Introduction
- More and more families are choosing to have only one child.
- The trend nowadays is towards having smaller families.
- Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of …
- Recent research indicates that the number of teenagers who smoke is increasing.
- Hardly a week goes by without another report of … appearing in the media.
- This raises the issue of whether …
- Although most people would generally agree that … few would deny that …
- There are differing explanations / opinions as to why….
- It is first necessary to explain…
- In the following essay will be examined.
- People (sometimes) claim that … but I feel that …
- It is often said/argued that … However, it seems to me that …
- It is a fact that …
- Over the past few months/years, it seems that …
- Recently, we have all become concerned that …
- Nowadays, we are all realising that …
- In the past, people used to …, but now …
- These days, it seems that ….
Giving opinion
- It seems to me that … I would also say that …
- I am convinced that …
- I am inclined to believe that …
- There is no doubt in my mind that …
- One of the drawbacks of … is …
- However, one of the benefits is that …
- I think that
- In my opinion / in my own view / to my mind
- This is a matter of opinion
- In my experience
- As far as I know
- As far as I am concerned
- To tell you the truth
- I am convinced that
- I firmly believe that
- As I see it,
- To me,
- From my personal point of view,
- It seems to me that
- I personally believe that
- From my perspective
- To my way of thinking
- It appears to me that
Presenting arguments
- One justification often given for … is that…
- Advocates / Proponents would claim that …
- Those who object to … often argue that …
- Another objection is that …
- However, it should not be forgotten that …
- … are opposed to … on the grounds that …
- From the point of view of …
Describing causes
- One factor which has led to … is …
- As regards the causes for this, …
- Concerning the causes for this, …
- As for the causes, …
- One of the factors which has brought this about is …
- The problem often stems from …
- The situation has been exacerbated by …
- … has only made the situation worse.
- One consequence of … is …
Proposing measures
- As regards the most appropriate response to this situation, one suggestion would be to …
- The first step to be taken would be to …
- To alleviate the situation people should …
- In addition they ought to …
- To begin to tackle this situation society / individuals / the government need / s to …
- … would certainly ameliorate the situation.
- This can only be dealt with if …
- To overcome this problem, …
- Were the government to …, the situation would doubtless improve.
- Individuals can do a great deal to …
- The burden of responsiblity lies in the hands of …
- It is vitally important that …
- Legislation should be introduced to control …
- It would be a grave error if we …
Contrasting
- Another important distinction between … and … is that…
- I would like to distinguish between … and …
- The essential difference is that…
- The essential point on which I differ is that…
- There is however an important difference between … and …
- There are some respects in which … differs from …
- This difference clearly cannot be explained by…
- We must here make a distinction.
- Whereas
- Withal (к тому же)
- Nonetheless
- Notwithstanding
- Even so
- Even though
- However,
- But
- On the contrary,
- On the other hand,
- Differ from
- Although
- Though
- Otherwise
- Instead
- Alternatively
To State the Reasons
- There are different reasons why it …
- There are several explanations for …
- There are many positive/negative reasons for …
- There are some/more/fewer benefits/disadvantages to …
To Give an Opinion
- (Why) I believe
- I'd like to explain why
- Personally
- I'd enjoy
- I would prefer
- I think
- In my opinion
- As far as I'm concerned
- It seems to me
- I suggest
To Set Up a Condition
- If
- Even if
- If I could
- Whether (or not)
- . . .may/might
- . . .can be
To Further the Argument
- First (of all) . . . Second . . .Third
- Firstly … Secondly … Thirdly
- In addition
- There are three reasons why
- Similarly
- Furthermore
- Moreover
- Further
- As an example
- For instance
- What's more
- Not only . . . but also
- . . . including
- More than
- Also
- . . . coupled with
- Both . . . and
To Summarize / Conclude
- In conclusion
- Finally
- As a result (of)
- In summary
- Therefore
- To sum up
- In other words
- To summarize
- Then
- In brief
- On the whole
- To conclude
- As we have seen
- As has been said
To Restate or Repeat an Argument
- To put it differently
- To repeat
- Namely
- That is
- In other words
To Show Cause/Reason and Effect/Result
- Consequently
- Because (of)
- Due to
- Thanks to
- If this occurs, then
- To this end
- Since
- For this reason
- As a result
- Caused by
To Show Time Relationships
- Immediately
- Then
- Later
- Afterwards
- After
- Before
- While
- During
- As soon as
- As
- Sometimes
- Last
- Frequently
- When
- Once
- Often
- Oftentimes
To Generalize
- Overall
- For the most part
- In general
- Generally speaking
- By and large
To Show Contrast/Make an Exception
- Some may argue that
- Although
- Even though
- Whereas
- Instead
- In contrast
- On the one hand
- On the other hand
- However
- In spite of
- Despite
- Unlike
- On the contrary
- But
- Yet
- Rather than
- Either
- Or
- Nor
- Neither
- Either . . . or
- Neither . . . nor
- Nevertheless
- Nonetheless
- Sometimes
- Once in a while
- Occasionally
- Some…other(s)
- Other(s)
- Often
- None
To Emphasize
- Above all
- Obviously
- Clearly
- Evidently
- Actually
- In fact
- Certainly
- Definitely
- Extremely
- Indeed
- Absolutely
- Positively
- Surprisingly
- Unquestionably
- Without a doubt
- Objectively
- In fact
To Argue/Make a Suggestion
- . . . seems to warrant
- . . . contend/s
- . . . argue/s
- . . . justify/ies
- This observation is supported by
- To plead
- . . . suggest/s
- The suggestion is valid
- . . . propose/s
- . . . claim/s
- . . .state/s
- . . . clearly proof enough
- If I had the choice
- . . . examine/s
- . . . assert/s
To Show Disagreement
- . . . object/s (to)
- . . . disagree/s with
- . . . contradict/s
- . . . doesn't/don't support
- . . . is/are invalid
- These arguments, one by one, can be challenged
- . . . is absurd/ridiculous/unfounded/illogical
- . . . not to be taken seriously
- . . . has/have no scientific basis
- . . . dispute/s
To Choose One Option over
- Another
- . . . might be the better option
- . . . make/s it a better policy
- It's beneficial/better/positive
- It's detrimental/worse/negative
- . . . is true/false
- The assertion that…
- . . . seem/s to offer strong arguments for/against
- . . . is/are better/worse than
To Show Similarity
- Just as
- As . . . as
- In the same way
- Similarly
- Likewise
- As in/as with/as was/etc.
To Show Purpose
- In order to
- For
- So that
- So as to
To Show Evidence/Give an
- Example
- As evidence of
- The legitimacy of
- Such as
- For example
- A few of these are
- In the case of
- In addition
- For one thing . . . for another
To State the Problem
- The problem is (how)
- The question is
- What is being asked/challenged
To State the Options
- One option is
- The other option is
Generalizing
- Generally,
- Generally speaking,
- Overall,
- On the whole,
- In general,
- By and large,
- It seems to me that
- All in all,
- Basically,
- Essentially,
- As a rule,
- All things considered
- For the most part
Expressing certainty
- Absolutely
- Certainly,
- Definitely,
- Doubtless,
- Genuinely
- Indubitably
- Needless to say
- No doubt,
- Of course,
- Rightfully
- Sincerely
- Surely
- Truly
- Undoubtedly,
- Without doubt
Expressing partial agreement
- Almost,
- Dubious (сомнительный)
- Dubitable (Open to doubt or suspicion)
- In a way,
- More likely
- More or less,
- Most likely
- Possibly
- Probably
- So to speak,
- To some extent,
- Up to a point,
Showing cause
- Due to
- Because
- Because of
- Owing to
Showing effect
- Therefore,
- As a result,
- Consequently,
- For this reason,
- Thus,
- So,
- thereby
- Eventually,
- Hence,
- The reason why
Marking sequence
- After
- After this / that
- Afterwards
- As soon as
- At the same time
- Before
- Currently
- During
- Eventually
- Finally
- First of all,
- First, Second, etc.
- Firstly,
- Following this
- Formerly
- Henceforth (отныне, впредь)
- Hitherto, Heretofore (до сих пор)
- Immediately
- In due time
- Initially
- Last
- Lastly,
- Later
- Meanwhile
- Next
- Once
- Previously
- Simultaneously
- Since
- Soon
- Subsequently
- Then,
- To begin with
- While
Adding Information
- Another possibility is that…
- As well as
- At the same time it is true to say…
- Besides
- Furthermore
- In addition…
- In any case…
- It should also be emphasized that…
- It should also be noted that…
- Likewise
- Mention should also be made of…
- Moreover
- Related to these arguments is the critique that…
- Similarly
- The corollary of this is that…
- The key point to note is that…
- The same can be said of…
- The same is true of…
- There were other factors which arguably counted for more.
- This idea is supported by
- This is further illustrated by….
- This is further shown by the fact that….
- What’s more
Expressing condition
- Given
- If
- In case
- Providing
- One the condition of
- Provided that
- Provision, proviso (A stipulated condition)
- Stipulate (Specify as a condition or requirement in a contract)
- Unless
- Whenever
- Whether
Weighing up arguments
- On the one hand … on the other hand
- To consider the advantages and disadvantages
- Arguments for and against
- To discuss the pros and cons
- In theory … in reality
- Both… and…
- Not only … but also
- As a matter of fact
- By no means / not at all
Giving examples
- A classic illustration often cited is…
- Another example of this may be given.
- et cetera / and so on / and so forth
- In particular / particularly
- In the … case this was perhaps the most obvious.
- More detailed studies show that…
- Only in one respect does the advantage seem to be with…
- The evidence of … is even more obvious in the case of…
- The origins of … can be traced back to…
- This was by no means unique.
- This was typified by…
- To illustrate this point
- To take yet another illustration…
Giving explanations
- A general explanation remains difficult to find / elusive.
- How are we to explain …?
- If one looks at … in historical perspective, one finds that …
- Moreover it is at least arguable that…
- Partly for this reason it was inevitable that…
- The first thing we notice is the…
- The main reason it happened was that…
- The reality was at best that…
- This achievement was primarily due to…
- This applies especially to…
- This in turn means that…
- This is the key to the problem.
- This means that…
- This takes us to the heart of the matter
- This was one of the most important reasons why…
- Yet the important point to note is that…
Arguing
- At the same time it could be argued that…
- For one thing it could be argued that…
- Indeed, it might be argued that…
- It is interesting to speculate on what would happen if…
- It is tempting to pose another question.
- It may well be asked how…
- It might be argued that…
- Nor is it entirely fanciful to suggest that…
- Of course it could be argued that…
- Still, there is no denying that…
- This is not to say that there are not…
- Though it may seem a stretch to compare x with y…
- More controversial is the question as to whether…
Concluding
- All in all it seems to me that …
- All things considered, …
- Consequently
- Corollary (естественный вывод)
- Finally / Lastly,
- For the aforementioned reasons, there is no doubt that
- Given these facts
- Hence
- In all due fairness
- In conclusion,
- In the final analysis this may be the best explanation of all.
- It is difficult to escape the conclusion that…
- It seems not implausible to link … with …
- Judged by this criteria…
- Judged by this measure…
- Last but not least
- More generally it seems hard to deny that…
- Nothing can detract from the central fact that…
- On balance, I tend to believe that …
- Overall
- Summing up
- Taking everything into account / consideration,
- The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that …
- Thence (From that fact or reason or as a result)
- Therefore
- Therefrom (From that circumstance or source)
- Thereof (Of or concerning this or that, From that circumstance or source)
- Thus
- Thusly (In the way indicated)
- To conclude,
- To put it briefly
- To put it simply…
- to sum up / to summarize we can say
- To sum up the foregoing,
- To summarize
- With good judgment,
- … it can be said / claimed that …
- … it seems / appears that…
- … it would seem that…
- … it is likely / unlikely / possible / foreseeable that …
- … it is clear / obvious that…
- … there is no / little doubt that …
- … it is true to say that …
- … although it must be said that …
- … it may be concluded / said that …
Other useful phrases
- It can be argued that…
- It is important to recognize that…
- It is only to be expected that…
- It is also worth noting that…
- It is likely that…
- It is possible that…
- It is anticipated that…
- It is not clear whether…
- It is significant that…
- It is assumed that…
- It is not surprising then, that…
- It is sometimes suggested that…
- It is clear that…
- It is not surprising to find that…
- It is unlikely that…
- It is difficult to see…
- It is not unreasonable to suggest that…
- It is worth pointing out that…
- It is essential, therefore, that…
- It is not, however, simply a matter of…
- It may seem surprising to say that…
- It is evident that…
- It is noteworthy that…
- It seems that…
- It is for this reason that…
- It is now clear that…
- It would seem clear that…
- It is important to note that…
- It is often argued that…
- ‘one’
- one could envisage
- one might expect
- one need only turn to
- one could argue that
- one might ask
- The question one seeks to answer is
- one could seriously question
- one must remember
To describe
- To portray
- To depict (изображать, описывать, обрисовывать)
- To exhibit
- To illustrate
- To expose
- To present
- To paint a portrait
- To limn (описывать, изображать, украшать)
- To delineate (очерчивать, обрисовывать)
- To represent
- To demonstrate
- To constitute - Form or compose
- To embody - (v) Represent or express in tangible form (embodiment); embodied - (adj)
To prove
- To manifest - Provide evidence for; stand as proof of
- To attest - Provide evidence for
- To testify - Provide evidence for
- To certify - Provide evidence for
- To endorse, indorse - Give support or one's approval to
- To shew - Establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment
- To establish
- To instance - (v) Clarify by giving an example of
- To exemplify - (v) Clarify by giving an example of
- To compare or contrast
Positive words
- magnificent
- grandeur - The quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand, the quality of being exalted in character or ideals or conduct
- magnanimous - The quality of being exalted in character or ideals or conduct
- fantastic
- fantastical
- phenomenal
- wonderful
- extraordinary
- marvelous
- superb
- good
- fine
- great
- avid - Emotionally desirable
- avid ambition to succeed
- excellent
- spectacular
- prodigious
- grand
- brilliant
- glorious - Bringing great happiness and thankfulness
- illustrious - Widely known and esteemed
- notable - Worthy of notice
- respected
- impressive
- splendid
- splendiferous - Having great beauty and splendor
- resplendent - Having great beauty and splendor, Richly and brilliantly colorful
- flamboyant - Elaborately or excessively ornamented, Richly and brilliantly colorful
- redoubtable - Having or worthy of pride
- formidable - Extremely impressive in strength or excellence
- prowess
- superior
- terrific
- tremendous
- wondrous - Extraordinarily good
- wonderful
- sublime - Inspiring awe, Lifted up or set high
- flair - natural talent
- knack - A special way of doing something
- outshine - Attract more attention and praise than others
- paramount - Having superior power and influence
- predominant
- preponderating
- prevailing
To show intelligence
- profound
- shrewd – hardheaded (practical experience and observation) intelligence
- astute
- acumen - Shrewdness shown by keen insight
- insightful
- savvy - The cognitive condition of someone who understands
- cognition - The psychological result of perception, learning and reasoning
- genius
- smart
- sharp
- keen
- mastermind
- Einstein - Someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
- work of art
- fine art
- maven - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
- mavin - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
- adept - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
- whiz - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
- wizard - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
To intensify
- incredibly
- exceedingly
- toppingly - extremely well
- extremely
- extraordinarily
- truly
- really
- very
- utterly - Completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers, With sublimity; in a sublime manner
- absolutely
- perfectly
- sublimely
- dramatically
- sheer - (adj.) Complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as an intensifier; (adv.) Directly "he fell sheer into the water"
It is said
- enounced, enunciated - Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way
- pronounced - Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way
- articulated - Express or state clearly
- vocalized - Express or state clearly
- posited - Put firmly
- stated
- expressed
- reported
- alleged - Declared but not proved
- averred - Report or maintain, To declare or affirm in a grave manner and formally as true
- affirmed, asserted
- wrote
- composed
- indited - Produce a literary work
- penned - Produce a literary work
- spelt - Indicate or signify
- voiced, sounded - Give voice to
- demean - Reduce in worth or character, usually verbally
It is noted
- remarked
- denoted - Be a sign or indication of, "Her smile denoted that she agreed"
- observed
- commented
- mentioned
- referred
- announced
- noticed
Precisely
- explicitly
- accurately
- expressly
- exactly
- incisively
Numerous
- innumerable
- many
- various
- several
- diverse
- umpteen
- umteen
- myriad (noun and adj.)
Praise
- extol - (v) Praise, glorify, or honor
- exalt
- glorify
- laud
- proclaim
- revere
- idolize
- worship
- venerate
Call forth
- evoke - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
- arouse - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
- elicit - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
- enkindle - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
- provoke - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
- inflame - Arouse or excite feelings and passions
- awake - Stop sleeping
- conjure - Evoke or call forth, with or as if by magic
- invoke - Evoke or call forth, with or as if by magic
- summon - Gather or bring together
- instill - deposit gradually
Adding ideas
- again
- also
- as well as
- besides
- coupled with
- for example (e.g.)
- for instance
- furthermore
- in addition
- in fact
- indeed
- likewise
- moreover
- once more
- similarly
- that is (i.e.)
- then too
As expected
- as a matter of fact
- for that matter
- it follows that
- naturally
- obviously
- of course
- surely
- to be sure
Restatement
- in essence
- in other words
- namely
- that is
- that is to say
- in short
- in brief
- to put it differently
Cause and effect
- accordingly
- and so
- that’s why
- as a consequence
- as a result
- as might be expected
- consequently
- for this purpose
- for this reason
- hence
- otherwise
- since
- so then
- subsequently
- then
- therefore
- thereupon
- thus
- wherefore
Contrast
- at the same time
- but
- by the same token
- contrast
- conversely
- despite
- however
- in contrast
- in spite of
- instead
- likewise
- nevertheless
- nonetheless
- not at all
- notwithstanding
- on one hand
- on the contrary
- on the other hand
- rather
- similarly
- still
- unlike
- yet
Sequence
- at first
- first of all
- to begin with
- in the first place
- at the same time
- for now
- for the time being
- the next step
- in time
- in turn
- later on
- meanwhile
- next
- then
- soon
- the meantime
- later
- while
- earlier
- simultaneously
- afterward
- in conclusion
- with this in mind
Concession
- although
- but of course
- certainly
- doubtless
- granted that
- of course
- though
- to be sure
- to doubt that
- whereas
Direction
- here
- there
- over there
- beyond
- nearly
- opposite
- under
- above
- to the left
- to the right
- in the distance
Degrees of certainty
- anyhow
- anyway
- certainly
- doubtless
- in all likelihood
- in all probability
- in any case
- indeed
- perhaps
- possibly
- probably
- surely
Qualification
- especially
- frequently
- if
- in case
- in general
- in particular
- inasmuch
- lest
- occasionally
- particularly
- provided that
- specifically
- unless
Repetition
- as noted
- as noted earlier
- as we have seen
- besides
- in any case
- in fact
- in other words
- indeed
- to put it another way
- to repeat
Similarity
- comparatively
- coupled with
- correspondingly
- identically
- likewise
- similar
- moreover
- together with
Emphasis
- above all
- chiefly
- with attention to
- especially
- particularly
- singularly
Generalizing
- as a rule
- as usual
- for the most part
- generally
- generally speaking
- ordinarily
- usually
Exemplifying
- as an example
- as an illustration
- chiefly
- especially
- for example
- for instance
- for one thing
- illustrated with
- in particular
- in this case
- including
- markedly
- namely
- particularly
- specifically
- such as
Exception
- aside from
- barring
- besides
- except
- excepting
- excluding
- exclusive of
- other than
- outside of
- save
Summary
- all in all
- all things considered
- briefly
- by and large
- finally
- in a word
- in any case
- in any event
- in brief
- in conclusion
- in short
- in summary
- in summation
- in the final analysis
- in the long run
- on balance
- on the whole
- therefore
- to conclude
- to make a long story short
- to sum it up
- to summarize
Proceed to the list of Grammar lessons.
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