‘Discourse marker’ is a fairly formal term for a type of English vocabulary that we use all the time. These words and phrases help us to organize our ideas and clearly express our thoughts.
Discourse markers can be informal words like ‘So…’ and ‘Well…’, used mainly when speaking. They can also be more formal phrases like ‘In my opinion…’ or ‘In contrast…’, often used in essays and more formal written communication.
Here we will explain what a discourse marker is and the main types of discourse marker you are likely to need – especially if you are learning English as a second language. You may browse our pages on this topic to find lists of discourse markers for different situations, along with examples.
What are discourse markers?
Discourse markers are words and phrases which we use in written and spoken English to organize and link what we are saying. You may also hear them called ‘transition words‘, ‘signal words’, ‘linking words’, or even ‘fillers’.
Do discourse markers change the meaning of a sentence?
Discourse markers generally do not change the intrinsic meaning of a sentence, although sometimes they are important for clarity and logical linking of ideas.
For example, you could say:
“John has broken his leg. He attends his team’s football matches every week.”
These sentences are grammatically and factually correct, but they don’t really convey the full message. Instead, you could say:
“Despite the fact that John has broken his leg, he still attends his team’s football matches every week.”
By adding these discourse markers, you are emphasizing John’s dedication to supporting his team despite his misfortune – without having to directly state this.
This is just one example of how discourse markers and linking phrases can add depth and clarity to your English.
Formal vs informal discourse markers in speaking vs writing
The types of discourse marker used in speaking are often quite different to those used in writing. Spoken discourse markers tend to be less formal and can include the following:
- Interjections: Oh! Wow! Ah; Ouch!
- Hesitators: Ummm; Erm; Er; Hmmm; Well
- Expletives: Damn! My God! Goodness me! Oh no! [and insert your own expletives here]
- Vocatives: Hey! Wait! Dude; Mate; Oi!
These examples of discourse markers are usually only spoken or used in informal written messages.
Of course, any linking phrases used in writing may also be spoken, but the more formal the expression, the less likely it is to be used in normal conversation.
When it comes to discourse markers in essays and formal publications, they must be carefully chosen and purposefully placed in order to guide the reader through the author’s thought process. Used well, they can also convey a more authoritative tone. However, see the warning below about overusing or misusing linking words.
Types of discourse marker
Above we gave some examples of informal discourse markers used in speech, but now let’s consider the categories of discourse marker used in writing.
Below you’ll find a short list of discourse markers for each purpose, but we have published more detailed articles on each of these topics too. If you would like to see more examples and learn how to use them properly, click through to the page indicated.
Comparing and contrasting
When you want to talk about how two things are different, or look at alternatives, you might use these words and phrases:
- Whereas
- On the contrary
- Nevertheless
- Even though
- Instead of
Read our full article about discourse markers to compare and contrast for full example sentences and a lot more useful vocabulary.
Similarities
To talk about two things that are almost the same, and highlight similarities, transition words such as these will help:
- Similarly
- Likewise
- Analagous to
- In a similar fashion
- Just as
- Equally
- In the same way
Often, comparison and similarity signal words come hand-in-hand when you are relating one thing to another.
Addition
These expressions are used when you need to add to what you have already said:
- As well (as)
- Additionally
- Furthermore
- What’s more
- On top of this
- Besides
Read all about discourse markers for addition.
Giving examples
If you need to illustrate a point or give an example of what you mean, these phrases can help:
- For example
- For instance
- Such as
- As we can see from
- As shown by
- In particular
- Especially
Our article about discourse markers for giving examples has much more information.
Cause and effect / reason
When talking about one thing that caused or impacted another thing, you’ll need some of these:
- Because
- As a result of
- Thanks to
- This has the effect of
- Consequently
- Since
- In that case
- Otherwise
Discover more examples of discourse markers of reason and how to use them correctly. You might also want to read about affect vs effect, since these words are often confused in English.
Indicating time order
These words and phrases are helpful for giving time order or structure to a sequence of events or points:
- To begin with
- First of all
- Secondly
- Then
- After this
- Finally
- In the end
- Last of all
This is just a short list; there are more than 100 time order transition words for you to explore.
Clarification
If you need to explain something in a different way or clarify a point, you can use phrases like this:
- What I mean is
- Look at it this way
- In other words
- If I’m not mistaken
- To be clear
- This is to say that
- For the avoidance of doubt
Emphasis
Sometimes you need to emphasize a particular point when speaking or writing. In these cases, the following emphasis discourse markers are useful:
- As a matter of fact
- Indeed
- Actually
- I must admit
- To be honest
- To tell you the truth
- To say the least
Conclusion
And finally, it can be helpful to use these words and phrases to indicate the conclusion of what we are saying:
- In conclusion
- This brings us to the conclusion that
- What this all means is
- To wrap up
- In summary
- I’ll end by saying that
For more details, you can check our full list of conclusion transition words and how to use them.
Knowing when to use or omit discourse markers
Just because all of these discourse markers exist in English, it does not mean you should use them whenever you see the opportunity.
Overuse of discourse markers can sound unnatural or overly formal, so it’s important to be able to discern when to use or omit them.
When reviewing a piece of writing, whether it’s an essay, a business case or a thought leadership piece, here are some questions you can ask yourself to check that you have used discourse markers appropriately:
- Have you used a variety of simple conjunctions (and, but, so, or…) and discourse markers?
- Have you varied the placement of these words and phrases, i.e. not always using them to begin a sentence?
- Does each paragraph serve a clear purpose?
- Have you used discourse markers to indicate the purpose without repeating them unnecessarily?
- Is there a clear link from each paragraph to the next?
- Have you used linking words and phrases to logically build up your ideas or case?
By keeping all of this in mind, you should have a good foundation for using discourse markers well.
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