You know your subject, but choosing the right words to connect your ideas in English can take time.

Should you use “however”, “therefore” or “furthermore”? Each expresses a different relationship. Choosing the wrong one can make your argument difficult to follow—or change its meaning.

This guide explains 50 academic linking words and phrases, with research-writing examples and practical advice on when to use them.

You do not need to learn all fifty at once. Start with the ones that help you express the relationships you use most often in your paper.

Adding information

Use these when you want to add a related point or develop your argument.

Linking word or phrase	When to use it	Example
1. Also	Add a related point simply.	The survey measured confidence. It also asked about attendance.
2. In addition	Introduce another relevant point.	In addition, participants completed a short interview.
3. Furthermore	Add information that develops or supports your argument.	The procedure was inexpensive. Furthermore, it required little training.
4. Moreover	Add another supporting consideration.	The sample was small. Moreover, all participants came from one institution.
5. As well as	Connect additional items within a sentence.	The study examined attendance as well as satisfaction.

Useful tip: “Also” is suitable for academic writing. You do not need to replace it with “furthermore” just to sound more formal.

Showing contrast

Use these when findings, ideas or approaches differ.

Linking word or phrase	When to use it	Example
6. However	Introduce a contrasting point.	Attendance increased. However, satisfaction remained unchanged.
7. In contrast	Highlight a difference between groups or findings.	Group A preferred online sessions. In contrast, Group B preferred classroom sessions.
8. By contrast	Compare something directly with a different case.	The first method required specialist equipment. By contrast, the second used standard tools.
9. Whereas	Contrast two clauses within one sentence.	Attendance increased, whereas satisfaction remained unchanged.
10. While	Contrast two clauses when the meaning is clear.	While the first study used interviews, the second used a survey.
11. Conversely	Introduce an opposite or reverse situation.	High scores indicate low confidence. Conversely, low scores indicate high confidence.
12. On the other hand	Present another side of a comparison or decision.	Interviews provide detailed accounts. On the other hand, they take time to conduct and analyse.

Useful tip: “While” can also refer to time: “Participants took notes while watching the video.” Use “whereas” if the reader might confuse contrast with timing.

Acknowledging a contrasting fact

Use these when you recognise a limitation or explain that something remains true despite another fact.

Linking word or phrase	When to use it	Example
13. Although	Introduce a fact that contrasts with the main clause.	Although the sample was small, it included students from five departments.
14. Even though	Emphasise a factual contrast.	Even though attendance increased, satisfaction did not change.
15. Despite	Introduce a contrasting noun phrase or -ing form.	Despite the low response rate, all departments were represented.
16. Nevertheless	Show that a point still holds despite the previous statement.	The findings are preliminary. Nevertheless, they identify questions worth investigating.
17. Nonetheless	Express a similar relationship to “nevertheless”.	The measure has limitations. Nonetheless, it provides useful descriptive information.
18. Admittedly	Acknowledge a limitation or reasonable objection.	Admittedly, the analysis does not account for all possible influences.

Check the grammar:

• Although + clause: “Although the sample was small…”
• Despite + noun phrase: “Despite the small sample…”
• Despite + -ing form: “Despite recruiting additional participants…”

Avoid “Despite the sample was small”.

Giving examples

Use these to help the reader understand a general point through a specific example.

Linking word or phrase	When to use it	Example
19. For example	Introduce an example of the previous point.	Several barriers were reported. For example, some students could not attend evening sessions.
20. For instance	Introduce an example, much like “for example”.	Some questions needed revision. For instance, participants interpreted “regular attendance” differently.
21. Such as	Introduce examples within a sentence.	We recorded barriers such as travel time and scheduling difficulties.
22. To illustrate	Introduce an example that explains an idea.	To illustrate, a student could attend frequently but still report low confidence.

Useful tip: “Such as” normally connects directly to the category you are illustrating.

“Participants reported barriers such as cost” is a complete sentence. “Such as cost” is not.

Explaining or restating an idea

Use these when you want to clarify a term, explain a statement or make it more precise.

Linking word or phrase	When to use it	Example
23. In other words	Explain the same idea in a clearer way.	The survey was cross-sectional. In other words, it collected information at one point in time.
24. That is	Clarify exactly what you mean.	We included frequent attenders—that is, students attending at least two sessions per week.
25. Specifically	Move from a general point to a precise detail.	We examined writing confidence. Specifically, students rated their confidence on a five-point scale.
26. More precisely	Refine an earlier description.	The sample included university students. More precisely, all participants were postgraduate students.

Useful tip: “In other words” should keep the original meaning. It should not introduce a stronger claim.

“Confidence was higher” does not mean, in other words, “writing quality improved”. Those are different outcomes.

Giving reasons

Use these to explain why something happened or why you made a particular decision.

Linking word or phrase	When to use it	Example
27. Because	Give a reason using a complete clause.	We excluded the response because the participant did not meet the eligibility criteria.
28. Because of	Give a reason using a noun phrase.	Two sessions were cancelled because of staff illness.
29. Since	Introduce a reason when it cannot be confused with time.	Since the questionnaire was anonymous, we could not contact individual respondents.
30. As	Introduce a reason when the relationship is clear.	As the room was unavailable, the interview took place online.
31. Owing to	Give a reason using a noun phrase; more formal than “because of”.	Recruitment was delayed owing to staff shortages.
32. Given that	Introduce a fact that provides the basis for a decision or argument.	Given that no baseline was collected, we could not assess change over time.

Check the grammar:

• Because + clause: “because the equipment failed”
• Because of + noun phrase: “because of equipment failure”

“Since” can also refer to time, and “as” has several meanings. When the relationship might be unclear, “because” is often the safest choice.

Showing results or logical conclusions

Use these when the next statement follows from the previous information.

Linking word or phrase	When to use it	Example
33. Therefore	Introduce a logical conclusion or consequence.	No baseline was collected. Therefore, change over time could not be assessed.
34. Thus	Introduce a result or conclusion concisely.	All eligibility criteria were met. Thus, the response was included.
35. Consequently	Emphasise a consequence of an event or condition.	Recruitment ended early. Consequently, fewer students were invited than planned.
36. As a result	Make a consequence explicit.	The recording failed. As a result, the interview could not be transcribed.
37. Hence	Introduce a logical consequence; relatively formal.	The measures assess different outcomes; hence, their scores are not directly interchangeable.

Useful tip: A linking word does not create evidence.

“Students attended more often; therefore, the groups improved their writing” is not justified if writing improvement was never measured.

Before using “therefore”, ask whether the conclusion actually follows.

Showing similarity

Use these when two findings, situations or procedures share a relevant feature.

Linking word or phrase	When to use it	Example
38. Similarly	Identify a comparable finding or feature.	The first group reported scheduling difficulties. Similarly, the second group struggled to attend evening sessions.
39. Likewise	Add another case in which the same point applies.	The interviews were voluntary. Likewise, students could choose whether to complete the survey.
40. In the same way	Explain that a comparable process applies elsewhere.	We checked interview summaries against the recordings. In the same way, we checked survey summaries against the original responses.

Useful tip: Be clear about what is similar. Studies may use similar language but measure different things.

A finding about satisfaction does not automatically support a finding about performance.

Showing order

Use these to guide the reader through steps, stages or a series of points.

Linking word or phrase	When to use it	Example
41. First	Introduce the first step or point.	First, we checked responses for completeness.
42. Next	Move to the following step.	Next, we applied the eligibility criteria.
43. Subsequently	Describe something that happened later.	Participants completed the questionnaire and subsequently attended an interview.
44. Finally	Introduce the last step or point in a sequence.	Finally, we checked the coded responses against the original material.

Useful tip: “Subsequently” means “later”. It does not show that the earlier event caused the later one.

Stating conditions

Use these when an action or outcome depends on a particular condition.

Linking word or phrase	When to use it	Example
45. If	State a condition.	If a response was incomplete, it was excluded from this analysis.
46. Unless	State an exception to a rule or condition.	Responses were retained unless the participant withdrew consent.
47. Provided that	State a requirement that must be met.	The procedure can be repeated provided that the required equipment is available.

Useful tip: “Unless” means “except if”. Read the sentence carefully to make sure you have not reversed the intended condition.

Summarising and concluding

Use these to bring together the main points or close an argument.

Linking word or phrase	When to use it	Example
48. Overall	Give a broad assessment while allowing for differences.	Overall, participants found the instructions clear, although two questions caused confusion.
49. In summary	Briefly restate points already discussed.	In summary, the study describes attendance patterns and identifies barriers to participation.
50. In conclusion	Signal the closing conclusion of an argument.	In conclusion, the findings support further investigation but do not establish a causal effect.

Useful tip: You do not always need “in conclusion” in a section already titled “Conclusion”. Start with your answer to the research question if that is clearer.

Three common mistakes with academic linking words

1. Using “however” without a contrast

Before:
“Attendance increased. However, satisfaction also increased.”

After:
“Attendance increased. Satisfaction also increased.”

Both findings move in the same direction. “However” suggests a contrast that the sentences do not express.

2. Joining two sentences with a comma before “however”

Before:
“The sample was small, however, it included several departments.”

After:
“The sample was small. However, it included several departments.”

You can also use a semicolon:

“The sample was small; however, it included several departments.”

“However” does not join independent clauses in the same way as “but”.

3. Using “although” and “but” together

Before:
“Although the response rate was low, but all departments were represented.”

After:
“Although the response rate was low, all departments were represented.”

Another correct version is:

“The response rate was low, but all departments were represented.”

Choose one structure.

A quick punctuation guide

Different academic linking words fit different sentence patterns.

Sentence connector:

“Attendance increased. However, satisfaction remained unchanged.”

Connector joining clauses:

“Attendance increased, whereas satisfaction remained unchanged.”

Connector followed by a noun phrase:

“Despite increased attendance, satisfaction remained unchanged.”

Learning the whole pattern will help you use a connector more accurately than memorising the word alone.

How to choose the right linking word

Before adding a connector, ask:

What is the relationship between these ideas?

Are you adding information, showing a contrast, giving an example, explaining a reason or drawing a conclusion?

Choose the linking word after you understand that relationship.

Then check:

• Does it express the connection I mean?
• Does the evidence support that connection?
• Is the grammar around it correct?
• Would the sentence be clearer without it?

You do not need a linking word at the start of every sentence. Clear paragraph order, consistent terms, and specific references also help readers follow your argument.

Try this on your own draft

Choose one paragraph and underline its linking words.

Beside each one, write its job: addition, contrast, example, reason, result, or another relationship.

If you cannot explain why the word belongs, reconsider it. Replace it with a more suitable connector—or remove it if the connection is already clear.

The aim is not to make your writing sound more complicated. It is to help your reader understand how your ideas fit together.

Want help with your final checks?

Download the free Academic English Proofreading Checklist for 25 checks with examples covering grammar, clarity, word choice, paragraph flow, and punctuation.

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Marlene
Better English Writing