Two that are not the same
Four questions.
1. The scheme is expensive. ___, it works. Which relation is this?
2. So which marker fits best there?
3. Cities offer opportunity. ___, they are expensive to arrive in.
4. What is the difference in one line?
Eight joints in one argument
On moving for work
Moving for work is usually described as a choice. To begin with, it is worth asking who is able to make it.
A move requires savings, a deposit and a period without income. Furthermore, it requires somewhere to be if the job does not last. Those conditions are unevenly distributed; in particular, they follow the same lines as everything else.
The people least able to move are therefore the ones most often described as unwilling to. Admittedly, some people genuinely do not want to leave, and that preference is real. Nevertheless, unwillingness and inability produce the same statistic, and only one of them is a fact about character.
In other words, a figure that is presented as a measure of attitude is at least partly a measure of savings. Overall, that seems worth establishing before anybody builds a policy on it.
Eight markers from that text. Match each to the job it is doing.
The functions, the confusions, and the comma
Eight jobs
| Job | Markers | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Adding | furthermore, moreover, in addition, what is more, also, besides | First three formal; besides is conversational |
| Contrasting | however, in contrast, by contrast, whereas, while | Neutral to formal |
| Two-sided comparison | on the one hand … on the other hand | Needs both sides, or an obvious first one |
| Conceding | admittedly, granted, it is true that… | Opens the concession |
| Insisting despite | nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, all the same | Closes it |
| Causing | therefore, consequently, as a result, hence, thus | Hence and thus are the most formal |
| Exemplifying | for instance, for example, notably, in particular | Neutral |
| Restating and concluding | in other words, that is; in short, overall, on balance | Neutral to formal |
The four that get used interchangeably, and are not
| Marker | What it needs | Where it goes wrong |
|---|---|---|
| however | Two things that differ | Used where nothing has been conceded, or where the two sentences agree |
| nevertheless | A concession already made | Used as a heavier however, with nothing for it to overcome |
| moreover / furthermore | Another point on the same side | Used after a contrast, where the argument has just changed direction |
| on the other hand | A first hand, stated or obvious | Used for any contrast at all, which leaves the reader looking for a side that was never given |
The punctuation rule, which is worth more marks than the vocabulary. These markers are adverbs, not conjunctions. They cannot join two clauses with a comma.
It was expensive, however it worked. → It was expensive. However, it worked. · It was expensive; however, it worked. · It was expensive, but it worked.
But, and, so, although and whereas are conjunctions and do join clauses. However, therefore, moreover and nevertheless do not.
Rewrite each sentence using the word given, keeping the relation between the ideas the same.
The scheme is expensive, but it works. NEVERTHELESS
Cities offer opportunity, but they are expensive to arrive in. HOWEVER
A move needs savings and it also needs somewhere to go if the job ends. FURTHERMORE
The conditions are unevenly distributed, so the people least able to move are called unwilling. CONSEQUENTLY
It is true that some people simply prefer to stay. ADMITTEDLY
Five questions.
1. Which is correctly punctuated?
2. The data is limited. ___, the pattern is consistent across all four studies.
3. Housing is expensive. ___, transport costs have risen sharply.
4. When can you use on the other hand?
5. Which of these joins two clauses with a comma?
The right joint
Eight gaps. The relation between the sentences decides each one.
Moving for work requires savings. it requires somewhere to go if the job ends. Those conditions are unevenly distributed; they follow the same lines as everything else. The people least able to move are the ones most often described as unwilling. some people genuinely prefer to stay, and that preference is real. unwillingness and inability produce the same statistic. a figure presented as a measure of attitude is partly a measure of savings. that is worth establishing before a policy is built on it. It is not, , an argument against helping people to move.
Eight sentences. Seven contain an error; one is correct.
1. It was expensive, however it worked.
2. Housing costs have risen. However, transport costs have risen too.
3. The data is limited. Furthermore, the pattern is consistent.
4. On the other hand, the scheme is expensive. — no first side has been given
5. The conditions are unequal, therefore the statistic is misleading.
6. Admittedly, some people prefer to stay. Nevertheless, that preference is real.
7. In conclusion, moreover, the framework is useful.
8. Cities offer opportunity; however, they are expensive to arrive in. — correct as written
Name the joint
Task card · Speaking · Pairs · 8 minutes, fast
A says two sentences with a relation between them. B names the relation and supplies a marker, in four seconds.
Twenty exchanges. Swap roles every five.
- B must say the relation first — "concession", "addition", "consequence" — and then the marker.
- Four seconds. If B names the relation and cannot find the marker, A supplies it and the pair moves on.
- A may not use the same relation twice in a row.
- Keep a note of which relations produced the wrong marker. It will be concession, in both directions.
Why the relation comes first. Reaching for a marker without naming the relation is how however ends up in front of an addition and moreover in front of a contrast. Naming it takes half a second and makes the choice almost automatic.
Which relation went wrong
Two questions.
1. Which relation produced the most wrong markers?
2. What is the difference between however and nevertheless?
Adverbs, not conjunctions
Two questions. Twenty seconds.
1. What goes before however when it joins two ideas?
2. When does moreover not work?
Next. The chain underneath the markers — what goes in the subject slot, and how a paragraph is packed so that a reader never has to reassemble it.