how to avoid informal writing
TRANSCRIPT
HOW TO AVOID INFORMAL WRITING 1. Understand the difference between formal and informal language
2. Tips to make your writing formal.
a) Do not use contraction like ‘can’t’, use ‘can not’ instead.
b) Avoid common slangs.
kidsà children; cuteàadorable; prettyàrelatively/fairly
c) Avoid subjective words like “I think” and other strong emotional expressions. Formal writing ought to
be as objective as possible. Present a balanced and fair position. Do not write a sentence such as “You should
use this tool for classroom management”, try sentence like “This tool is powerful for classroom management
which worth a try”.
d) Avoid clichés and idioms. Try to use literal language that will not be misunderstood. For instance, a cliché
such as “literally” is frequently used when something is a common truth. In a formal context, we can rephrase it
as “It is commonly acknowledged/agreed that……”. For instance,
- “The decision made by the college president is literally thoughtless” (informal)
- “It is commonly agreed that the college president made a thoughtless decision.”(formal)
e) Avoid vague words. Try to use more vivid and precise words like “beneficial”, “pleasant”, “unsatisfactory”
to replace simple words like “good”, “nice”, and “bad” which are not clear.
f) Logical development is significantly valuated in formal writings. Transitional devices play a salient role in
promoting the logic of your writing. Use relative pronoun instead of pronouns to present better logical
connection between different elements. For example,
- “Martin·Luther·King, Jr is one of the most influential humanitarian. He gave the famous speech, ‘I have a
dream’”
- “Martin·Luther·King, Jr is one of the most influential humanitarian who gave the famous speech, ‘I have a
dream’”
g) Develop short, choppy sentences into longer, more graceful sentences. “The meeting was at 4:00pm. The
traffic was really bad. Lucy missed the meeting” v.s. “Due to the poor traffic condition, Lucy missed the meeting
at 4:00 pm”. Which one do you think is better?
h) Use less negative. Try using “ineffective” instead of “is not effective”.
i) Avoid informal phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs are commonly used in English which can diversify our
language, but it should be acknowledged that some phrasal verbs are not appropriate for formal writing. In many
cases, we would suggest use single verbs rather than phrasal verbs in formal writing.
Usually, single verbs are more formal than phrasal verbs and therefore can be more appropriate for formal
writing than their phrasal verb equivalents. Nevertheless, some phrasal verbs are also very common in formal
writing and can be used to write top-notch essays. A list of phrasal verbs is provided in the table below. Formal
phrasal verbs which can polish your formal essays are highlighted in red and in the table. Phrasal verbs
that are less appropriate for formal writing are also introduced and companied by their single verb equivalents.
Try to rewrite the sample sentences with single verb equivalents. Remember, do not simply replace the phrase
verbs with single verbs, pay attention to grammars and sentence structures.
Common phrase verbs and their equivalent single verbs Phrasal Verbs Single Verb/Meaning Example
account for explain, consider 1. Increased pollution may account for climate change.
2. We have to account for the time we spend on each subject.
adhere to obey All team members should adhered to certain standards.
allude to mention in an indirect way She kept alluding to our agreement, but she didn’t want to reveal it.
appertain to to belong or be connected as
a rightful part or attribute
There are many rights and privileges that appertain to the core
members of the association.
ascribe to/
attribute to
to refer to a supposed cause They ascribe most of their success to good timing and good luck,
while everyone acknowledges that it should be attributed to their
hard work.
bear out confirm These results bear out our early assumption.
bring about cause Technology brings about drastic changes in education.
bring on to cause something bad to
happen
His failure in the campaign was brought on by his insincerity .
bring up mention, discuss This chapter brought about the importance of laser in medical
industry during the lecture.
catch on be popular Beatles first caught on in U.K. and then spread all around the
world.
call off cancel Johnson called off his visit to Soviets, because he could not pursue
peaceful talks with the authority.
call for demand, require Kennedy imposed a naval blockade which called for the removal of
all Soviet missiles..
carry out execute, conduct, do By 1962, paintings made with a silkscreen process became
Warhol’s primary medium because it allowed for quick
reproducibility of an image and for someone else to carry out the
labor of printing it.
come about
happen by chance Increased unemployment has come about through automated
production.
consist of constitute /compose Fizeau constructed an apparatus which consists of a cogwheel and a
mirror separated by a distance of eight kilometers.
cover up hide Residents are complaining that the authority is trying to cover up
the truth from them.
crowd out force something out of a
place or situation
Their concern is that the public capital will crowd out private
capital.
cut down on/
cut back
curtail/reduce Minimalism sought to cut back other elements to reach its barest
essentials.
depart from be different from
expectation
In 1970s, art is no longer limited to gallery
or museum spaces, and many important works of art departed from
traditional formats.
devote to contribute Women in 1950s devoted their lives to nurturing their husband and
raising their children.
disabuse of to free from error Reading more research paper can help disabuse us of those ignorant
notions and illusions of science.
emanate from to come out from a source The sound of Kate Smith’s famous World War II-era recording
emanates from the audio player.
embark on to start In December, after Nixon won re-election, the administration
embarked on a final, massive bombing of the North— known as the
“Christmas bombing”
enlarge on to elaborate Professor Schafer enlarged on her theory during the keynote
speech.
engage in to be part of More and more entrepreneurs are engaging in philanthropy to gain
reputations.
find out discover The purpose of an introductory paragraph is to find out background
information of the topic.
follow up take further action We should follow up our positions with evidences.
frown upon not approve Public expressions of affection are frowned upon in many cultures.
get across clarify The teacher managed to get across how important it was to attend
lectures.
get around spread News of his resignation got around very fast.
get back continue They finally got back to the project three months later.
get by survive The refugee can’t get by without government aid.
get through
with
finish She got through with all the reading materials 2 months ahead of
the competition.
give up quit/stop Young protesters in the 1960s never gave up fighting for social
equality and other civil rights.
go up increase; grow; The interest rate has been going up in the past two months.
go over review The students went over the material before the exam.
hold up delay Kennedy held up any civil action for two years—during which civil
rights groups sent him thousands of pens as part of an “Ink for
Jack” protest against his inaction.
leave out omit The fact that they left out an important factor lead to the failure of
the project.
look down on despise We should never look down on others who are poor.
look into investigate/discover/examine This paper looks into the cause of society transformation in 1960s.
look forward to anticipate The candidate does not look forward to any problem during his
presidential campaign.
look over examine Section two of this resource guide will closely look over nine
shorter pieces work of literature.
look up to respect We should always look up to those who contribute to community
development.
make up for compensate Rising tax revenues from increased economic activity would make
up for the loss in federal revenue
map out plan the detail of It is necessary to map out a plan for our collaborative study before
each meeting.
pass up forgo The team passed up the chance to go to the final.
pertain to mention The topics for our speech should pertain to theme of this year.
phase in to introduce Computer education department is phasing in new instructional
approach and technology to students.
phase out to eliminate The bonus system will be phased out over the next five years to
reflect the reality of increasing costs.
pick out select Judges are asked to pick out two best performers from the15
candidates in the final.
point out identify/highlight/
emphasize
It is gratifying to point out that many of the predictions made in this
book were confirmed by subsequent research
put forward/
set forth
propose, present,
express, suggest
This research paper puts forward an alternative interpretation of Mr.
Berners’s previous statement.
put off postpone Women who rejected or put off motherhood attracted negative
attention from the society in 1960s.
put up with tolerate We should never put up with campus bullying.
resort to make use of as a last option It is understandable that certain individuals might resort to violence
to be heard, especially when they have been ignored for years.
rule out exclude After the 1965 law was established, immigrants from non-European
nations who had been ruled out could finally join the ranks of
United States immigrants.
take on accept Not everyone engaged in activism, but activists took on an array of
causes and came in all forms —liberals and conservatives, men and
women, students and older adults, whites and people of color.
talk out of to persuade, to convince
someone not to take action
The southern senators hoped that by holding the tax bill hostage,
they would talk Kennedy out of insisting on the civil rights
bill.
tell off berate, reprimand, blame Members in this community told the president off for his poor
execution and management.
try out test, examine Technology provides us with tools to try out different models and
approaches in education.
set up arrange, establish, organize This group of young graduates from Boston set up their first
workshop in 2017.
stamp out eradicate, exterminate,
abolish, eliminate
Kennedy has promised to stamp out racial discrimination during the
president election.
take care of be responsible for, be in
charge of
Veronica was assigned to take care of the script design of the play.
turn down reject In 1947, Pollock had developed a radical new technique which
turned down traditional methods of painting in which pigment is
applied with a brush.
use up exhaust The campers were thirsty after they used up the last of the water.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR LANGUAGE MORE SUFFICIENT AND PRICISE 1. In addition to simple verbs such as “study”, “discuss” and “examine”, there are a variety of verbs we can
use to increase the precision of your writing. Those verbs are grouped based on different functions, both of
the basic simple verbs and the advanced alternations are provided with sample sentences. Try to come up
with your own sentences and utilize those verbs when you study your materials.
l In the introductory paragraph, we usually mention the topic and the purpose of our writing. Some common
verbs such as ‘study’ or ‘discuss’ is used in the first paragraph by many writers. Are there other advanced
verbs we can use to replace those obsolete words and make our essay more appealing to read? Following are
some verbs you can apply in your writing.
Advanced Vocabulary:
analyze; clarify; conduct; cover; delves into; depict; dissect; explain; explore; evaluate; feature; identify;
investigate; outline; search into; proffer; appraise; assess; determine; estimate
Example:
1) This article explores/investigates/delves into the different functions of dramatic irony as it occurs throughout the
play.
2) A few important scientists in the development of laser are featured in the essay, and their salient contributions
are identified as well.
3) In order to have a thorough understanding of different genres of art, a research project was conducted to further
analyze/dissect/depict the similarities and differences of minimalists and post-minimalists.
4) Team members have read numerous research papers in order to appraise/assess/estimate to what extent the
Vietnam War had effected the inflation rate during the 1960s in the U.S.
5) They analyze both demographic factors and economic factors to determine which element is more inclusive in
family income and social outcome.
6) Intensive investigations have been conducted in the past few months to dissect the cause of this construction
accident.
l Evidences are critical elements in the body paragraphs of our essay which can strengthen and support our
ideas. When introducing the evidence, specific verbs are used according to their functions. In other words,
we describe out evidences from varied components which categorize verbs into the following groups. Basic
verb will be mentioned followed by advanced verbs.
verge on close to The business is verging on bankruptcy due to the sluggish market.
-First of all, the readers may want to know what kind of models or information that the evidences refer to or Many
novice writers tend to use the verb “use” to explain the mechanics embedded in the evidences. It is also acknowledged
that there are different dimensions of an action which can be unveiled by using a variety of words.
Advanced Vocabs:
Apply; utilize; employ; simulate; replicate; imitate; implement; develop; establish;
Examples:
1) The artists applied approaches pertain to minimalism in his new pieces of painting which draw attentions from
the publics.
2) Lasers are utilized for a variety of applications in scientific, medical, industrial, and commercial fields.
3) The company is accused of employing questionable methods to obtain data.
4). The current study replicated/imitated a statistical experiment in order to verify the social variant which was not
studied in deep in the previous research.
5) One of the state-sponsored welfare measures that was implemented after the war was the Servicemen’s
Readjustment Act or G.I. Bill of Rights.
6) A rudimental analytical model was established for students to analyze the materials of artworks in their papers.
7) The aim is to develop simpler methods for audiences to understand the how scientific rules are applied in our
daily lives.
-Secondly, if you want to prove that your evidences are strong enough to support your ideas, you may also want to
emphasize if the evidences are based on solid former data. Beginning level writers may use “mention”, but you can us
advanced vocabularies listed below:
cite; refer to
Example:
1) The second draft of their paper is more convincing by referring to/citing some solid data from former research.
-Furthermore, we need to exemplify what point of views we want to support by referring to the details of the
evidences. In other words, we need to explain the main idea of those evidences by using “explain” and “exemplify”.
Furthermore, you can also use the following verbs.
advocate; promote; contend; elaborate; expound; demonstrate; denote; intimate; clarify; define; interpret;
Example:
1) In 1966, the National Organization for Women (NOW) was established by a group of women who wanted to end
gender discrimination and promote equal rights for women.
2) Increasing communication with the rebellion group strengthen her desire to join them and fight against the
social discrimination.
3) Successes achieved through perseverant effort strengthen belief in one's self- regulatory efficacy.
4) The absorption and reflection of lights expound the visible color of different objects.
5) There many details in the novel that denotes Evelyn’s desire to get rid of her family background.
6) This book review interprets the social implication the artwork of Kienholz and Rosler.
-Finally, when introducing what information or ideas that the evidence support/deliver, verbs like “prove” and
“show” are frequently used. You can try the advanced verbs to polish your essay!
Prove : substantiate; confirm; corroborate; underline; consistent; endorse; affirm; highlight; denotes; verify;
strengthen; validate; elucidate;
Show: display; evince; manifest; disclose; expose; reveal; unveil; unearth; indicate; demonstrate; connote;
Example:
1) His attitudes towards civil rights movements and protests further substantiate/confirms/verifies his political
advocates of promoting social equality.
2) Even though this evidence is rarely conclusive, it can help us corroborate the genre of this painting.
3) Laser printers are commonly used in employed for high-volume printing such as in school and offices which
underlines its unique advantages over other earlier models.
4) All the evidences are consistent with the statement
5) The increasing individual income highlights the critical role of government involvement.
6) The work of Judd and LeWitt affirms/confirms the change of many artists considering their role as a craftsman
to a conceptualizer.
7) This model denotes that each electron in an atom must occupy a unique quantum state.
8) Many individuals today are convinced that the true circumstances surrounding Kennedy’s death have yet to be
disclosed/ revealed/ unveiled.
9) His new composition demonstrated/evinced the employment of new technics and sounds which bring the
success of his music and surprised other composers.
10) The simplification of form and monochromatic palettes define minimalism.
11) Art historians will collect written and interview data in order to validate their predictions of the genres of
different works of art.
2. In addition to diversify the verbs in your writing. To achieve the precision of language, you can also avoid vague
language by fining the modifiers. Similar to last section, we are going to go through some common modifiers and then
highlight their equivalences.
ADJECTIVE
When describe the importance of
your evidences, do not only use the
word “important”. Your evidence
can be important in multiple ways.
salient; significant; inevitable; necessary; essential;
crucial; indispensable; imperative; essential; critical; prime; primary;
main; major; salient;
Example:
1.Marconi's salient achievement was to realize that radio waves could be
transmitted across vast distances.
2. Reading plays a significant/crucial role in promoting writing skills.
3. A well written resume and personal statement are
essential/necessary/imperative for admission to college.
4. Understanding the geocyberspace: a major/primary task for
geographers and planners in the next decade
5. Communication is inevitable between friends.
6. Internet have become an indispensable part of our lives
What are the words that come into a
novice writer’s mind when describing
size and number? They are “many”
and “few”. To be an advanced writer,
other choices are provided.
large; considerable; great; several; numerous; adequate; sufficient;
small; inadequate; insufficient;
Example:
1. A considerable/large/great number of people voted against the
proposal of him taking charge of the local government.
2. Numerous conflicts between the main characters have been generated
by the author in the novel.
3. The campaign has received funding adequate/sufficient to run the
election for at least three months.
4. There was only a small number of African-American were able to go
to college in last century.
5. Inadequate/insufficient sleep is a risk factor for obesity.
When describe the frequency of a
phenomenon, the first word shows up
is “common” which is too common.
Let’s learn some of its synonym and
antonym.
uncommon; prevailing; ubiquitous; widespread; accessible; rare;
Example:
1. It is not uncommon for people to become depressed after they retire.
2. Coffee is an ideal road trip drink in western country which is
inexpensive, portable and ubiquitous/accessible.
3. Many young teachers are trying to challenge the prevailing models of
class-based language teaching.
4. Childhood obesity in the U.S. remains a widespread health concern that
warrants population-wide prevention programs.
5. It is rare to see women in workplaces in 1950s.
What if you want to explain
“difference” and “similarity”? There
are alternations for “different” and
“same”.
different/dissimilar/ diverse/ various/ distinct
Example:
1. Minimalism and Post-minimalism are distinct/disparate in materials,
appearance and meanings.
2. In college, students are from dissimilar/ various backgrounds which
create a culture of diversity on the campus.
Don’t only use “possible” to indicate
probability.
likely/possible/sure/definite/inevitable/impossible
When we want to define the “good”
qualities of something. There is a
bunch of concise vocabulary that
clarify different kinds of good
qualities. Try to explore more by
using dictionaries.
decent; preferable; beneficial; effective; advantageous; generous;
competent; appropriate; suitable; pleasant; virtuous; superior
Example:
1. Those protesters claim their desire to build a decent society.
2. The application of laser in medical filed brings numerous
beneficial/advantageous effects, for instance, laser surgery is an effective
way to cure eye diseases.
3. The culture of South California provides a pleasant environment for art
design.
4. The essence of education should be fostering virtuous citizens by
employing appropriate/suitable approaches.
5. He is a really competent candidate for medical school.
6. The president promised to create a favorable social environment for all
citizens regardless of their races.
We have talked about good qualities,
now let’s discuss words to describe
bad qualities/results.
adverse; undesirable; unpleasant; negative; unfavorable; inadequate;
inappropriate; disagreeable; harmful; inferior; egregious
Example:
1. Violent protests always have some undesirable/negative consequences.
2. We noticed the unfavorable/unpleasant social climate for Latino-
American in the novel.
3. They worried that conflicts among countries would have an adverse
effect on global financial markets.
4. It is ignorant and narrow minded to regard other races as inferior.
5. Saying something inappropriate/ disagreeable to the public lead to the
failure of the candidate in the president election.
6. Excessive exposure to harmful electromagnetic radiation can cause
severe health issues.
7. History cannot be rewritten, but some of its more egregious errors can
be corrected.
ADVERB Writers use adverbs to add clarity and precision to sentences. Adverbs not only give information about how, when,
where, and why things happen, they are also used to control the strength of general statements.
Adverbs of manners
briefly; closely; commonly; actually; frequently; widely
briefly The paper briefly describes the Bohr model.
closely Solar activity is closely associated with climate.
commonly/widely It is commonly/widely acknowledged that collaborative study is in trend.
actually The conflicts between the main characters in the novel actually reflect the conflicts in the
society.
probably The development of technology will probably change the ways of composition.
Adverbs of degree
inadequately; partly; thoroughly; completely; considerably; relatively;
inadequately The relation between education levels and family income is analyzed inadequately which
lead to invalidation of the paper.
partly The prediction that there will be 1 million
centenarians worldwide is based partly on the act that several people now reach 100 every
month.
extensively Laser is extensively used in medical field even though some of its side effects have not
been recognized yet.
highly We are living in a highly mobile society.
The differences among three genres of painting are thoroughly exemplified in the article. thoroughly
Adverbs to emphasize
only/solely Even though this play only/solely investigates the Latin-American community, it evokes
sympathy among various groups.
merely This technique was merely used by a few composers.
really Women's movement did not really penetrate all across countries.
Adverbs of time
frequently They frequently talk about mathematical techniques that were developed during the
Renaissance
rarely Political topics are rarely covered in public speech on a campus of a variety of national
identities.
commonly Post-and-lintel construction technique is still commonly used today, with steel and wood
being the favored materials.
randomly The data were randomly chosen to increase the validity of the research paper.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR ESSAY MORE FLUENT AND LOGICAL Transitional devices are like bridges between parts of your paper. They are cues that help the reader to interpret ideas
a paper develops. Transitional devices are words or phrases that help carry a thought from one sentence to another,
from one idea to another, or from one paragraph to another. And finally, transitional devices link sentences and
paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.
There are several types of transitional devices, and each category leads readers to make certain connections or
assumptions. Some lead readers forward and imply the building of an idea or thought, while others make readers
compare ideas or draw conclusions from the preceding thoughts.
The following section introduce you to a list of some transitional devices that can be used to cue readers in a given
way.You can access to https://owl.purdue.edu for more details with regard to transitional devices.
Indicate the purpose and cause Usually at the beginning of an essay or a paragraph, we need to clarify the purpose and premise of our writings.
Novice writers tend to use “because”, while as an advanced writer, there are better options for us.
1. In order to
Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument.
Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”
2. in the event that
Usage: “In the event that” can be used to introduce a follow up event when a specific condition happens, this
expression is similar to “on the condition that”
Example: In the event that this plan does not work, we need to come up with an alternative plan.
3. on (the) condition (that)
Usage: this phrase is similar to “in the event that”.
Example: On the condition that materials and meaning are different between artwork of different genres, we should
design different background for the exhibition.
4. provided/given that
Usage: “provided that” and “given that” are alternation for “on the condition that”
Example: Provided/Given that the salient support from our professor, the students are less stressed.
5. as long as
Usage: “as long as” can be used to present the condition or premise which leads to the follow up action could not
happen.
Example: As long as the protesters felt ignored, they assort to violence to fight for freedom and social rights.
6. inasmuch as
Usage: “inasmuch as” can be used to explain the reason of an action, it is a synonym to “because” and “since”.
Example: You should not use that source, inasmuch as it is badly out-of-date.
7. due to
Usage: “due to” can be used to indicate the reason/cause that leads to a specific event or action. It is a synonym to
“because of”.
Example: Due to the ignorance of the authority, the protest is even worse.
8. in the hope that
Usage: this expression is used to indicate the hope that something will happen or could happen, its alternation can
be “so that”, “for the purpose of”
Example:
(1) She raises donation for the protesters in the hope that they can win social and political rights back for the Latin-
Americans.
(2) For the purpose of controlling the inflation, the national bank is drafting some new policies which will be in
action next month.
9. To that end
Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”.
Example: “Scientist have long sought to accurately measure how fast light actually travels. To that end, continuous
experiments have been conducted by many scientists through centuries and across different countries.
General explaining Let’s first start with some phrases to help your give general explanations when you want to repeat information
to make sure the readers understand it. They can be further explanation of an idea or the purpose of an action.
1. In other words
Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it
easier to understand, or to emphasize or expand on a point.
Example: Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.
2. To put it another way/ To put it differently
Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when
you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its
significance.
Example: Arts is like a mirror. To put it another way/ To put it differently, arts reflect the multiple dimensions of
our life including social and economic factors.
3. That is to say
Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise.
Example: Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.
Add additional information to support a point Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” and “also” each time they want to add further
information in support of an idea they are explaining, or to agree on another idea. Here are some cleverer ways
of doing this.
1. Moreover
Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making.
Example: Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of
2. Furthermore
Usage: “Furthermore” is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information.
Example: Vietnam War had an compelling impact on the American economy. Furthermore, there is evidence to
suggest that the war influence domestic stability in the U.S. tremendously.
3. What’s more
Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”.
Example: In essay writing, it is important to clearly put forward your thesis. What’s more, writers should provide
accredited evidences to support their statements.
4. Likewise
Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned.
Example: Scholar A believes X. Likewise; Scholar B argues compellingly in favor of this point of view.”
5. Similarly
Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”.
Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to
what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”
6. Besides
Usage: Use “besides” when you want to emphasize the additional information is also very important to indicate the
limitation.
Example: Besides economic factors, social and cultural elements are also decisive in arts and music development.
7. Another key point to realize/ remember
Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional
facts without using the word “also”.
Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key
point to realize is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world
around him.”
8. As well as
Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”.
Example: Art historians use many written sources as well as participant observation in the quest for contextual
information about a work of art.
9. Not only… but also
Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more
surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information.
Example: The invention of cassette tape in 1960s not only encouraged musicians to put more emphasis on the
significance of the order of selections on an album, but also inspired more rock groups to create concept albums
that relied on sequential listening.
10. Coupled with
Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. It is similar to “together with”
Example: “Coupled with the on-going protests and establishments of social groups, the late 1960s witnessed the
flourishing of the movement for gender equality.
11. Not to mention
Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis.
Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the
country’s economy.”
12. Despite this
Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a short
falling in the evidence.
Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”
13. With this in mind
Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else.
Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous
standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in
mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”
14. Provided that
Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same
thing.
Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of
the methods used to obtain it.”
Demonstrate contrast and comparison
When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or
evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers
words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and
interesting.
1. However
Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said.
Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”
2. On the other hand
Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a
different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion.
Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological
evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”
3. Having said that
Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”.
Example: Their work has been fairly good. Having said that, I still think there's a lot of room for improvement.
4. By contrast/in comparison
Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence.
Example: “Minimalists reject the notion of the artwork as a form of subjective self-expression. By contrast, post-
minimalists tend be more human and more resonant with the body.”
5. while
Usage: Use this as an alternation to “on the other hand”.
Example: The benefits of laser in eye surgery have been recognized, while the unknown side effects of laser surgery
is still a main concern for those hesitating to try.
6. Yet
Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea.
Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most
important aspect of the situation.”
7. Nonetheless
Usage: This is similar to “despite this”.
Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”
8. Nevertheless
Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”.
Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”
9. Notwithstanding
Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”.
Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development
of how we view the workings of the human mind.”
10. conversely
Usage: Use “conversely” to introduce a statement that contrasts with a previous statement or presents a differing
interpretation or possibility.
Example: An artist can use the contrast of light and dark on a surface to create a texture that appears rough.
Conversely, the absence of such a contrast will evoke a smooth texture.
13. even though/ whereas
Usage: “whereas” and “even though” can function as alternations of “on the contrary”
Example: Whereas many young women had dropped out of college during the 1950s to marry and become mothers,
between 1960 and 1970 the share of female college students increased from thirty-five to forty-one percent.
Give examples Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for
example” and “such as” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.
1. For instance
Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early
winter and fly south…”
2. To give an illustration
Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”
3. with attention to
Example: Policies should be formulated and implemented through broad-based social dialogue and with attention to
the quality of governance and public services.
Signifying importance When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important and you want to support it, there are
several ways of highlighting it as such.
1. Significantly
Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent.
Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same
period.”
2. Notably
Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in
particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it).
Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”
3. Importantly
Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”.
Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably
therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favorably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”
4. important to realize
Example: It's important to realize how quickly this disease can spread.
Indicate time sequence and describe space When we are writing expository essay, we need to introduce and explain a lot of facts, data and events. In this
case, we need to talk about time and space. Given the most common expressions, we have “now”, “after”,
“before” and “until”. There are definitely other expressions we can use to diversify our languages in writing.
1. Expressions that you can use to alter ‘now’
current; present; trendy;
2. Expressions that you can use to alter ‘before’
in front of; prior to; ahead of;
3. Expressions that you can use to alter ‘after’
behind; afterward; following; thereafter; subsequently;
4. phrases that indicates sequence
Use these words and phrases to show the sequence and order of events or ideas. These are especially useful at the
beginning of paragraphs, but can be just as important at the beginning of other sentences to show the relationship
between ideas.
First, second, third….
First of all
To begin with
Next
Then
Following this
At this time
Now
At this point
After
Afterward
Subsequently
Finally
Previously
Before this
Simultaneously
Next
Meanwhile
Conclusion You’ve already emphasized the importance of your ideas, now you may want to further prove their significance
by introducing the results, effects and consequences caused by them.
1. as a result
2. therefore
3. for this reason
4. henceforth
5. consequently
6. accordingly
7. in that case
8. thus
Summarizing You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up
everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the
most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.
1. In conclusion/ In summary / Above all
Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarizing what you’ve
discussed in a broad overview.
Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”
2. Above all
Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay.
Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”
3. as can be seen/ as shown above/ as has been noted/ All things considered
This means “taking everything into account”.
Example: “All things considered; it seems reasonable to assume that…”
4. in either case/ in any event
Example: In either case/ in any event, public spending should increase by the income elasticity of demand.
5. persuasive
Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarizing which argument you find the most convincing.
Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most
persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”
6. compelling
Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above.
Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”
7. to sum up
Example: To sum up, there are three factors that affects the supply curve in an industry.
8. all in all
Example: All in all, it is a period of time when the creations of artists were influenced by the spreading of diseases.
9. by and large
Example: The North, by and large, has fared better than most regions in avoiding high unemployment figures.
10. In view of/in light of
Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else.
Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”