hi there it's asiya you know when you're writing your task 2 essays you should use
a range of linking words or connectors to join your ideas together there are some simple ones
we all know and use these are words like "but" "and" "then" to give you some examples
but to get a high score in ielts writing you must use some more formal linking words
so today in this video i'm going to share with you the best linking words to use as well as
examples of how to use them correctly in real ielts task 2 essay topics ok let's get started
let's begin with that very simple linking word but we use but to contrast two statements we're simply
saying that there is a difference between them i can say for example i like comedies but i don't
like horror films now there are several linking words that you can use instead of but in task 2.
here they are although however nevertheless or nonetheless and despite or in spite of
there are two very important points to remember and practice here the first is where our linking
word comes in the sentence does it come in the middle and join the two parts of the sentence
the same as but or can we put it right at the beginning of the sentence the second point is
punctuation remember that the ielts examiner will be looking very carefully at your punctuation
when do you need to use a comma or semicolon or a full stop let's look at some examples of
the linking words in sentences that we can use in ayats writing tasks to essays like this one
the topic is in some countries children are often told that they can achieve anything if they try
hard enough what are the advantages and disadvantages of giving children this message
we need to write at least 250 words and probably four paragraphs the first paragraph presents the
essay question and introduces our point of view look at this example with but
this message can inspire and motivate some children but it can also lead to disappointment
and a sense of failure in others when we use although we usually put it at the beginning of
the sentence although this message can inspire and motivate some children it can also lead to
disappointment and a sense of failure in others pay special attention to that comma in the middle
that separates the two contrasting parts of the sentence many people like to use the words however
or nevertheless which are very similar meaning however is a word for special occasions
why because we use it when we want to say something very important after
have a look at this sentence this message can inspire and motivate some children
however it can also lead to disappointment and a sense of failure in others notice that it comes
between the two contrasting statements and that we always place a comma
after it and either a semicolon or a full stop before it in other words we can write
two sentences instead of one like in the second example nevertheless and also nonetheless can
be used in place of however in exactly the same way let's use a different example to show this
some children push themselves to the limit nevertheless they may not achieve their goals
another very useful linking word to show contrast is despite but the grammar of this
word is different to the others usually in english there is a pattern of subject verb
complement for example in although this message can inspire some children
despite is followed by a different form this is usually adjourned look at how it works
despite pushing themselves to the limits some children may not achieve their goals
we do not use a subject and verb after despite in this example is just a gerund pushing
the subject some children appears in the other part of the sentence after the comma
please don't forget to use the comma we can also use in spite of instead of despite
in spite of studying so hard he did not achieve his goal all of these words we have
looked at so far from although to despite show really strong contrast we use them especially
in writing to make the difference we want to express very clearly sometimes however
we only want to make a simple contrast let's look at some ways to do that we can use while whereas
on the other hand conversely and in contrast these linking words are very useful when we
want to present the two points of view at the very beginning of our essay let's look at some examples
i believe that the main advantage of this message is that it helps children to think and
act independently while the main drawback is that it can lead to unnecessary levels of stress the
linker while is in the middle when we use it to contrast two ideas don't forget your comma
we can use whereas in exactly the same way
there will be children who will benefit from this message comma whereas others may find it
intimidating and detrimental to their mental well-being with the other examples we should
pay careful attention to punctuation in the same way we do with however and nevertheless
there will be children who will benefit from this message semicolon on the other hand comma
others may find it intimidating and detrimental or of course we can begin a new sentence
some children will try their best to be high achievers full stop conversely comma
there will always be those who react negatively to pressure just to confirm you can use on
the other hand and conversely both ways with a semicolon and with the full stop now let's leave
contrast and comparing to one side for a moment and think about some simple ways to add new
information to what we have just written of course the word we often use to do this is
and but there are synonyms we can use instead such as along with together with as well as and besides
here is an example positive encouragement can help young people develop their talents
as well as making them feel more self-confident notice the gerund making after the linking words
it can help people develop their talents as well as making them more self-confident
we can use along with together with and besides in exactly the same way although besides can also
be used at the beginning of a new sentence hard work does not necessarily bring children success
besides socializing and play a probably more important to their health and development now
what if we want to say something a little more complicated we can add or join an additional
idea or point to our argument this is very important in task two essays in particular
because we should try to present several points of view in favor or against the topic in question
the simple way to do this is using also but let's add some alternatives moreover furthermore
in addition likewise and similarly this time i'm going to use a different task to essay topic
here it is in some countries owning a home rather than renting one is very important for people why
might this be the case do you think this is a positive or negative situation
look at this example i want to make two important points living in a property you own gives you
a strong sense of stability and security moreover property is an excellent investment for the future
joining two ideas like this in two sentences with the second one beginning with either moreover or
furthermore or in addition with all three usually followed by a comma is an excellent way to present
your ideas in a task two essay if the second point you want to make is closely linked to the first
a kind of continuation of the same point we can use likewise or similarly here is
an example notice that the best way is to start a new sentence in many countries house prices are so
high that it is almost impossible for young people to enter the property market similarly or likewise
the cost of renting is prohibitive for this part of the population especially in large cities
right let's go on to another type of linking world i'm thinking of words that show sequence in time
or in process i'm sure you know words like first then after finally and expressions
such as in the first place of first of all and so on but what about these subsequently thereafter
both can replace the words after or then families who default on their mortgage payments lose their
properties and subsequently or thereafter find it impossible to seek a bank loan ever again
next i'd like to share important linking words
that either show the result or consequence of something or explain the cause
let's take consequences first one good way to show this connection is to use as a result
but there are some other ways too here are some of them consequently as a consequence therefore
or thus here is an example homeowners do not have to worry about taking good care
of someone else's property and as a result can feel free to make any changes they wish
here i'm comparing those who buy their home to those who rent one
here's another example many people take out large loans to help pay for their home
as a consequence they might be in debt to bank for years before paying it all
back see how we can either put these linking words at the beginning of a new sentence
or as part of just one sentence after and and separated by commas before and after
exactly the same is true for both therefore and thus the punctuation again is very important
in some societies home ownership is seen as a sign of social prestige therefore
it is something many people aspire to we can also use a semicolon before
therefore and a sentence with thus recent trends suggest that the young prefer to
spend their savings on travel and thus do not buy a property until much later in life
if we want to explain what the cause of something is the most common linking word is because
this we put in the middle of the sentence like in our example owning property is often seen as
a good way to invest money because its value will increase over time to add variety to your writing
you can also use as and since both can come in the middle of the sentence
or we can start a sentence with them putting the calls first and the result after since or as
property prices in city centers are practically unaffordable prospective buyers are forced to look
for cheaper homes in the suburbs one more point i want you all to pay very special attention to
a lot of people think that they can use because of and due to in exactly the same way as because i'm
sorry you can't it is wrong to write this sentence because of property prices in city centers are
practically unaffordable you can't say that why it's because these linking words are grammatically
the same as despite and inspired of we do not follow them with the subject and the verb
look at this example because of rising costs maintaining a home in optimal conditions is
becoming increasingly difficult before the comma no verb just an adjective and a noun rising costs
ielts examiners will look at your uses of linking words very carefully when they read your essays
in the area of coherence and cohesion these linking words which are described in the official
ielts descriptors as cohesive devices will help you get band 8 if you manage all aspects of
them well and then 7 if you use a range of them appropriately in other words correctly in terms
of grammar punctuation and in the correct sense of what they mean moreover in the grammatical range
and accuracy criterion good use of punctuation will help you get band 7 plus so knowing how
to use the linking words we've seen in today's video will help you achieve the score you want
and if you want to learn how to meet each band 7 plus requirement how to write your essays more
quickly and prepare for your exam in less time and with less stress and achieve a higher score
check out my online courses i will link them in the video description box below and
if you'd like to see a full sample answer i have one you can download in the pdf format
right now thank you so much for watching me today good luck with your preparation and your exam bye