in everyday speech as well!

Write a Short Story or Essay

To see the huge difference English connectors can make, try writing a paragraph without any connectors and then rewrite it using some of the connectors above. You’ll quickly realize that your sentences will flow better, sound more logical and become easier to understand.

Learn English with Authentic Content

You probably want to speak English like a native (or at least try to). So why not learn from natives? Try watching a speech in English to get a good idea of how these fit together. Look for the ones with transcripts that you can write notes in, maybe even circling all of the connecting terms as you see them. 

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Do Online Exercises

Finally, to check whether you’ve understood how to use connectors correctly, you can try online exercises from websites that cover English grammar .

For example, the ones on English Daily  and English Grammar are pretty short and can be completed in a few minutes.

There’s also ToLearnEnglish , which provides a brief list of common connectors before you solve the exercise, making it a great resource for review.

Now that you know the most commonly-used English connectors, you can use them in sentences and paragraphs with great confidence. Try your hand at some of the exercises I’ve suggested for practice.

So what are you waiting for?

Get out there and start incorporating these useful English connectors into your everyday life!

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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