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- 50 linking words to use in academic writing
Fiona Oates
75 linking words for academic writing (+examples)
Linking words play an important role in academic writing: They connect different paragraphs, sections or ideas in a text. Therefore, they considerably improve the readability and argumentation of academic texts such as a thesis, dissertation, essay or journal publication. This list of 75 linking words includes examples of how they can be used in academic writing.
Linking words expressing order and sequence in academic writing
Example: First, I review the existing literature on cross-border collaboration. Second, I explain the methodology …
Example: The event increased public awareness of this issue. Afterwards, politicians debated it more openly.
Example: Before scientists discovered the role of neurons in information processing, they assumed that…
Linking words expressing additions in academic writing
Example: Additionally, the interviewee lamented a lack of attention to his work.
Example: Besides the public outreach component, we wrote a handbook to disseminate the research results in the academic community.
Example: The financial compensation was also appreciated by the study participants.
Linking words expressing cause and effect in academic writing
Example: As the number of studies increases, better conclusions can be drawn.
Example: The literature highlights the importance of age and physical fitness. Consequently, these factors will be investigated further.
Linking words expressing contrasts and comparisons in academic writing
Example: Many scholars have explored this issue. Yet, to date, no inclusive framework exists to explain…
Example: People often stated that they are aware of the rules whereas they behaved as if they did not.
Example: E qually important, however, is the role of personal beliefs in decision-making processes.
If you are looking to elevate your writing and editing skills, I highly recommend enrolling in the course “ Good with Words: Writing and Editing Specialization “, which is a 4 course series offered by the University of Michigan. This comprehensive program is conveniently available as an online course on Coursera, allowing you to learn at your own pace. Plus, upon successful completion, you’ll have the opportunity to earn a valuable certificate to showcase your newfound expertise!
Linking words expressing emphasis in academic writing
Example: Indeed, motivation turned out to be a defining factor of academic success.
Example: More importantly, the findings underscore the importance of conflict resolution.
Linking words expressing illustrations in academic writing
Example: Many interviewees were nervous. For example, when asked to describe the event, some of them started to stutter.
Linking words expressing summaries and conclusions in academic writing
Example: In conclusion, the reviewed literature highlights a clear research gap.
Example: In short, scholars call for more research on climate change mitigation.
Linking words expressing conditionality in academic writing
Example: As long as the conditions do not change, the results should remain stable.
Example: Even if more experiments are conducted, human behaviour remains hard to predict.
Linking words expressing generalisations in academic writing
Example: Commonly, this criterion is used for categorising plants.
Linking words expressing concessions in academic writing
Example: Regardless of their genetic makeup, mice showcased the same symptoms.
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- Academic writing
- Commonly confused words
- Critical thinking
- PEEL Paragraphs
- Linking/transition words
- Paraphrasing
- Proofreading
- Terms and definitions
- Action Words: What is description, application, analysis and evaluation
Linking/transition words: Things you need to know...
All assignments are written in formal language. You need to ensure that you demonstrate your knowledge and understanding alongside your ability to answer the question/solve the problem.
Below are some ideas to help you to develop your structure and flow.
- Linking / transition words and phrases join ideas, sentences and paragraphs together. They should be used within sentences and to move from one idea to another (between sentences).
These words and phrases indicate the direction, order and flow of ideas. Significantly, they strengthen the quality and structure of your work.
- Redundant Words - less is more. P articularly when trying to reduce the word count, it is important to look for phrases which can be replaced with a single word.
Linking/Transition Words
Transitions link one main idea to another separated by a semi-colon or full-stop. When the transition word is at the beginning of the sentence, it should be followed by a comma:
Among other functions, they can signal cause and effect or sequencing (see examples in the table below).
Additional comments or ideas | additionally; also; moreover; furthermore; again; further; then; besides; too; similarly; correspondingly; indeed; regarding. |
Alternatives | whereas; conversely; in comparison; by contrast; another view is…; alternatively; although; otherwise; instead. |
Analysing results | therefore; accordingly; as a result of; the result is/results are; the consequence is; resulting from; consequently; it can be seen; evidence illustrates that; because of this; thus; hence; for this reason; owing to x; this suggests that; it follows that; otherwise; in that case; that implies; Author (year) suggests that; |
Cause / Reason | as a result of; because ( ) |
Compare | compared with; in the same way; likewise |
Contrast | by contrast; although; compared with; conversely; despite; however, nevertheless; yet |
Effect / Result | As a result; therefore; thus |
Emphasising earlier statements | however; nonetheless; furthermore; in the final analysis; despite x; notwithstanding x; in spite of x; while x may be true, nonetheless although; though; after all; at the same time; even if x is true; count |
Introducing examples | for example; for instance; namely; such as; as follows; as exemplified by; such as; including; especially; particularly; in particular; notably; mainly; |
Re-phrasing | in other terms; rather; or; better; in view of this; in contrast |
Sequencing | first (ly); second (ly); third (ly); another; additionally; finally moreover; also; subsequently; eventually; next; then |
Summary or Conclusion | in conclusion; therefore; to conclude; on the whole; hence; thus to summarise; altogether; overall; …following the research of…after analysis |
Linking words: conjunctions
Linking words within a sentence are referred to as coordinating conjunctions. Do not worry about the term: think about the function.
for | connects a reason to a result |
and | connects equal and similar ideas |
nor | connects two negative ideas |
but | connects equal but different ideas |
or | connects two equal choices |
yet | connects equal and contrasting ideas |
so | connects a result to a reason |
Conciseness / redundant words
Microsoft Word now has an additional feature within the Edito r - it is called conciseness or wordiness.
- If you cannot see the Editor menu a quick tip is to hold down the function (fn key at the bottom left of the keyboard) + F7 (top line of keys).
- From the Refinements section - select Conciseness - if there are any suggestions a number will appear in the box alongside this option
- A dotted line will appear under any groups of groups
- Either select the identified text by clicking with your right mouse button OR click on the down down next to the Conciseness menu.
- MS Word will display any alternative words which you can either select and they will be replaced in your text or reject if you want to keep the original phrases.
Examples: try to replace phrases with a single words which mean the same.
Instead of ... | Use ... |
employed the use of | used |
basic fundamentals | fundamentals |
alternative choices | alternatives |
in as few words as possible | concisely |
look into | investigate |
put on | gained |
turned down | rejected |
got better | improved |
hit and miss | erratic |
in spite of | although |
Need to know more...
- Related pages
- External links
- Academic writing Illustrates the main features of academic writing so that you are aware of what it is and what it involves
- Critical Thinking Academic work involves thinking, not just accepting what you read or are told.
- Terms and Definitions Important words appear in your assignments and examinations. The aim of this factsheet is to help you to fully understand what they mean.
Additional resources to help you to improve your confidence and grades:-
- Writing Effectively demonstrates the importance of: clarity, structure, relevance, argument and precision.
- Writing Mechanics gives further examples and resources on areas including: sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Linking/Transition words - Scribbr https://www.scribbr.co.uk/syntax/transition-words-examples/ [Accessed 10 February 2023]
There are many books concerning academic writing, look around Dewey number 808
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Transitional Words and Phrases
One of your primary goals as a writer is to present ideas in a clear and understandable way. To help readers move through your complex ideas, you want to be intentional about how you structure your paper as a whole as well as how you form the individual paragraphs that comprise it. In order to think through the challenges of presenting your ideas articulately, logically, and in ways that seem natural to your readers, check out some of these resources: Developing a Thesis Statement , Paragraphing , and Developing Strategic Transitions: Writing that Establishes Relationships and Connections Between Ideas.
While clear writing is mostly achieved through the deliberate sequencing of your ideas across your entire paper, you can guide readers through the connections you’re making by using transitional words in individual sentences. Transitional words and phrases can create powerful links between your ideas and can help your reader understand your paper’s logic.
In what follows, we’ve included a list of frequently used transitional words and phrases that can help you establish how your various ideas relate to each other. We’ve divided these words and phrases into categories based on the common kinds of relationships writers establish between ideas.
Two recommendations: Use these transitions strategically by making sure that the word or phrase you’re choosing matches the logic of the relationship you’re emphasizing or the connection you’re making. All of these words and phrases have different meanings, nuances, and connotations, so before using a particular transitional word in your paper, be sure you understand its meaning and usage completely, and be sure that it’s the right match for your paper’s logic. Use these transitional words and phrases sparingly because if you use too many of them, your readers might feel like you are overexplaining connections that are already clear.
Categories of Transition Words and Phrases
Causation Chronology Combinations Contrast Example
Importance Location Similarity Clarification Concession
Conclusion Intensification Purpose Summary
Transitions to help establish some of the most common kinds of relationships
Causation– Connecting instigator(s) to consequence(s).
accordingly as a result and so because
consequently for that reason hence on account of
since therefore thus
Chronology– Connecting what issues in regard to when they occur.
after afterwards always at length during earlier following immediately in the meantime
later never next now once simultaneously so far sometimes
soon subsequently then this time until now when whenever while
Combinations Lists– Connecting numerous events. Part/Whole– Connecting numerous elements that make up something bigger.
additionally again also and, or, not as a result besides even more
finally first, firstly further furthermore in addition in the first place in the second place
last, lastly moreover next second, secondly, etc. too
Contrast– Connecting two things by focusing on their differences.
after all although and yet at the same time but
despite however in contrast nevertheless nonetheless notwithstanding
on the contrary on the other hand otherwise though yet
Example– Connecting a general idea to a particular instance of this idea.
as an illustration e.g., (from a Latin abbreviation for “for example”)
for example for instance specifically that is
to demonstrate to illustrate
Importance– Connecting what is critical to what is more inconsequential.
chiefly critically
foundationally most importantly
of less importance primarily
Location– Connecting elements according to where they are placed in relationship to each other.
above adjacent to below beyond
centrally here nearby neighboring on
opposite to peripherally there wherever
Similarity– Connecting to things by suggesting that they are in some way alike.
by the same token in like manner
in similar fashion here in the same way
likewise wherever
Other kinds of transitional words and phrases Clarification
i.e., (from a Latin abbreviation for “that is”) in other words
that is that is to say to clarify to explain
to put it another way to rephrase it
granted it is true
naturally of course
finally lastly
in conclusion in the end
to conclude
Intensification
in fact indeed no
of course surely to repeat
undoubtedly without doubt yes
for this purpose in order that
so that to that end
to this end
in brief in sum
in summary in short
to sum up to summarize
Improving Your Writing Style
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
Clear, Concise Sentences
Use the active voice
Put the action in the verb
Tidy up wordy phrases
Reduce wordy verbs
Reduce prepositional phrases
Reduce expletive constructions
Avoid using vague nouns
Avoid unneccessarily inflated words
Avoid noun strings
Connecting Ideas Through Transitions
Using Transitional Words and Phrases
- Academic Skills
- Reading, writing and referencing
- Writing effectively
Connecting ideas
How to connect ideas at the sentence and paragraph level in academic writing.
What is cohesion?
Cohesion refers to the way we use vocabulary and grammatical structures to make connections between the ideas within a text. It provides flow and sequence to your work and helps make your paragraphs clear for the reader.
Cohesive devices are words and expressions that show relationships between parts of text and ideas, such as cause and effect, time, addition, or comparison and contrast.
Watch the video to learn how to make your ideas link together and your narrative flow.
How can I create cohesion?
Let’s look at types of cohesive devices.
Linking words
Academic writing usually deals with complex ideas. To enable the reader to follow your thoughts, they need to be clearly and smoothly linked. To join ideas and sentences, we use a number of connecting words and phrases. For example:
Additionally, and, also, apart from this, as well (as), in addition, moreover, further, furthermore.
If, in that case, provided that, unless.
Correspondingly, equally, for the same reason, in a similar manner, in comparison, in the same way, on the one hand, similarly.
Alternatively, although, but, conversely, despite, even so, even though, however, in contrast, in spite of, instead, on the contrary, contrary to, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, on the other hand, rather, still, though, yet, whereas, while.
Again, in fact, interestingly, indeed, it should be noted (that), more important(ly), most importantly, to repeat, (un)fortunately, unquestionably.
A further instance of this is..., an example of this is…, for example, for instance, such as, thus, as follows.
In other words, more simply, namely, simply put, to put it differently / another way, such as, that is.
A / the consequence of, because, due to, for, the effect of …, since, the result of …
Accordingly, as a result/consequence, consequently, for this reason, hence, so, therefore, thus.
Admittedly, although, clearly though, even though, however, indeed, obviously.
As a rule, for the most part, generally, in general, in most cases, normally, on the whole, usually.
First, second, third (etc), next, before, earlier, finally, following, given the above, later, meanwhile, subsequently, then, to conclude, while.
A note about presentation and style
Check a usage guide for exact rules for punctuation. Many introductory phrases have a comma after them. For example, 'therefore,' and 'in addition,'.
Referring backwards
To avoid repeating words and phrases many times, we use cohesive devices to make references to other parts of a text, such as:
- Pronouns: it, he, she, his, her, they, their
- Demonstratives: this, that, these, those
- Articles: a, the
- Adverbs: previously, subsequently
The Australian prime minister has called an early election. The date was selected to coincide with the start of the Olympic Games. This decision was based on the views of his ministerial advisors, who predicted that voter confidence in the government’s policies would be strong at this time . As previously mentioned , decisions on the timing of elections are based on predictions of voter confidence in the existing government.
In the example above:
- The date - refers back to the election date
- This decision - refers to the prime minister calling an early election
- His - refers to the Australian prime minister
- this time - refers to the start of the Olympic Games
- As previously mentioned - refers to all of the earlier information about the selection of election dates
Looking forward
We often use words and phrases to highlight new information for the reader. This helps make a smooth transition from one point to another. Such phrases include: the following, as follows, below, next, subsequently .
The following dates have been proposed for the forthcoming election: September 8, September 15 and 3 October.
The next issue to be discussed is the influence of the media on voter confidence in the government.
Connecting paragraphs
Apart from using the linking words / phrases above, showing the link between paragraphs could involve writing ‘hand-holding’ sentences. These are sentences that link back to the ideas of the previous paragraph. For instance, when outlining the positive and negative issues about a topic you could use the following:
Example (from beginning of previous paragraph):
- One of the main advantages of X is…
When you are ready to move your discussion to the negative issues, you could write one of the following as a paragraph opener:
- Having considered the positive effects of X, negative issues may now need to be taken into account…
- Despite the positive effects outlined above, negative issues also need to be considered...
It is always important to make paragraphs part of a coherent whole text; they must not remain isolated units.
Checking for paragraph links in your own work
When you are editing your next written assignment, ask yourself the following questions as you read through your work (Gillett, Hammond, & Martala, 2009):
- Does the start of my paragraph give my reader enough information about what the paragraph will be about?
- Does my paragraph add to or elaborate on a point made previously and, if so, have I made this explicit with an appropriate linking word / phrase?
- Does my paragraph introduce a completely new point or a different viewpoint to before and, if so, have I explicitly shown this with a suitable connective?
- Have I used similar connectives repeatedly? If yes, try to vary them using the above list.
Strategies to improve cohesion
- Select a piece of writing, preferably from a textbook or journal article, from your area of study.
- Choose a paragraph and underline or highlight all the different forms of cohesion used, such as using linking words, referring backwards, looking forwards or adding synonyms.
- Which forms are the most common?
- Choose a couple that you think are effective and practice using them in your own writing.
- Try to use a variety of ways to show the relationship between your ideas.
Looking for one-on-one advice?
Get tailored advice from an Academic Skills Adviser by booking an Individual appointment, or get quick feedback from one of our Academic Writing Mentors via email through our Writing advice service.
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Linking words & connecting ideas
Get your writing to flow by trying these words and phrases to link words and connect your ideas. Once you are tuned into these words, you will see them throughout academic writing.
However | Similarly /Similar to | At first/Firstly/First of all/Initially/To begin with |
Nevertheless | More generally | Following this/Prior to this |
Although | Likewise | Since |
Alternatively | Just as Smith(2001) claims…, so too does Jones (2004), who… | Before continuing |
On the other hand | Equally | Subsequently |
In contrast to this | In the same way | Finally |
Whereas | Not only…but also… | Lastly |
While Smith (2009) claims this,studies by Jones (2008) show that… | By comparison | As a conclusion / In summary/ In conclusion |
Unlike….,Green (2011) stresses that… | In a similar study… | Simultaneously |
For instance | As a result | Moreover / Furthermore |
In particular | Thus | Another reason /example / aspect |
In this case | Consequently | So |
Especially significant is | Therefore | Indeed |
As an example | An effect of this is | In addition / Additionally |
In order to argue this | Otherwise | Relating to this is… |
For example | Hence | Equally |
Specifically | Due to this | In the same way |
By way of illustration | For this reason | Above all |
In other words | This suggests that… | As well |
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