warpread

Speed reading guide

Linking Words for Academic Writing: 250+ Phrases

10 min read

Linking words hold academic writing together. They signal to the reader whether you are adding a point, contrasting one, explaining a cause, or qualifying a claim. Without them, even well-evidenced arguments read as disconnected. With them, the logical structure of the argument becomes visible.

This guide organises linking language by function, with usage notes and examples for each category.

Addition and elaboration

Use when adding a related point or extending an argument.

Formal (recommended for academic writing):

Examples:

"The retrieval practice effect is well-established in laboratory settings. Furthermore, recent field studies have confirmed the effect in real classroom contexts (Dunlosky et al., 2013)."

"Spaced repetition improves long-term retention. Moreover, it appears to enhance the durability of emotional memory consolidation (McGaugh, 2000)."

Contrast and concession

Use when introducing an opposing view, limitation, or qualification.

Contrast (direct opposition):

Concession (acknowledging a point before counterarguing):

Examples:

"Interleaving produces higher test scores than blocked practice. However, students consistently rate interleaving as more difficult and less satisfying (Kornell and Bjork, 2008)."

"Although working memory capacity differs substantially between individuals, retrieval practice appears to benefit learners across the capacity distribution (Dunlosky et al., 2013)."

Cause and effect

Use when explaining why something occurred or what resulted from it.

Indicating cause:

Indicating effect/result:

Examples:

"Massed practice does not allow for forgetting to occur between sessions; consequently, retrieval during practice is less effortful and consolidation is weaker."

"Given that the studies were conducted on university students, caution is required when generalising these findings to younger populations."

Sequence and structure

Use when organising steps, stages, or a chronological or logical progression.

Listing and ordering:

Signalling structure:

Examples:

"First, the study examined short-term recall under massed practice conditions. Subsequently, participants were re-tested after a one-week delay to assess long-term retention."

Exemplification

Use when introducing evidence, examples, or illustrations.

Examples:

"Retrieval practice outperforms re-reading on delayed tests. For example, Roediger and Karpicke (2006) found that students who took a practice test recalled 50% more material after one week than students who re-read the passage."

Emphasis and importance

Use when highlighting a key point or prioritising among options.

Examples:

"Crucially, the effect size diminished significantly at longer retention intervals, suggesting that the benefit may not persist in real-world educational settings."

Qualification and limitation

Use when restricting the scope of a claim or signalling its conditions.

Summary and conclusion

Use in conclusions and synthesis sections.

Note on "in conclusion": It is grammatically correct but often mechanically used. Consider whether you can begin the conclusion with the restated thesis directly, without the announcement.

Common mistakes with linking words

Overusing "however" — If every paragraph opens with "However", the essay reads as a series of alternating arguments without a clear line of reasoning. Use contrast sparingly and ensure contrasting paragraphs are genuinely advancing the argument.

"As mentioned above" — This is a weak link. If you are referring back to an earlier point, name the point specifically rather than signalling it was mentioned.

"In today's modern society" — Not a linking phrase — a filler opener. Avoid.

"Obviously" / "Clearly" / "It is clear that" — These claim that something is self-evident when you should be demonstrating it. Replace with the demonstration itself.

Starting every sentence with a linking word — Linking words connect ideas; they should not appear in every sentence. Overuse makes prose feel formulaic. Use them at structural moments: between paragraphs and between major claims.

For the full academic vocabulary toolkit, see the Hedging Language Guide and the Academic Writing Style Guide. The Academic Vocabulary Flashcards include 80 linking phrases for practise.

Plan your essay before you write a single word

Use the free Essay Structure Planner to build your argument outline, map PEEL paragraphs, and structure your introduction and conclusion — then take the free Academic Writing Fundamentals course for the complete essay-writing system.

Open Essay Structure Planner →Start the free course →

More speed reading guides

How to Speed Read: 7 Proven Techniques
8 min read
→
RSVP Reading Explained
6 min read
→
How to Read More Books This Year
7 min read
→
The Best Classic Novels to Read Free Online
9 min read
→
The World's Fastest Readers
5 min read
→
How Long Does It Take to Read a Book?
6 min read
→
← All speed reading guides