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