Useful expressions for writing

A) Introducing the topic & stating its importance

• It is often said / asserted / claimed / suggested that...
• It is widely believed that / Many people feel that...
• It is common knowledge that...
• It is a well-known fact that...
• For the great majority of people...
• One of the most striking features / aspects of this problem / issue / topic /question...
• Over the past ten years / few years, there has been a growing interest in...
• One of the most controversial issues today is...
• In today’s world, the issue of ... has become increasingly important.
• [...] This topic is relevant today because / due to...
• [...] This is a significant issue because it affects millions of people around the world."
• "It is important/ essential to address/consider this topic / matter because it directly impacts our
health and well-being.
• ….is a topic that is often discussed but rarely solved.
• We live in an age when many of us are…
• More and more families/people/teenagers are choosing to …
• Recent research indicates that the number of …is increasing.
• Statistics indicate that ...
• Hardly a week goes by without another report of ... appearing in the media. This raises the issue of
whether ...

B) Arguments & Reasons

• First of all, it is important to consider the impact of ... on ...

• It is also/ likewise essential to note that ...
• To begin with, one of the main advantages of ... is...
• The first point to consider is... // Another important point/aspect/factor is that...
• It is often argued that...
• It is reasonable to think that...
• There are grounds for believing that
• One justification often given for … is that… // One of the most important reasons why... is that...
• Advocates/ Opponents/ would claim that …
• Those who object to ... often argue that … // Another objection is that ...
• Some people are opposed to … on the grounds that ...
• However, it should not be forgotten that …
• From the point of view of …
• According to ... / According to experts...

C) Changing topic

- As far as... is concerned...

- As for... / With respect to X.../ With regard to.../ Regarding...
- This brings up the question of whether...
- In relation to the previous point...
D) Giving examples, specifying & rephrasing

• For example / For instance / such as

• One instance could be...
• This is illustrated by, exemplified by...
• A well-known, classic, notable example of this is...
• This is evident in the case of...
• In other words / That is to say / To put it another way...

E) Comparing

• Whereas... / Whilst
• This is similar to...
• There is some resemblance /similarity between...
• In contrast to / As opposed to... / Unlike...
• By comparison, ...

F) Expressing your own opinion

• As far as I’m concerned...

• From my point of view...
• I hold the view that...
• It is clear to me that... / It seems to me that...

G) To conclude:

• In light of the above,

• Taking all this into consideration/account,…
• As far as I am concerned, / in my opinion, / as I see it, ...
• … is the most effective way to… due to the fact that…
• Despite the fact that… undoubtedly plays a role in… I firmly believe that… is more effective due to
the fact that… its advantages outnumber/ outweigh those
• All in all it seems to me that ...
• The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that ...
• All things considered, ...
• On balance! , tend to believe that ...
• The world would surely be a better place to live in if ...
• Weighting up both sides of the argument, ...
• The advantages of... outweigh the...

Don’t say... Say...

Good Beneficial, advantageous, positive, satisfactory, outstanding, excellent,
tremendous, high-quality, pleasant, delightful, ethical, trustworthy, well-
grounded, reasonable, skilled, legitimate, genuine, authentic,
Bad Flawed, inadequate, unsatisfatory, immoral, unethical, awful, unpleasant,
negative, disrespectful, poorly, unfavourable, abusive
Important Significant, essential, crucial, relevant, influential, imperative, vital,
noteworthy...
Thing Aspect, point, side, characteristic, feature
Advantage Perk, benefit, upside, asset, strength, merit, positive aspects, favorable
aspects...
Disadvantage Drawbacks, Downsides, Limitations, Weaknesses, Shortcomings,
Obstacles, negative aspects
Problem Issue, matter, challenge, dilemma,
Difficult Complex, challenging, demanding, tough, hard, arduous, tricky.
Easy Simple, effortless, straightforward, manageable
Big Large, Substantial, Considerable, Significant, Large,
Small Minor, Insignificant, Minimal
Show • Demonstrate, Illustrate, Reveal, exhibit, present, indicate, portray
Say State, Assert, Declare, Explain, Claim, ask, advise, suggest, mention,
inform, report, warn, confirm, propose, request, deny, admit, predict,
encourage...
Get Obtain, Acquire, Receive, gain, secure, attain...
Ask Inquire, Request, Question
Think Believe, Assume, Conclude, Consider, estimate
Very Extremely, highly, remarklably, exceptionally, incredibly, particularly,
significantly, greatly...
Very little Slightly, partially, to a small extent, barely...