Essay connectors are words or phrases used to show the logical relationship between the points. They help to achieve an essay flow – preventing the essay from appearing as a loose collection of points, among which the reader ‘jumps about’ randomly. An article without essay connectives may lead to a disconnect of the reader from what the writer intended.
Connectives to use in an essay are carefully assembled and creatively applied to achieve a top-notch piece. The writer should ensure that the sentences make sense to him/her first before settling on special connectors for essays.
In the following extensive paragraphs, we are going to explore some of these top connective words and phrases. Where possible, a sentence example may be added for each connector to give you an idea of how to use the connectives in speech.
Connectors Showing Reason and Cause
They are used when justifying why an action or an event seemed possible or appropriate. Some of the top connector words for reason or cause include:
- Owing to
- Consequently
- As a result
- Seeing that
- Thus
- Because of
- Hence
- On account of
- Since
- To
- Because
- Therefore
- To
- Accordingly
- Due to
- It suggests that
- It follows that
- For this reason
Example in a Sentence: Because of the government directive, we decided to stay at home.
Connective Words for Adding Information
When writing your essay, you can use such paragraph connectors to emphasize a point. The following are some top-class connectives used to add information.
- For example
- To illustrate
- Such as
- To clarify
- Besides
- Further
- Apart from
- First, second and third
- Except for
- Moreover
- Typically
- For instance
- Namely
- Also
- In fact
- Especially
Model in a Sentence: Apart from washing hands, we can prevent Corona Virus by using a face mask and social distancing.
Connectives for Succession
One can use these transitions for essays when showing the progression of actions or events. They include the following:
- First of all / firstly
- To begin with
- Second / Secondly
- Then
- Third / Thirdly
- After that
- The next stage
- Finally
- In short
Example in a Sentence: To begin with, you have to get your hands, then apply soap, wash for at least 20 seconds and finally dry your hands.
Showing Comparison and Contrast
Connectives in speech used here show either differences or similarities expressed in a particular essay. Examples include:
- But
- Alternatively
- Though
- In contrast
- However
- Although
- Conversely
- Nevertheless
- On the other hand
- Instead
- Instead of
- Yet
- Whereas
- On the contrary
- Despite
- All the same
Model in a Sentence: Although he stayed indoors, he still contracted the dreaded COVID-19 and died.
Connectives for Expressing Personal Opinion
These are essay connectives used to show a personal view or attitude towards a particular subject. They include:
- Personally
- According to my understanding
- As far as I am concerned
- I think that
- I disagree
- In my view
- I agree
- in my opinion
- To tell the truth
- It is true that
- To be honest
- From my point of view
Example in a Sentence: As far as I am concerned, wearing a sweater on a cold day may not be practical as wearing a trench coat.
Connectors for Explaining
Such transition words are used when making an essay idea clear to the reader. One may opt to use the following transition words list.
- All in all
- Basically
- In general
- More or less
- In other words:
- In short
- On the whole
- Especially
- To a certain extent
- That is
- Above all
- At least
- Essentially
- In particular
Example in a sentence: Basically, different types of face masks need a doctor’s authorization before use.
Summarizing Essay Connectors
They are used to mark the conclusion of your essay. The readers can ascertain the finality in your article when such a summarizing connector is used. They include:
- To sum up
- In conclusion
- In short
- On the whole
- All in all
- In brief
Connective words ensure clarity and conciseness as much as possible. It can only be achieved when the right words are used to convey your argument.
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