Discourse Markers 2

Adverbs and Adverbial expressions

 What are discourse markers?
Words or expressions, often adverbs or
adverbial expressions, which help you
understand:
• The connection between what the speaker is
saying and what has already been said.
• The connection between what the speaker has
said and what he is going to say now
• What the speaker thinks about what he is saying
 These presentation will focus on this subject.
 Talking of…
• Use: to change the direction of the
conversation, but making a link to
what has been said.
• Example:
A: Students should attend as many
lessons as possible, do homework
and study for their tests.
B: Talking of homework, how useful
do you think it is?
By the way/Incidentally
• Use: to introduce something you
have just thought of, or to change
the subject completely.
• Example:
So that’s what the plan for the
rest of our lessons. By the
way/Incidenteally, would you
change anything in the way
grammar is taught in this course?
Actually/In fact/As a matter
of a fact
• Use: to introduce additional or
unexpected information.
• Example:
A: Did you study the vocabulary list
the teacher give?
B: Actually,/In fact,/As a matter of
a fact, I hate vocabulary lists.
They are stupid and useless.
 In any case/Anyway
• Use: to introduce an idea that
what you said before is less
important than what you are going
to say. Also, to return to the main
topic after a digression.
• Example:
There are some things you learn
best in calm, and some in storm.
In any case,/Anyway, I think
learning is a lifetime journey.  
 At least
• Use: to introduce a positive point
after some negative information.
Also, to make what you just have
said less definite.
• Example:
1) Yes, I failed the test. At least,
I’m absolutely sure I did my best.
2) Education consists mainly of
what we have unlearned… or at
least that’s what Mark Twain used
to say.
 As I was saying
• Use: to return to a previous
subject, often after you have been
interrupted.
• Example:
As I was saying, if we don’t have a
whiteboard to use, we’ll have to
do with the projector.
 On the whole
• Use: to generalize.
• Example:
“Some people will never learn
anything, for this reason, because
they understand everything too
soon.” On the whole, what
Alexander Pope was trying to say
is that…  
 All in all
• Use: to say that you are taking
everything into consideration.
• Example:
Literal translation and translation
of meaning might both prove useful
depending on the situation, but all
in all, I think that a translation of
meaning is more suitable when
working with novels.
 After all
• Use: to introduce a strong
argument that the other person
might not have taken into
consideration.
• Example:
We should try and study. After all,
the worst thing that can happen is
that we fail the test.
 Besides
• Use: to add additional information or
arguments.
• Example:
And how is education supposed to make
me feel smarter? Besides, every time I
learn something new, it pushes some old
stuff out of my brain. Remember when I
took that home winemaking course, and I
forgot how to drive?
Homer Simpson
 Basically
• Use: to introduce the most important
or fundamental point.
• Example:
I've always thought my soundtracks do
pretty good, because they're basically
professional equivalents of a mix tape
I'd make for you at home. 

Quentin Tarantino 
 Obviously
• Use: to introduce a fact that is
very clear to see or understand.
• Example:
Obviously, a government can’t
get everything 100% right or
wrong. Life’s not black or white.
 I mean
• Use: to make things clearer or
give more details.
• Example:
He is a good student. I mean, he
goes to the lessons and does his
homework even though he’s a very
busy person.
 In other words
• Use: to say something again in another
way.
• Example:
Fill my heart with song
And let me sing for ever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you.
“Fly Me to the Moon” F. Sinatra
 Otherwise
• Use: to say what the result would be if
something didn’t happen or if the
situation were different.
• Example:
If you love someone, you say it, right
then, out loud. Otherwise, the moment
just passes you by. 

Julia Roberts
As far as…is concerned/As
regards…/Regarding…
• Use: to introduce a new topic or to
announce a change of subject.
• Example:
The lack of objectivity, as far as foreign
nations are concerned, is notorious.
From one day to another, another nation
is made out to be utterly depraved and
fiendish, while ones own nation stands
for everything that is good and noble.
 That is to say
• Use: to introduce an explanation or
clarification of a point you’ve just made.
• Example:
There are known knowns. These are things we know
that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to
say, there are things that we know we don't know. But
there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we
don't know we don't know. 

Donald Rumsfeld (American Politician)

On the one hand… on the
other hand
• Use: to introduce an explanation or
clarification of a point you’ve just made.
• Example:
The aim of science is, on the one hand, as complete a
comprehension as possible of the connection between
perceptible experiences in their totality, and, on the
other hand, the achievement of this aim by employing
a minimum of primary concepts and relations.
Albert Einstein
Questions?