Discourse markers

What is a discourse marker?

A discourse marker is a word or phrase that guides the listener or reader through what the speaker or writer
is saying. They help us to structure what we say and let the listener or reader know what kind of information
is coming next.

Discourse markers for cause and result

Here we will look at how to use discourse markers to link cause and result, or to talk about the reason why
things happen.
Result -> cause
When you want to state the result or outcome before the cause, use one of these discourse markers:
 as a result of
 because
 due to
 thanks to
“The class achieved excellent grades as a result of their teacher’s dedication.”
“I’m going to be late because I missed my bus.”
“Thanks to an anonymous donor, the charity has been able to build a new animal shelter.”
Cause -> result
The four discourse markers above can also be used to state the cause before the result. To do this, we just
swap the two clauses around and adjust the punctuation:
“As a result of their teacher’s dedication, the class achieved excellent grades.”
“Because I missed my bus, I’m going to be late.” (It is not so common to use ‘because’ to begin a sentence.)
“The charity has been able to build a new animal shelter thanks to an anonymous donor.”
The following discourse markers are also used in sentences where the cause is stated before the result (but
they can’t be used the other way around):
 so
 as a result
 consequently
 hence
 in that case
 therefore
 thus
So is used as a conjunction to join the cause and result in one sentence:
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“My friend is getting married at the weekend so I need to go shopping for a new dress and a wedding gift.”
The others are used to begin a new sentence or clause stating the result:
“You’ve done an excellent job during your first three months at the company. Therefore, we’re awarding
you a permanent contract.”
“Manufacturing costs have increased a lot in the past year. As a result, we’ll have to raise our prices if we
want to maintain a steady profit.”
In that case is used to respond to information from someone else:
Giles: I’m going to order chocolate cake for dessert.
Nicola: In that case, I’ll get a dessert too.
Please note that hence and thus are not often used as conjunctions in spoken English, and may be used more
in formal writing or storytelling.
Conditional results
If a result is based on a condition that may or may not be met (in the future), use one of these:
 then
 otherwise
“If it’s sunny tomorrow then I’ll walk to work.” (Often then is omitted in casual speech.)
Otherwise is used to present the alternative option:
“If it’s sunny tomorrow, I’ll walk to work. Otherwise, I’ll take the bus.”
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Discourse markers for addition

Here we’ll look at the discourse markers we can use to show that we’re giving additional information when
we speak or write. The additional information should be linked in some way to the first.
For example, consider the sentence: My dog’s name is Jerry and it’s a sunny day today. Although
grammatically correct, the two pieces of information are not linked in any way, so it doesn’t make sense to
join them like this.
So, which discourse markers do we use to add information?
You’re probably familiar with these simple discourse markers already:
 and
 also
 too
 as well (as)

Usage note: too and also
It can be confusing knowing where to place too and also in a sentence, so here is a quick guide:
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Too usually comes at the end of a sentence:
“James loves chocolate ice cream and I do, too.”
“We went on holiday to France but we visited Italy for three days too.”
It can also come mid-sentence:
“I, too, am passionate about helping disadvantaged people.”
“They, too, went to the park at the weekend.”
Also usually comes before the main verb:
“Joanna also likes riding horses.”
“We have also had an excellent month of sales.”
The exception is where the main verb is ‘be’ (and there are no auxiliary verbs), in which case also comes
after ‘be’:
“Liam is a good runner and he’s also good at swimming.”
“I think we should paint the bedroom blue, but purple is also a good idea.”
In informal American English, also may be used at the end of a sentence, in the same way as too. This
structure isn’t used in British English, though.
Usage note: as well and as well as
As well is used at the end of a sentence, just like too:
“Are you coming to the party as well?”
“They went shopping and watched a movie as well.”
As well as is a conjunction and can be used at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence:
“My husband is good-looking as well as intelligent.”
“As well as bread, the bakery sells cakes and local jams.”
More formal discourse markers for addition
The following discourse markers are all used at the beginning of a sentence to show that you’re about to
give additional information, and can be used in more formal contexts:
 Moreover
 Furthermore
 Further to this/that
 In addition
 Additionally
 What’s more
 On top of this/that
Remember that we use these to add additional, supporting information. This means that if the previous point
was positive, we’re adding more positive information and vice versa. 
“Our company has a proven track record in the field of SEO. In addition, we’ve recently added three
industry experts to our management team.”

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“The plans to build a new supermarket will have a negative impact on smaller local
businesses. Furthermore, we will lose a valuable area of park land.”
One more…
We use besides when we are supporting what we have previously said, but adding something on a slightly
different topic. We can use besides when stating an opinion, giving advice, or supporting one side of an
argument:
“You’re too young to be going out to a party. Besides, you have school in the morning.”
“I think you should try speed dating. You could meet the man of your dreams, and besides, you’ve got
nothing to lose!”

1. I’ve had a terrible day! I got soaked in the rain this morning, my boss shouted at me for being late, and
_____ my computer stopped working.
a. too
b. on top of that
c. as well
2. Please can you buy some tomatoes and milk at the shop? Oh, and we need some eggs _____.
a. as well
b. moreover
c. besides
3. Shelly enjoys playing the flute _____ painting.
a. what's more
b. as well
c. and
4. Our college offers courses in the evening _____ during the day.
a. in addition
b. as well
c. as well as
5. I love my new car! It’s easy to drive and it’s fuel-efficient, _____.
a. too
b. besides
c. as well as