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WHICH DISCOURSE MARKER TO USE AND WHY?
Which discourse marker should you use and why should you use it? We mentioned
that discourse markers express functions of language, so it's important to use the
correct discourse marker when you are trying to express a language function. If you
did very well on a test you would not start the sentence with 'unfortunately' as this is
used to express disappointment or sorrow, you would use a more positive marker to
express your joy. Look at the following table which shows the different speech
functions you would use during an IELTS Speaking test with examples of markers
you could use.
Function Discourse markers, linking phrases
Sequencing - First, the first thing, first of all, firstly, the next one, to begin
ordering with, moving on to the next reason, secondly, thirdly,
information subsequently, on top of that, later, after this, finally
Adding Another thing that comes to mind, also, and, besides,
information additionally, another good example of this is, another reason for
this, and one more thing
Indicating Unfortunately, however, actually, to be honest, definitely,
opinion & essentially, frankly, basically, clearly, I'm afraid, if you ask me,
attitude sadly, thankfully, in fact, seriously, as a matter of fact
Comparing Similarly, in the same way, equally, likewise, in a similar
fashion, if I compare it to my country
Contrasting However, although, instead of, despite, on one hand, on the
other hand, in the opposite way, in contrast, whereas
Giving examples A great example of this is, for example, for instance, a personal
example is, in other words, a striking example of this, a classic
example is, a clear example of this can be seen, such as,
illustrated by
Stalling Let me think about that..., that's a difficult/interesting question,
I haven't thought of that before, well..., actually, basically,
Result As a result, because of this, therefore, consequently, so, then
Generalising Generally, broadly speaking, as a rule, on the whole, it is often
said that..., in most cases, the vast majority of, a small minority
of

 If you use any of these examples as the first words in an answer, the linkage is to the
question the examiner asked or a statement the examiner made, or to a statement
you had previously made.
 As well as showing linkage, these words and phrases act as an introduction to what
you are going to say.
 There is a slight pause after you say these expressions before you continue speaking.
In writing, these words and expressions are followed by a comma.
 Remember: If you don’t clearly show that you can use a lot of these, you won’t get a
6 (or above) for Coherence and therefore you won’t get a 6 (or above) for the
Fluency and Coherence sub-score.

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 Don't overuse any one of the examples shown below. Instead, show variety.
 ‘Informal’ words and expressions are good to use in the Speaking test! (But not
‘slang’ words and expressions.)
 Those words or expressions labeled as ‘a little formal’ are most suitable when
talking about rather serious or abstract topics, such as in Part 3. However, don’t use
too many of those marked as, “a little formal” in the Speaking test and I suggest not
using any one of those more than once.
 Any words or expressions labeled as ‘very formal’ should only be used in the most
serious or academic-style language, which is usually either a formal speech or
academic writing. It is not considered ‘wrong’ if you do use these in the test but it
will make your speaking sound a bit unnatural, like reading from a book. The only
example here is ‘moreover’.
 Most of these are used to begin a sentence but a few are usually used as
conjunctions within a sentence. However, in speaking, these sound almost as if they
are beginning a new sentence.

1. Stating two contrasting points in a balanced way, not emphasizing the

difference
On the other hand
I can’t decide which country to study in. Britain has many universities and a long
history, so it would be interesting to study there. On the other hand, Australia has a
nicer climate. It’s a difficult decision.
Alternatively
You could get a degree in accountancy in Britain. Alternatively, you could do it in
Australia or New Zealand.
Then again (Used when an alternative idea suddenly comes to mind.)
We might get married this year. Then again, we might delay it for a year or two – we
haven’t decided yet.
2. Stating two contrasting points and emphasizing the difference
However (A little formal)
I’m interested in science and computers. However, my sister’s more interested in art
and music.
Nevertheless (a little formal)
I wouldn’t say that all advertisements are a bad influence on children – some of them
are quite informative and entertaining. Nevertheless, I think some advertisements
might be detrimental to children. For example, …
Having said that = That said
(A little formal. Stress on the word, “said”. Meaning = “Even though I just said ‘A’,
an alternative or opposing idea, ‘B’ is also true.”)
Learning English isn’t easy; it takes hard work and practice. Having said that, many
people do become quite fluent after a few years of study.
At the same time
I think good teachers have to be quite strict in order to keep the class under
control. At the same time, teachers should be warm and friendly so the students can
relate to them as human beings.
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All/Just the same
Studying overseas can be wonderful experience for students. All the same, they have
to work very hard to make up for their language deficiencies.
Mind you
(Esp. British English. Stress on the word, ‘you’. Informal = good to use! Meaning =
“Even though I just said ‘A’, don’t forget this important opposing or contrasting
point, 'B'.”)
To tell you the truth, I don’t really like my job very much. Mind you, the salary’s
quite good!
Still
It’s going to take me a few years and quite a lot of money before I get my
doctorate. Still, I think it’ll be worth it in the end because …
Yet
He does the least study of any of us, yet he almost always gets the best grades!
Instead
Don't overuse any of the examples shown here. Instead, show a variety of ways to
express your meaning.
I don't read newspapers very often nowadays. Instead, I either watch the news on TV
or I read it on the internet.
In spite of (this, that); Despite this; Despite that
The second hotel was more expensive than the first one, about double the room rate,
in fact. In spite of the cost, we chose to stay at the second one because we wanted a
taste of luxury for a night.
Even so
(In writing this is within a single sentence but in speaking it sounds like it is
beginning a new sentence.)
Studying a foreign language overseas is much more expensive than studying it at
home; (but,) even so, it’s definitely the best way to learn a language.
Conversely .( Very good for academic writing, especially Task 1 in the Writing test,
but too formal for everyday speech)
Global warming will probably result in some farming areas in the warm parts of the
world becoming arid and unusable. Conversely, places that are too cold for farming
now might become suitable for farming as they become warmer.
In contrast
Young people like films that are full of excitement and romance, reflecting how they
feel about things. In contrast, older people prefer more subtle and thoughtful films.

3. Talking about Similarity

likewise;
Similarly (Hard to pronounce!)
Yes, I think there should be a little more emphasis on practical skills, especially in
primary school. Similarly, in high school and university, there should be more
emphasis on the practical application of what students learn at school.
In the same way (Also: In a similar way)

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My grandmother taught my mother how to cook when she was just a child. In the
same way, my mother taught me when I was about ten years old.
By the same token
Yes, I think we should try to follow the advice of our parents. By the same
token, parents should consider what their children really want, not just what they
themselves want.

4. Contradicting
On the contrary
Note: Many students incorrectly think that this means the same as, ‘On the other
hand.’ It does not. There are two usages of, ‘on the contrary’.
Usage a): The most common meaning is: “That’s untrue and I’ll tell you the true
situation.” Or, “I disagree and this is what I think.”
Examples:
A: “I guess you're Canadian.”
B: “On the contrary, I'm Australian.”
------------------------------
A: “I heard you live in a big house.”
B: “On the contrary, I live in a small apartment.”
------------------------------
A: “But it was completely unexpected.”
B: “On the contrary, (I think) it was planned to happen that way.”
Usage b):
Here is an example of "Usage b".
Speaker 1: “I think that's ugly.”
Speaker 2: “I don’t think it’s ugly at all. On the contrary, I think it’s quite
beautiful.”
Here, “I don’t think it’s ugly” = “I think it’s beautiful” in meaning. Both of these
statements contradict what Speaker 1 said but the second, positive statement is more
emphatic than the first, negative statement.
It is possible for Speaker 2 to simply answer, “On the contrary, I think it’s quite
beautiful.” but the usual usage is to first contradict what the other person said.
In usage b), the form of the statement is this: negative statement + "On the contrary"
+ positive statement.
And, the negative statement = the positive statement in meaning.
The meaning of “On the contrary” here is similar to saying, “in fact”, “as a matter
of fact” or “actually”.
In both usage a) and usage b), “On the contrary” is used when talking (or writing)
about two ideas (facts, opinions, beliefs or feelings) that are 180° in opposition to
each other.
In the following example, the speaker or writer first makes a negative
statement, “would not fail.”
“Eventually, I came to believe that I wouldn’t fail. On the contrary, I became
convinced that I would succeed very well.”

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This could either be a written statement or a spoken statement. It either case, it has a
rather literary or formal tone. The statement is similar to correcting or contradicting
another person where, in this case, the "other person" is the speaker or writer himself
and his earlier feelings about his own success. That is, originally this person believed,
"I might fail" then he changed to have confidence that he would not fail.
The following example is similar to the one above in structure. However, although
the use of, “On the contrary” here is acceptable it would be more suitable to use, “in
fact” or, “as a matter of fact” because the speaker or writer is not correcting or
contradicting another person but instead, is simply writing a description of the cost of
houses in Beijing, a description that begins with a negative statement.
A house with a garden in Beijing is not cheap. On the contrary, a house with a
garden in Beijing is very expensive.
On the other hand, the following example of usage a) is suitable because Speaker 2 is
correcting Speaker 1.
Speaker 1: “I was told that a house with a garden in Beijing was quite cheap.”
Speaker 2: “On the contrary, a house with a garden in Beijing is very expensive.”
Advice about using, "On the contrary" in the Writing test
In general, I think most IELTS candidates should be careful about using “On the
contrary” in the Writing test. In fact, it would be better to use alternative ways to
express yourself, such as, “in fact” or, “as a matter of fact”. “On the contrary” is
mostly used in speaking (usage a) and its use in writing (usage b) can sometimes have
a tone that is unnecessarily formal or literary. Not only that, when you use the words,
"On the contrary", you should be contradicting or correcting someone. In the writing
test, this "someone" would usually be "some people" who believe or state a certain
opinion, which you feel you can prove to be erroneous.

5. Concession (concede (v):

(These examples of concession are often followed by a counter argument
(反论点) beginning with 'but' or some similar word or phrase.)
These beginning words can be used to concede that the other speaker is correct.
Of course; Admittedly; Naturally; Obviously; Clearly; Undeniably; Undoubtedly

Of course, there’s always an exception to the rule but, in general, I still stand by what
I said.
Admittedly, some people do waste money but I think the majority of people are pretty
careful with their money.
Naturally, I hope to find a job that’s both interesting and well paid but, realistically,
such jobs are hard to find when a person first starts working.
Obviously, there’d be fewer cars on the roads if they were much more expensive to
buy.
Undoubtedly, millions of cars do produce air pollution but I’d say that the thousands
of trucks that come into and leave the city during the night produce a lot of the air
pollution that we see when we wake up in the morning. You only have to see the
pollution produced by one dirty, old truck to know that.

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6. Concession and Counter Argument
'All the same' (see above) is another way to continue defending your opinion after
conceding that the other person is not 100% wrong in his/her opinion.

Yes, I agree that some young people are spendthrifts but, all the same, the majority
are not like that.
7. Persuading
After all ;You have to admit

Most Chinese people about the age of twenty make their own decisions about
important things in life. After all, they’re adults at that age.

8. Dismissal of Previous Discourse

Anyway = Anyhow = At any rate = In any case
Anyway, I eventually got there and nobody noticed that I was late! (After telling a
story about being late.)
At least
At least I got there before the main part of the ceremony. (After telling a story about
being late.) (Notice no comma used after, ‘At least’)

9. Adding; Giving More Details

As well as that (= Not only that) (informal; good for speaking)
Art classes for, say, primary school children encourage the development of the
imagination, creativity and self-expression. As well as that, these art classes provide
an opportunity for those who have special artistic talent to become aware of this
talent; they might never have known they had this talent if they had never had the
opportunity to attend an art class.
On top of that (informal; good for speaking)
Well, firstly, emails are much faster and cheaper than handwritten letters. On top of
that, they’re much more convenient – you can read or write emails with just a few
strokes of the keyboard, without worrying about paper, envelopes and stamps and
going out to mail your letters.
Another thing is
I think the latest video technology is in many ways superior to books in educational
value because this technology has written words but also has information in audio
and video form. Another thing is, it’s easier to store and carry around a disc than a
book that holds the same amount of information.
For that matter (Similar to, “As a matter of fact”, “In fact” and “Actually”)
To tell you the truth, I’m not very interested in basketball. For that matter, I’m not
very interested in any sport.
Besides I haven’t seen that film. Besides, I’ve heard it’s not very good.
There’s a restaurant near my home but I don’t often go there because it’s too
expensive and, to be quite frank, I don’t like their service – they’re much too
slow. Besides, right now I’m too busy to eat out very often.

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Note: ‘Besides’ is different to, ‘in addition’ because the word ‘besides’ introduces
another idea that is in a different category, or a different ‘train of thought’ to the other
idea(s). In the previous example, the first two reasons were criticisms of the
restaurant; the last reason was separate from these reasons but, overall, was still
an additional reason why the speaker does not eat at the restaurant very often.
What’s more (This sounds a little too formal and unnatural if not spoken in the
contracted form. In other words, don’t say, “What is more”)
Yes, I think the internet has changed people’s reading habits – for the better. I say
that because now we can tap into a much larger range of, and volume of reading
material than we could when we just relied on our collection of books at
home. What’s more, topics such as current events are being updated daily so we can
always be up to date with the news.
Furthermore (a little formal)
Actually, I think academic skills are more important than practical skills because, if
you have highly developed academic skills you can usually get highly paid
work. Furthermore, I think in the future, society will value those who have
brainpower more than those people who can do practical things with their hands.
In addition (a little formal)
Reading allows people to become aware of their society and, in fact the whole
world. In addition, reading is the main way that people increase their education and
we all need to continually learn in order to make progress in our careers.
Moreover (Very formal. It is best not to use this in the speaking test but it is suitable
for academic writing)
Advertisements that glorify violence are a negative influence on children. Moreover,
I think they’re a negative influence on anyone who sees them, not just children.

10. Giving Examples

For example; For instance; As an example; To begin with; To start with; For a
start;

11. Being More Specific

Specifically; To be more specific; In particular; As a matter of fact; In
fact; Actually

12. Clarifying
I mean; What I mean is; To put that another way; What I'm trying to say is; My
point is ; In other words; That is (a little formal); That is to say (a little formal)

13. Summarizing
Overall; On the whole; Basically; Fundamentally;

14. Speaking in General

Generally, In general; Typically

15. Exception
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Otherwise

16. Stating the Purpose

(In order) to (+ verb); (In order) to achieve this

17. Emphasizing
Above all;
Indeed (a little formal)
Q: Do your friends also like that kind of film?
A: Indeed they do!

18. Giving Reasons

In the first place; For one thing; The main reason why …; One of the reasons why
…; One reason why …

19. Talking about the Result

As a result; As a consequence; Consequently; So; Because of this; In this/that way

20. Giving a conclusion based on a logical argument

So; Therefore (a little formal); [‘Thus’ and ‘hence’ are too formal even for the
Writing test]

21. Parallel Time

At the same time; Simultaneously; Meanwhile; In the meantime

22. Changing the Subject

(It is uncommon to suddenly and completely change the subject when you speak in
the IELTS test.)
By the way; Incidentally
“Yes, I had a good day at work. By the way, I saw your friend, Jenny, at lunchtime.”

23. Returning to a Previous Subject

As I was saying; As I mentioned before

24. Gaining Time to Think (Important for avoiding long pauses, which decrease
your fluency score.)
Let me see; Let’s see; Well; You know (Do not emphasize the word “you” when you
say this.

25. Talking about the Beginning

First, Firstly, First of all, To begin with, In the first place,
Avoid using, “First and foremost” in the speaking and writing tests because it usually
sounds like a cliché
At first, Initially, Originally, In the beginning, At the beginning,
Note that “At first” does not mean the same as “First” or “Firstly”.
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26. Talking about the End

Last = Lastly = Finally
These three are used for listing several things that happen in sequence: “First, …..
Next, …. Then, … Last/lastly/finally ….”
Note 1: Beware of the following common error:
At (long) last = Finally
Many students write or say “at last” to mean “last” but this is a mistake. “At last” has
the idea that someone has waited for a long time and it is usually used as an
exclamation
Examples:
(After wandering in the desert looking for water.) “At last! Water!” =
“Finally! Water!”

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