張藝文

Linking words， also known as transition words or connectors，play a crucial role in writing and speaking. They serve as bridgesthat connect ideas， sentences， and paragraphs， making the overallcommunication clearer， more coherent， and easier to understand.

When you write， you can use linking words to show how twoideas go together. Linking words can make your writing stronger.For example， without linking words， this passage is choppy andhard to understand：

Mary had a terrible morning. She woke up late. Shedforgotten to set the alarm clock. She got dressed quickly. She stillmissed the school bus. She barely made it to school on time. Shegot to class. She saw her lunchwas missing.

However， with linking words，this passage is easier to read andunderstand：

Mary had a terrible morning.She woke up late because shed forgotten to set the alarm clock.Even though she got dressed quickly， she still missed the schoolbus. She barely made it to school on time. After she got to class，she saw her lunch was missing.

I. The importance of linking words

The importance of linking words can be summarized into the following points：

1. Enhance coherence

Linking words help establishlogical connections between sentencesand paragraphs. They ensure that theinformation flows smoothly and thatthe reader or listener can easily follow the train of thought.Without proper linking words， the text may appear disjointed andconfusing.

2. Improve readability

By providing clear connections between ideas， linking wordsmake the text more readable. They allow readers to navigatethrough the content effortlessly， making it easier for them to graspthe intended message.

3. Highlight relationships

Linking words can indicate various relationships betweenideas， such as cause and effect， comparison， contrast， addition，time sequence， and conclusion. They help writers conveytheir thoughts more precisely and help readers understand therelationships between different concepts.

4. Add complexity and depth

Sophisticated linking words can add complexity and depthto writing. They enable writers to convey nuanced meaningsand express complex relationships between ideas， enhancing theoverall quality of the content.

5. Improve academic writing

In academic writing， linking words are essential forpresenting arguments， supporting evidence， and building acoherent essay or research paper. Proper use of linking words canstrengthen the structure and flow of academic work， making itmore persuasive and compelling.

6. Enhance speaking skills

In oral communication， linking words help speakers organizetheir thoughts and present information in a structured manner.They allow speakers to express ideas clearly， maintain coherence，and engage the audience effectively.

7. Encourage critical thinking

Effective use of linking words encourages writers andspeakers to think critically about the connections between ideas.It prompts them to consider the best way to present their thoughtsand strengthen their arguments.

In conclusion， linking words are essential tools for effectivecommunication in both writing and speaking. They provide theglue that holds ideas together， making the content coherent，readable， and easy to follow. By using linking words appropriately，writers and speakers can convey their messages with clarity，precision， and impact.

II. The usages of the linking words

Here are some common linking words and their usages with examples：

1. Addition

Linking words： and， also， besides， furthermore， moreover， inaddition， similarly. Example：

She loves to read books， and she enjoys watching movies aswell.

2. Contrast

Linking words： but， however， nevertheless， on the other hand，whereas， although， even though. Example：

He studied hard; nevertheless， he failed the exam.

3. Cause and effect

Linking words： because， since， as a result， consequently，therefore， thus. Example：

The weather was bad， so the picnic was canceled.

4. Time sequence

Linking words： first， next， then， after that， finally， meanwhile，during. Example：

First， we went to the zoo， and next， we visited the museum.

5. Example and illustration

Linking words： for example， for instance， such as， like.Example：

She enjoys outdoor activities， such as hiking and biking.

6. Conclusion

Linking words： in conclusion， to sum up， overall， all in all. Example：

In conclusion， the project was a great success.

7. Comparison

Linking words： similarly， likewise， in the same way，compared to， just as. Example：

She sings beautifully; likewise， her sister has a melodious voice.

8. Emphasis

Linking words： indeed， in fact， certainly， surely， of course.Example：

It was a difficult task， indeed.

9. Condition

Linking words： if， unless， provided that， in case. Example：

If it rains， well stay indoors.

Remember that the proper use of linking words can greatlyenhance the coherence and flowof your writing or speaking. Itsessential to choose the appropriatelinking word depending on thecontext and the relationship youwant to convey between the ideas.