Pay attention to the position of each connector in the following examples!
To indicate addition and alternatives:
• also
o You can pay your bills in cash. You can also write a check.
• in addition
o I have to study this evening. In addition, I have to cook dinner.
• furthermore
o Pets need nutritious food. Furthermore, they need vaccinations.
• moreover
o As your professor, I will teach you to write better. Moreover, I will
increase your vocabulary.
• what is more
o The police have found the missing money. What is more, they have
arrested the thief.
• as well
o Mary won the gymnastics competition. She graduated with honors as
well.
• besides
o My sister works full-time at the school cafeteria. Besides this, she is
taking 18 credits at school.
• in fact
o Oregon has a very rainy climate. In fact, it rains there 65% of the
time.
• As a matter of fact
o You can have the rest of this chocolate cake. As a matter of fact, I
hope you do. I need to lose weight.
• actually
o Jennifer has never liked swimming. Actually, she's terrified of water
and won't go near it.
• on the other hand
o I may go dancing this weekend with my friends. On the other hand, I
may stay in and finish my paper.
• alternatively
o You can save this computer program on your hard drive.
Alternatively, you can put it on a floppy disc.
To provide examples, clarify or identify:
• for example
o Allergies to certain insect bites can be fatal. For example, a bee sting
can cause shock in some people.
• for instance
o Some sports often involve injury to the players. Skiing without proper
skills, for instance, often leads to broken legs.
• especially
o Children are easily affected by the media. Violent movies may be
especially harmful to them.
• in particular
o The correct use of punctuation often confuses students. In particular,
they find the comma rules difficult to master.
• to illustrate
o Proper use of the comma takes practice. To illustrate, I have
prepared the following three exercises for you.
• as an example
o Many famous artists have suffered from physical and mental
afflictions. As an example, consider the lives of Van Gogh and
Gaugin.
• namely
o A very important problem confronts us today; namely, we need to
stop the spread of COVID19.
• specifically
o I have a question about tenses. Specifically, when should I use the
past perfect?
• in other words
o You can't continue working at such a stressful job. In other words, to
improve you health you need a break.
To indicate similarity:
• similarly
o People cannot survive under water. Similarly, a fish will die if it is
taken out of water.
• likewise
o If you work hard, you will probably pass the test. Likewise, if you
waste time, you will probably fail.
• in the same way
o Speaking a foreign language fluently requires oral practice. In the
same way, playing the piano cannot be learned without regular
practice.
To indicate contrast or giving in:
• however
o Some language teachers believe in memorizing dialogues. However,
others think that memorization is not as good as engaging in natural
conversations with native speakers.
• nevertheless
o Winning an Olympic Gold Medal requires years of often painful
physical training and little time for a social life. Nevertheless, many
athletes are willing to go through the struggle in order to win.
• nonetheless
o I realize that skydiving is dangerous and expensive. Nonetheless, I
want to try it.
• despite (this)
o I am going to have to get up at 4:00 in the morning to catch my plane.
Despite this, I probably won't go to bed until midnight.
• in spite of (this)
o Mary had the worst headache of her life. In spite of this, she went to
her daughter's graduation.
To indicate cause and effect:
• as a result
o Grammar rules sometimes overwhelm and confuse students of
English. As a result, many people avoid studying grammar.
• consequently
o Susan's car broke down on the highway. Consequently, she couldn't
arrive on time for her class.
• therefore
o You will not be informed of the test result until next month. Therefore,
it is a waste of time to keep calling the office.
• thus
o We are in the middle of a severe draught. Thus, the city government
has asked us to conserve water whenever possible.
• hence
o Cats have flexible spines. Hence, they can do many physical
maneuvers that people cannot do.
To indicate purpose:
• in order to
o We need to find out what is causing your pain. In order to understand
this, we need to do a series of tests.
• with this in mind
o Jennifer realized that her job was at a dead end. With this in mind,
she went back to college to learn more skills.
• For this purpose
o The antique table needs refinishing. For this purpose, we are
stripping away the old varnish and sanding the wood
