LINKING WORDS and PHRASES

Linking words and phrases in English (also called 'connective' or 'transition' words) are used
to combine two clauses or sentences presenting contrast, comparison, condition, supposition, purpose, etc. They enable us to establish clear connections between ideas.

Most linking words can either connect clauses within a sentence, or start a sentence to form
a link with the previous statement.

♦Note : A clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb.
 The following sentence contains two clauses:
 She lives in Mexico because she likes the climate.

Below you will find some examples of linking words and how to use them.  This is not a comprehensive list. You may want to add your own linking words and phrases.

Examples of linking words within one sentence:

Linking Words	Example of use
As long as provided (that) providing	You can take my car as long as/provided (that)/providing you don't damage it. (I will lend you my car on condition that you don't damage it.)
Although/even though	Although/even though he is rich, he lives in a small house. (In spite of the fact that he is rich, he lives in a small house.)
Even if	He is poor and has no house, but even if he had money, he wouldn't buy a house. (Supposing he had the money, he still wouldn't buy a house.)
In case	Take an umbrella in case it rains. (It might rain, so it's a good idea to take an umbrella.)
In spite of / despite	In spite of/despite the rain, she walked to the station. in spite of/despite being blind, he walked to the station. (without being affected by the rain or by being blind.)
So that	She arrived early so that she could help her colleagues. (She arrived early for the purpose of helping her colleagues.)
Whatever	You can count on me whatever you decide to do. (No matter what your decision is, you can count on me.)
Whereas	Tom is rich, whereas Jack is poor. (Tom is rich; in contrast Jack is poor.)
Whenever	I will lend you my car whenever you need it. (No matter when you need my car, I will lend it to you.)
Wherever	My thoughts will be with you wherever you go. (No matter where you go, my thoughts will be with you.)

Examples of linking words that connect two separate sentences or two clauses:

♦Note : If linking words start a sentence, they are followed by a comma.
   When they are used to connect two clauses, a semi-colon is used at the end
   of the first clause, and a comma is often used after the linking word(s).

Linking Words	Example of use
As a result Consequently Therefore	Prices were reduced by 20%. As a result, sales increased. The company is expanding. Consequently, there are jobs on offer. A hurricane has been announced. Therefore, air traffic will be disrupted.
Besides Furthermore In addition Moreover	The trip is too expensive. Besides, I don't really like hot weather. Computers are cheaper nowadays; furthermore, they are lighter. You haven't paid the rent yet.  In addition, you owe me money. The report is badly presented. Moreover, it contains inaccuracies.
For instance For example	There are several problems to consider; for instance/for example, there is a lack of public transport.
Conversely On the contrary On the other hand	Northern European countries had a great summer. On the contrary/conversely, southern Europe had poor weather. Laptops are convenient; on the other hand, they can be expensive
However Nevertheless Nonetheless	The hotel was open. However, nobody came to the reception desk. He had severe injuries; nevertheless, he completely recovered. The weather was bitterly cold.  He went hiking nonetheless.
In the same way Likewise Similarly By the same token	Alex enjoys telling jokes; in the same way/similarly/likewise, his son adores funny stories. Teenagers should be more respectful; by the same token, parents should be more understanding.
To summarise/sum up Briefly To conclude In conclusion	I've covered the main events of the year. To sum up/briefly, our team is now one of the best in the world. To conclude, I want to wish you all a very happy holiday season.

LIKE - LOOK LIKE - BE LIKE

Like can be used

• as verb,  to talk about tastes
 
• as a preposition, with look and be to talk about appearance and ask for descriptions.

Verb : to like

• The verb to like is used to talk about tastes, what we enjoy or prefer.
  
  
  • What sport does Peter like? He likes tennis.
  • What's your favourite food? I like Italian food.

Preposition 'like' + verb 'look'

• Look like is used to ask for and give an opinion about appearance.
  
  
  • What does Peter look like?
    He's tall, with dark hair, and he wears glasses.

Preposition 'like' + verb 'be'

• Be like is used to ask for and give a general description.
  
  
  • What is Julie like?
    She is reliable, pleasant and helpful. She is like a friend.

To sum up:

♦ We use like to talk about tastes and preferences.   ♦ We use look like to describe physical appearance.   ♦ We use be like to describe a person's character.
What does Alex like?  (=what are his preferences).	Alex likes football.  He also likes Chinese food ...  and of course he likes his car!
What does Alex look like?  (=describe his appearance).	He is tall and handsome, and he dresses well.  He's a big guy.  He looks like a rugbyman.
Who does Alex look like?  (=his similarity with another person).	He looks like his father really, but in some ways  he also looks like George Clooney.
What is Alex like?  (=describe his personality).	He is nice and friendly and always willing to help -  a great friend to have.

LIKE - AS

LIKE - AS : When are they used?

• Like
  
  Like is a preposition, used before a noun or pronoun, to say that two things are similar.
  They behave or operate in the same way.
  
  
  • In his job he works like a slave.
  • The children swim like fish.
  • The boy runs like a hare.
• As
  
  As, as a preposition, before a noun or pronoun, is used to refer to jobs or functions,
  the role of a person or the use of something.
  
  
  • My father worked as an accountant.
  • Caroline was employed as a teacher.
  • The author is respected as a writer.
  • He used a saucer as an ashtray.

• Compare
  
  
  • I am your friend, and as your friend I advise you to be careful.
    = It is my role as a friend to warn you.
  • I don't know you, but like your friend, I advise you to be careful.
    = I think the same way as your friend. I am like your friend in that respect.

LIKE and AS are also used as below:

LIKE
As a verb meaning ‘enjoy’	• Sam likes chocolate. / Children like milk. • I like going to the beach. / She likes getting up early.
As a noun : the ‘like’ (=similar types)	• I enjoy classical music but I prefer jazz, rock and the like. • You’re not going to associate with the likes of him!
As an adjective meaning ‘similar’	• They’re as like as two peas in a pod. (= as similar as) • The two experts were of like mind. (= of similar mind) • We responded in like manner. (=in a similar way)
In spoken English, ‘like’ can be used as a conjunction connecting two clauses. *NB: Considered incorrect in traditional grammar books, so avoid in academic writing.	• He acted like he owned the place. (= as if) • Nobody can sing like you do. (= the same way as) • Like I said, you’re welcome to join us for lunch. (=as I said)
AS
As an adverb - ‘just like’	• She was extremely polite, as always. • The ‘h’ in ‘heir’ is silent, as in ‘hour’
As a conjunction -connection two clauses - meaning ‘while’ - meaning ‘although’ - meaning ‘the way in which’ - meaning ‘because’ or ‘since’*   (*use carefully to avoid any confusion)	• It's very expensive, as you know. • He won the election, as was expected. • The phone rang as I was watching television. (=while) • Tired as he was he still finished the race.(although) • We left the room as it was. (the way in which) • Julie may need help as she’s new to the job. (=because)

SYNONYMS

What is an synonym?

A synonym is a word that has (almost) the same meaning as another word e.g. begin/start.
The list of synonyms below will help English learners to improve their vocabulary.

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WORD	SYNONYM	WORD	SYNONYM
admit	confess	particular	specific
answer	reply	poisonous	toxic
approximately	about	prompt	immediate
ask	request	provide	supply
begin	start	quick	rapid
behave	act	quiet	calm
brave (a	courageous	rare	scarce
broad	wide	real	genuine
cope	manage	reliable	dependable
correct	right	respond	reply
difficult	hard	rich	wealthy
disclose	reveal	right	correct
end	finish	rude	impolite
evaluate	assess	sad	unhappy
famous	renowned	safe	secure
fix	repair	scared	frightened
gather	collect	select	choose
glad	happy	short	brief
grab	seize	shortage	scarcity
ignore	disregard	single	unmarried
intelligent	clever	small	little
jump	leap	stable	steady
loyal	faithful	try	attempt
mad	insane	true	correct
mainly	chiefly	trustworthy	reliable
material	fabric	ultimate	final
missing	lost	unlawful	illegal
mistake	error	unusual	strange
modern	contemporary	usually	generally
moreover	in addition	vary	differ
necessary	essential	vast	huge
notify	inform	visualise	imagine
odd	strange	well	fit
overseas	abroad	winery	vineyard

JOB - WORK

English learners often find it difficult to know when to use 'job' and when to use 'work'.

JOB generally refers to a function or position.
♦ Julie went to Japan and got a job as an English teacher.
♦ Emily is an events manager. She loves her job.
♦ John is out of work at the moment. He’s busy applying for jobs.
♦ You'll need a well-paid job if you want to live in central London.

A job can also be a task, an assignment or a chore.
♦ I had a hard job removing the stains.
♦ Charlie! It's your job to mow the lawn!

Job is a countable noun. A person can have one job or several jobs.
♦ Bob took on a second job because he needed more money.

A job can be full-time or part-time, temporary or permanent.

Expressions with the word 'job' :
• You did a good/great job! → You succeeded in doing something well.
• It's a good job Tom heard the customer complaining.→ Luckily Tom heard ....
• A plum job → A well-paid job that is considered relatively easy.

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WORK refers to mental or physical activity.
♦ Emily works very hard. She has a lot of work to do.
♦ John is looking forward to going back to work/to working again.
♦ There's a lot of work to be done to the old house.

Work is both a verb and an uncountable noun.
♦ Bob works in the oil industry.
♦ Many people apply for work in his company. (not: a work)

It can also refer to the place where you do your job.
♦ Where’s Dad? He’s at work.
♦ It is advisable not to make personal calls at work.

Expressions with the word 'work' :
• Work like a charm (be very effective)
→ I cleaned it with vinegar and it worked like a charm! 
• Work your fingers to the bone (work very hard)
→ He worked his fingers to the bone to have everything ready on time. 

IN CASE - UNLESS

• In case
  
  In case expresses the possibility of something happening.
  It is used to express the idea of doing something to avoid a possible problem later on.
  It gives the reason for an action.
  
  
  • Take an umbrella in case it rains.
    = There is a possibility that it will rain, so it's a good idea to take an umbrella.
• In case + 'of'
  
  In case of means 'if there is'.
  
  
  • In case of emergency, call this number.
    = If there is an emergency, call this number.
• Unless
  
  Unless means 'except if' or 'only if'.
  Unless replaces 'if' + a negative verb.
  
  
  • Sally won't come unless you invite Harry.
    • Sally won't come except if you invite Harry.
    • Sally will only come if you invite Harry.
    • If you don't invite Harry, Sally won't come.
  • We will have a picnic unless it rains.
    • We will have a picnic except if it rains.
    • If it doesn't rain we will have a picnic.
    • If it rains, we won't have a picnic.

SYNONYMS - HOMONYMS - ANTONYMS

SYNONYMS are words that have a similar meaning e.g. begin/start.
HOMONYMS include:
    ♦ homophones: the same sound but different spelling and meaning e.g. ate/eight
    ♦ homographs:  the same spelling but a different meaning e.g. bank account/bank of river.
ANTONYMS are words that are opposite in meaning to another e.g. accept/refuse.

SYNONYMS (similar meaning)		HOMONYMS (homophones: same sound)		ANTONYMS (opposites)
answer	reply	allowed	aloud	accept	refuse
ask	request	ate	eight	attack	defend
brave	courageous	bare	bear	admit	deny
broad	wide	bow	bough	beautiful	ugly
difficult	hard	cell	sell	begin	end
end	finish	cereal	serial	better	worse
fix	repair	deer	dear	brave	cowardly
gather	collect	dew	due	broad	narrow
glad	happy	fair	fare	cheap	expensive
intelligent	clever	flour	flower	clever	stupid
jump	leap	hair	hare	dangerous	safe
loyal	faithful	hear	here	difficult	easy
mistake	error	hole	whole	forbid	allow
odd	strange	mail	male	full	empty
particular	specific	pair	pear	guilty	innocent
quick	rapid	plain	plane	join	separate
rare	scarce	right	write	knowledge	ignorance
real	genuine	root	route	lazy	hardworking
reliable	dependable	sail	sale	married	single
rich	wealthy	sole	soul	minority	majority
sad	unhappy	some	sum	noisy	quiet
safe	secure	suite	sweet	remember	forget
scared	frightened	toe	tow	similar	different
try	attempt	wait	weight	true	false
vast	huge	week	weak	whisper	shout

ANTONYMS or OPPOSITES

What is an antonym?

An antonym is a word that is opposite in meaning to another word.
For example, ‘cold’ is the antonym of ‘hot’.
The list of antonyms below, with an example of use,
will help English learners improve their vocabulary.(a) = adjective   (prep) = preposition   (v) = verb

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Word	Antonym	Example
above (prep)	below (prep)	The cups are on the shelf above the sink. The washing-up liquid is below the sink.
absent (a)	present (a)	Arthur is not here today.  He's absent. The teacher will be present at the graduation ceremony.
accept (v)	refuse (v)	The customer accepts/refuses the conditions.
accidental (a)	intentional (a)	He didn't intend to break the window.  It was accidental. He wanted to break the window.  It was intentional.
add (v)	subtract (v)	An amount of tax must be added to the bill. A mistaken amount was substracted from the bill.
admit (v)	deny (v)	Bobby said he stole the ball. He admitted it. Sam said he didn't steal the ball. He denied it.
affirmative (a)	negative (a)	I got the job! The reply was affirmative. I'm disappointed. I received a negative reply.
after (prep)	before (prep)	My guitar lesson is after lunch, at 2 pm. The tennis match is before lunch, at 11 am.
alive (a)	dead (a)	The man was alive/dead when the doctor arrived.
allow (v)	forbid (v)	Food is allowed but smoking is forbidden.
approximately(a)	exactly (a)	The journey will take approximately an hour. The journey will take exactly 48 minutes and 30 seconds.
arrive (v)	depart (v)	The train departs at 10.15 am and arrives at 2 pm.
attack (v)	defend (v)	Enemy forces attacked the harbour. Our troups defended it.
awake (a)	asleep (a)	I can hear noise. The baby is awake. There is no noise.  The baby is still asleep.
bad (a)	good (a)	Pedro is a bad student.  He must work harder. José got good results in English. He is very pleased.
beautiful (a)	ugly (a)	The actress is very beautiful. The wound left an ugly scar on the man's face.
before (prep)	after (prep)	The tennis match is before lunch, at 11 am. My guitar lesson is after lunch, at 2 pm.
begin (v)	end (v)	The film begins at 7 pm and ends at 8.30 pm.
below (prep)	above (prep)	The bookshelves are above the television. The dvds are below it.
big (a)	small (a)	My boss drives a big car but my car is small.
bitter (a)	sweet (a)	We had a choice between sweet tea or bitter wine.
brave (a)	cowardly (a)	You were very brave to defend the group. A cowardly person runs away when faced with danger.
cheap (a)	expensive (a)	This shop sells cheap/expensive clothes.
clean (a)	dirty (a)	When our parents returned the house was clean/dirty.
cold (a)	hot (a)	We need to heat the soup because it's cold. Be careful! The plate is very hot.
come (v)	go (v)	Visitors to the museum come and go all day
complicated (a)	simple (a)	Some legal terms can be complicated and difficult to understand. The terms of the agreement were simple and clear.
cool (a)	warm (a)	In autumn you should bring clothes for cool weather. In spring the weather is often warm.
correct (a)	incorrect (a)	His answer was correct/incorrect.
cowardly (a)	brave (a)	You were very brave to defend the group. It was cowardly of you to run away.
curly (a)	straight (a)	Her hair is curly/straight.
damage (v)	repair (v)	If you damage anything you will have to repair it.
dangerous (a)	safe (a)	Be careful. The building is in a very dangerous area. Don' worry.  We live in a safe part of the city.
dark (a)	light (a)	What colour is your car? It's dark/light blue.
depart (v)	arrive (v)	The train departs at 10.15 am and arrives at 2 pm
despair (v)	hope (v)	There is no work here.  Tom despairs of finding a job. Andy has graduated and hopes to find a job soon.
different (a)	similar (a)	All the houses are different.  None of them are similar. The houses are all similar to each other. They are alike.
difficult (a)	easy (a)	The English test was quite difficult/easy.
early (a)	late (a)	Jack had to leave at 6 am so he had an early breakfast. I didn't have to work so I had a late breakfast.
false (a)	true (a)	Some details were false but the main story was true.
fat (a)	thin	The shopkeeper is overweight.  He's quite fat. His wife is the opposite. She's very thin.
find (v)	lose (v)	You try to find something when you lose it.
follow (v)	lead (v)	The teacher leads the group and the children followher.
forbid (v)	allow (v)	Food is allowed but smoking is forbidden.
forget (v)	remember (v)	I'm losing my memory. I often forget things. I've got a good memory. I remember names easily.
freeze (v)	melt (v)	You freeze food in the freezer. Ice-cream will melt in the sun.
full (a)	empty (a)	This bottle of milk is empty. The one in the fridge isfull.
gentle (a)	violent (a)	They walked along the beach enjoying the gentlebreeze. A violent storm broke out in the evening.
good (a)	bad (a)	José got good results in English. He is very pleased. Pedro is a bad student.  He must work harder.
happy (a)	sad (a)	Jimmy was sad leaving New York, but he was happy to see his family again.
hard (a)	soft (a)	He slept in a hard bed but the pillow was soft.
hardworking (a)	lazy (a)	Joe works well. His colleagues say he is hardworking.Mike does as little as possible. He's lazy.
heavy (a)	light (a)	My suitcase is very heavy.  I can't lift it. My suitcase is very light. I can carry it.
hope (v)	despair (a)	Andy has graduated and hopes to find a job soon. There is no work here.  Tom despairs of finding a job.
hot	cold	Be careful! The plate is very hot. We need to heat the soup because it's cold.
intelligent (a)	stupid (a)	Intelligent people understand quickly. Stupid people are slow to understand things.
interesting (a)	boring (a)	Tom found the conference quite interesting. Alex left before the end because he found it boring.
long (a)	short (a)	The bride wore a long dress. Her mother's dress was short .
married (a)	single (a)	My sister is married but my brother is still single.
modern (a)	traditional (a)	Her dress was modern but the ceremony wastraditional.
negative (a)	affirmative (a)	I'm disappointed. I received a negative reply. I got the job! The reply was affirmative.
new  (a)	old (a)	The television set is old.  We're going to buy a newone.
noisy (a)	quiet (a)	The boys are too noisy.  Tell them to be quiet!
polite (a)	impolite (a)	The children are impolite.  They should learn to bepolite.
poor (a)	rich (a)	Rich people can buy what they want. Poor people have to be careful with their money.
proper (a)	improper (a)	For the interview wear a proper dress, not jeans! The boy was punished for behaving in an improperway.
quiet (a)	noisy (a)	We live in a quiet area.  It's not noisy at all.
remember (v)	forget (v)	I've got a good memory. I remember names easily. I'm losing my memory. I often forget things.
right (a)	wrong (a)	We took the right road and arrived on time. The others went the wrong way and got lost.
safe (a)	dangerous (a)	The children can play here.  It's a safe place. Don't play near the road.  It's too dangerous.
short (a)	long (a)	The bride wore a long dress but her mother wore ashort one.
shout (v)	whisper (v)	The policeman shouted a warning. People whisper at the cinema so as not to disturb others.
similar (a)	different (a)	The houses are all similar to each other. They are alike. All the houses are different. None of them are similar.
simple (a)	complicated (a)	The terms of the agreement were simple and clear. Some legal terms can be complicated and difficult to understand.
single (a)	married (a)	My brother is still single but my sister is married.
small (a)	big (a)	This bag is too small.  We need a big bag to go shopping.
soft (a)	hard (a)	She likes a soft pillow but prefers a hard mattress.
traditional (a)	modern (a)	The ceremony was traditional but her dress wasmodern.
true (a)	false (a)	The story was true but some of the details were false.
well	unwell / ill	My grandfather is in good health.  He's well. My grandmother has the 'flu. She's unwell at the moment.
whisper (v)	shout (v)	People whisper at the cinema so as not to disturb others. The policeman shouted a warning.
wrong (a)	right (a)	He didn't understand me because I used the wrongword. I used a dictionary to find the right word.