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Unit 17
Discourse Markers
natural flow & cohesion
What are Discourse Markers?
Discourse markers are words or short phrases that show how ideas are connected. They help speakers and writers guide the audience through ideas, making speech and writing feel fluent, confident, and well-organised.
Main Functions & Examples
| Function | Markers | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Opening / changing topic | Well, By the way, Right | Well, let's start. |
| Adding | Also, Moreover, Furthermore, What's more | Furthermore, the data support our claim. |
| Contrasting | However, On the other hand, Nevertheless | He failed; however, he tried again. |
| Giving examples | For instance, For example, Namely | For instance, stress affects sleep. |
| Result | Therefore, Thus, As a result, Consequently | Therefore, we recommend this approach. |
| Emphasising | Actually, In fact, Indeed | In fact, it's easier than you think. |
| Summarising | In short, To sum up, Overall | To sum up, the findings are promising. |
| Managing conversation | Anyway, I mean, You know | Anyway, what are you doing this weekend? |
Spoken vs Written Markers
- ⚠ Avoid mixing very informal markers ("you know", "like") into academic or formal writing.
| Informal / spoken | Formal / written |
|---|---|
| Well, You know, I mean, Like, Right | Furthermore, However, Therefore, Subsequently |
| Anyway, So yeah, By the way | In addition, In conclusion, To sum up |
| Actually | In fact, Indeed |
Sequence & Structure
| Stage | Markers |
|---|---|
| Beginning | First of all, To begin with, Initially |
| Continuing | Next, Then, After that, Subsequently |
| Final point | Finally, Lastly, Last but not least |
| Concluding | In summary, To sum up, Overall, All in all |
Markers that Sound Natural in Conversation
| Marker | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Actually | correcting / surprising info | "You're from Ankara?" "Actually, I'm from Izmir." |
| Having said that / That said | adding a contrast to what you just said | The hotel was expensive. Having said that, the service was excellent. |
| Mind you | adding a reservation (informal, British) | He's very talented. Mind you, he's lazy. |
| As I was saying | returning to the topic | As I was saying, the budget is the main problem. |
| Speaking of ... | linking to a related topic | Speaking of holidays, where are you going this year? |
| Admittedly | conceding a point | Admittedly, the plan has some risks. |
Common Mistakes
In the other hand
→
On the other hand
Fixed phrase: "on the other hand".
At the end we found...
→
In the end, we found...
"At the end" = a specific location/time; "In the end" = finally/as a result.
However we decided...
→
However, we decided...
"However" needs a comma after it.
Nevertheless but he continued.
→
Nevertheless, he continued.
Don't use "nevertheless" and "but" together.
By the way in a formal essay
→
Avoid this in formal writing.
"By the way" is too informal for academic writing.
That said but it was good.
→
That said, it was good.
Don't add "but" after a contrast marker.