Discourse Markers
One of the most important aspects of writing good Ľnglish is the ability to link clauses, sentences and paragraphs to each other by means of so-called "discourse markers". There exists a wide variety of words and phrases with precisely this function, a few of which are assembled below:
Suggested Exercises (39):
Here are discourse markers organised into groups. Choose the most appropriate one to fill in the gaps in the sentences below (sometimes several alternatives are possible):
/. Discourse Markers lhal Emphasise and/or Enumerate:
above all
and no one more (so) than
exactly
for one thing..., for another..
in particular
let alone
more importantly
more to the point
not least
not to mention
on the one hand -. on the other...
precisely
to say nothing of
what is more
1    I do not trust them.-----------, they are lazy;-----------. they are unreliable.
2   There is not one good road there,--------— a cycle path.
3.  She is stupid, lazy and vain,-----------, she is extremely malicious.
4.  The country lacks a basic infrastructure.-----------a functioning economy.
5.  He was a great thinker and scientist;-----------he was a true philanthropist.
6.  Certain textbooks are in short supply;-----------French dictionaries are
urgently needed
7.  Everyone was happy,-----------the bride and groom.
8.  They may feel that they do not need to learn the grammar. But that is -----------what they are expected to do.
9.  That factory should be closed down:---------—, it  is uneconomical;
-----------. it is polluting everything around.
10. These accusations are being taken very seriously.-----------by Signior
Andreottt himself. Ill don't want to see him again: he's got no manners and doesn't know how
to dress properly -----------, my mother doesn't like him!
12.  Your bicycle has got no brakes, no lights,-----------properly functioning
gears.
13.  The whole British political establishment has roundly condemned Serbia. -----------Mrs Thatcher.
14.  He said he would not work against our interests, but (hat is -----------
what he has done.
2. Discourse Markers thai Express Certainty:
absolutely
altogether
beyond all/any doubt
beyond question
definitely
dowDOght [informal)
indeed
nothing short of
unquestionably
1. -----------we have all benefited enormously from industrialisation.
2.  Such behaviour is-----------dishoDesl.
3.  John is a(n)-----------nicer person than his brother.
4.  The standard of service has ----------- improved sirice last year  (Find an
altrrnalire la certainly.)
5.  The Serbs show no shame or compunction whatsoever:-----------, they are
proud of their actions.
u. -----------he is a great asset to our firm
J. Charging them so much is-----    — daylight robbery.
S. So you think she's slightly difficult at times, do you? I find her-----------
impossible.
}. Discourse Markers that Express Doubt or Possibility
it is anyone's guess {informal} it is quite likely that it may well be that it remains to be seen presumably
1.  They have promised to mend their ways and to try harder. -----------
whether they will.
2.  I was struck by the fact that the author submitted the manuscript without any footnotes.-----------they do not exist.
3.  We have heard nothing from him for some years.-----------he was killed
in the war.
4.  His presidency has got off to a good start.-----------what the rest of it will
he like.
5.  John hasn't come back yet.-----------he has been forced to do overtime.
4, Discourse Markers thai Introduce jVc»- Facts:
curiously enough, strangely enough
for that matter
Tor the record [informal
in fact
in the event
it emerges that
it is a question of
it just so happens that
it transpires that
needless to say
...only to (he)
surprising as it may seem
that is/that's just the point
the fact is (that)
the thing is (that) [informal)
I. All that day they were waiting for the doctor tD arrive,-----------he didn't
come.
2.  ITie plane crashed from a great height -----------no one was hurt.
3   It is unclear how much the Irangate scandal will affect the position
of ex.Presidcnt   Ronald   Reagan   or.-----------.   of  ex-Vice-Presidenl
George Bush. 4. For Far Eastern societies harmony is more important than Western-style
democracy.------—. Asia is not equipped to swallow Western liberalism
whole.
í   From the new evidence-----------he was innocent.
6 The Muscovites look with envy at the luxury goods in the shop-windows.
out of reach of all but a lucky ľew — or.------------, oľthe average Western
correspondent.
7.  This is not a task to be embarked on lightly.-----------much prepara(ion
and planning.
8.  Some people think that if I paid my employees more money I'd gel better
work out of them But-----------: no matter how much 1 pay them, they'll
work badly
°. Wilfred Owen survived years of war,-----------killed one week before the
Armistice.
12.
In that country things have not got better for fifty years -
even Tor five hundred years.
He  asked  her  to  lend  him  a  thousand  dollars. —
unsuccessful.
I like chocolates:-----------I adore them.
he  was
13.  The Institute for Research into UFOs has helped to enlighten hundreds
of people.-----------, and to dispel doubts about its existence, 1 would like
to point out that it is now based in Somerville, New Jersey, and that it was visited by myself and my wife in 1990.
14.  He sent the War Office details of his new invention.-----------see them
locked away until the end of WW2.
15   Today's vandalism (and inner-city riots,-----------) is the work of those
of us who fail to tame their instincts.
16.  Foreigners in France have good cause to worry ----------- new. discriminatory leglislation is now before the French Parliament, and it has every chance of getting through.
17.  Now that the files have been opened ----------- she was working as
a double agent.
18.  To lead our department, we would need a person with very special qualifications.-----------we have such a candidate.
19.  I don't like his parents much.-----------I don't like him very much either
5. Discourse Markers that Express Correspondence:
any more than
correspondingly
cither
for his (her. their) part
in the same vein
in turn
respectively
similarly
sure enough [informal)
I. He said he would be there and.
, he was there.
the
2.  Our MP is always accusing the unemployed of being lazy.----
recently made a speech in Parliament demanding that special labour camps be set up for them.
3.  The workers did their lask, and he-----------paid the wages punctually
4  The children's behaviour was shocking, and the parents were-----------
furious.
5.  John works in London. Susan works in Brighton. J. and S. work in London and Brighton-----------.
6.   He's not going, and I'm not going-----------.
7. We had better not mention the scandal involving the Vatican and the Banco Ambrosiano at all.-----------our clerical watchdogs do.
S. The vicar delivered a sharp attack on the (.iay Rights activists.________-
he accused punks and hippies of promoting moral collapse. 9   In principle we are prepared to increase wages. But our employees,
------------■. will hitve lo be more productive.
10- She said she would win and,------------, she did.
II. The Queen and Mr Major are the British head of stale and prime minister------------.
í 2.  My uncle is a Tacisl and thinks thai white people arc superior lo others;
------------he is always making fun oľ black people.
13. He did not care very much about his children, and they------------- had
little time for him.
íí- Discourse Markers that Express Ctmditionality:
conditional upon
if only
in any case
in case
in caw of
in the event or
irrespective/regardless of
irrespective/regardless of whether
do matter how, regardless of how
no matter whether
provided (that)
providing (that)
I, Wc must go there,-------------we reel.
2h------------fire, the number to dial is 997.
3.   Don't blame yourself. It would have happened------------
4.  The same bonus will be given lo everybody,---------— merit or seniority.
5.  They must be evacuated,------------they want to stay or not.
b. ------------  my  death,  you  will  find  my  will  deposited in   the  local
Barclays Bank. 7, ------------ you should lose your keys, I have left another set with the
neighbours. H. Whether we should have helped him or not, is simply an academic
question.------------, he would not have succeeded.
9. The results will be published today, —--------they arrive in time. (Find
an alternative to if.)
10.   Promotion is------------good performance.
11.  We must be prepared to keep these people under close observation. ------------we have firm evidence or not
12. ------------they can keep a close eye on inflation, the prospects for that
country are none too bad,
7. Discourse Markers that Express Reference:
apropos (of) {rather informal)
as regards
as such
here
in connection with
in particular
in/with regard I o
in respect of
in terms of
in this connection
in this regard
in this respect
on this point
on this score {informal)
talking about {informal)
with respect to
with special reference to
while on the subject of (informal)
1. ------------the environment the situation could hardly be worse. (= When
one talks about...)
2.  The film is well produced.------------it is excellent
3. ------------ the Government, I think that the finance minister deserves
special credit. { = While we are discussing.)
4.   Some have questioned his ability. ------------, however, we need have no
doubts.
5.  ——— the proposed casino I would like to point out that our town lacks tourist attractions.
6.   This new Ford has many remarkable features. --------— 1 would like to
point to the design....
7  ------------its general economic development the recent history of Zaire has
been catastrophic.
8.   1 will be discussing Shakespeare's imagery,------------Othello.
9.  The (wo twins are different------------personality and intelligence, but
otherwise are indistinguishable.
There are too many mediocre politicians like Clinton. And
10
mediocrities, isn't it amazing that John Major hasn't resigned yet?
11.  They have these problems because of bad management,-------------í am
absolutely certain.
12.  One mustn't regard the fall of the Roman Empire —-------moral decline
but------------social and cultural change. (Find a hetter alternatíve tú as.)
13.   The great q uestion------------the resuíts is why so few people voted La hour.
14.   He  talked about  Wellington's abilities  as a  general  ------------ the
Peninsular War.
S. Miscellaneous
actually
all in all
as it is/was etc.
as such
by way of comparison
hy contrast, by way of contrast
in theory,., in practice...
let us suppose for the sake of argument that
namely
put simply
so much for (somewhat informal)
so to speak
still
strictly speaking
suffice il to say that
then
to the effect that
words to that effect
1.   Ms Smith graduated from our department with a mark of distinction
]n addition she has a formal teaching qualification. -----—— she has
every hope of becomi ng an excellent teacher. (- Since this is the case)
2.  There is an old story------------two lovers who fled by sea to France were
blown ofT course and after many adventures shipwrecked at Madeirař
3.   Unfortunately, the actual owner of the property,------------the Duke nf
Mayfair, is unable to be present.
4.   Korea has one of the most dynamic economies in the world.------------,
it is becoming a serious rival of Japan
5.  —----------, it is not a bad school.
8. She said that the school needed to be reorganised from top to bottom, or-------------.
'■ -—— the Queen is the head of the armed forces, but------------her
control is always exercised hy means of her Government.
10- ------1------  the  Renaissance in  Italy.  ------2——  let  us  turn  to  (he
Renaissance in France.
11.   Her last w,|| and testament was------------ber eldest son was to inherit all
the property, f- essentially that.)
12.   Vandalism is the outcome of social problems as much as it is a social problem in itself.------------it has received special attention from sociologists.
13.   Just look at what some pensioners are receiving — £30 per week! 77            (hey did not have to spend any of it on rent, heating, or rates. How on earth can anyone survive on so little?
14.  She claims to be honest. Why,------------, has she not paid the money back?
15- ™------' il's illeSaJ. but Uli« time ni let you keep the extra bottle of
whiskey.
16.   By the year 1993 the country was badly in need of political stability.
—-------, (he politicians had spent the previous years arauing about
trivial matters.
17.   Her remarks were------------fl|| her colleagues were incompetent
15.   Considerations of space preclude any more detailed discussion of the
^arniatians   ------------, Herodotus' account of their customs is largely
borne out by archeology.
19.   It's no good making the situation worse: things are bad enough________
20.   He told her to shut up, or —______
As with all the items in this book, discourse markers are not to be overused; while good English is impossible without them, it is a mistake to think that (he more they appear in an essay or article, the better the language will be.
Life's hard, and holding down a job is one of life's nastiest tricks.------------,
having a job means that you have got to be there eight hours a day, five days a week, and with people who may not necessarily be your cup of tea. The vicar was always giving tea-parlies for his female parishioners. He was------------a ladies' man.