Notice the underlined words or phrases in the above paragraph. They are called linkers
or discourse markers. Noticing and understanding discourse markers help learners to
understand the logical structure of what they read and listen to, the order of events and the
attitude of the speaker or writer and what they refer to.
Think of the following.
1) What makes the writer use the linker ' on the whole' in the above paragraph? Give
reasons.
2) What purpose does the linker 'however' serve in the paragraph?
3) What does the writer emphasize by using the linker ' though'?
4) Why did the writer use the linkers?
A. Here is a list of linkers. Some of them can be used synonymously. Refer to
a dictionary and group them in the following table according to the
function they perform in a sentence or discourse.
firstly, equally, besides, later, on the other hand,
to sum up, on the contrary, furthermore, as a result, yet,
thirdly, thus, still, suddenly, in the same way,
nevertheless, therefore, at the same time, hence, all the same,
subsequently, so, likewise, secondly, meanwhile,
moreover, similarly, consequently, however,