Discourse Markers List PDF with Examples, Types, Uses, and for, IELTS, Essays, Speaking and Writing. The Discourse markers List with Examples used in IELTS Speaking for learners to make their communication either written or spoken highly effective and rhetoric.
Discourse markers are ‘word (or phrase) tags’ that are used at the beginning of sentences (few times they can even be used in the middle) to help them seem clearer and more understandable. They help join ideas and act as a connection or link between sentences and paragraphs.
Discourse markers are effective in both speeches as well as in writing. They help give a conversation or a piece of text a proper shape and assist in making it appear more fluent and logical. They allow the writer or speaker to use them as ‘fillers’.
Since they are ‘word tags’ and act only as a link between two thoughts, they are separated from the main sentence by a comma. Therefore, a sentence still retains its structure even if the discourse marker is removed from the beginning of the sentence.
Different discourse markers are used in different situations. It is very important to use them in the right situation or they will seem completely out of place. Given below are a few common discourse markers used in everyday English. It is important to learn their correct usage.
Discourse Markers List PDF
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Discourse Markers Table |
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For adding |
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also, moreover, furthermore, additionally, besides, in addition |
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For comparing |
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similarly, likewise, in the same way, |
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For generalizing |
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on the whole, in general, broadly speaking, as a rule, in most cases |
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For showing cause and effect |
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therefore, thus, consequently, hence, as a result |
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For contrasting |
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however, although, whereas, despite this fact, on one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, still, nonetheless, instead, alternatively, in contrast |
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For indicating time |
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in the past, not so long ago, recently, |
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For sequencing |
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firstly, at first, first of all, in the first place, to begin with, in the beginning, once upon a time, secondly, thirdly, subsequently, earlier, meanwhile, later, afterwards |
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For emphasizing |
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above all, specially, in particular, specifically, as a matter of fact, more importantly |
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For repeating |
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again and again, over and over, once again, as stated |
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For giving examples |
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for example, for instance, such as, namely, in other words |
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For concluding |
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in conclusion, finally, to sum it up, in the end, lastly, in short, eventually |
Here is an example of how a few discourse markers can be used in writing:
Once upon a time, there was a boy called Tom. He lived on a hill and picked berries for a living. He would save some berries for himself and his family and sell the rest to a fruit seller in a nearby town. The fruit seller was very happy with Tom because he would bring him a wide variety of berries. For instance, he would bring him strawberries, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and mulberries. Furthermore, he would throw away the rotten ones and wash and clean the good ones before giving them to the fruit seller. Therefore, as a reward the fruit seller would give Tom one dozen bananas and mangoes each month for free.
As Tom grew older he grew tired of picking berries. He wanted to become a woodcutter like his father. However, his father insisted that Tom continued to do his old work for some time. Tom had two elder brothers, Jack and Mark. Jack was a cobbler in the town, whereas Mark made bread in a bakery there. Similarly, Tom’s mother also worked as a seamstress at the tailoring shop in the town.
Days went by as Tom’s urge to pick up an axe grew stronger. One morning Tom hid behind his house and waited for his father, mother and brothers to leave for work. When everyone left, he went inside, got his father’s spare axe and walked into the woods. He came upon a small tree which he thought would be easy to cut, but just as he swung the axe, it flew from his hands and hit a bird that was perched on the lower branch of the tree. The bird was badly injured and started to bleed. Tom froze in shock at what had happened. Meanwhile, his father, who had forgotten his lunch at home and was walking back to get it, saw him standing like a statue in the nearby woods. He approached the scene and quickly assessed what had happened. He took out his handkerchief, wrapped the bird in it and rushed it to the stable, where the town veterinarian worked.
When Tom’s father returned home that evening, he was quiet but upset. He couldn’t believe his son had disobeyed him like this. Nonetheless, he called Tom before going to bed and explained why he had not allowed him to cut wood. He told him that he was neither strong enough nor ready for such a responsibility at that age. He promised that if Tom was patient for just a few more years, he would teach him to cut wood himself.
In the end, Tom reflected on his actions as he went to sleep that night and decided that he would rather wait for a while and be his father’s woodcutting partner than be hasty and hurt his father, as well as the animals in the woods.
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