Make your writing flow smoothly: how to use linking words, linkers, and connectors.
You’ve probably experienced this while writing: instead of an easily flowing text, you have a text that feels choppy and sounds like an enumerated shopping list. Your text is an endless stream of ideas that doesn’t flow properly. In come the linking words, the linkers, and the connectors: the unsung heroes of communication.
What are linking words?
Linking words, linkers, and connectors are the bridge between your ideas in a text. They connect (no pun intended) ideas and show readers and listeners how elements in a narrative go together.
The function of linking words is best illustrated by a sales pitch in which someone tries to harvest investments — like in the popular TV show Dragons Den. Salespeople want to convince their audience that their product is best for the customers’ needs, and they want to do this in a structured manner, so they can opt to use linkers like First, Second, and Third to introduce their reasons. Maybe, they’ll even add a bonus reason and introduce this using the word Finally.
In general, linking words can be categorised based on their function. So, linking words are categorised based on how they link ideas together in a text.
How do linkers and connectors work?
The benefits of linking words can also be illustrated by how they are used in essays and lengthier articles, particularly in academic writing. In academic papers, the background section provides a framework in which researchers describe which previously conducted studies inspired them to conduct their research while also looking for gaps in existing research that they seek to fill. Important linkers that illustrate this approach are the linking words that show contrast, such as However, although, even though, and despite. Linking words of contrast help the reader understand that whatever follows the connector contrasts with what was previously mentioned. Take the following example:
“Previous studies have found that teaching grammar to adult learners of English is beneficial as they already have sufficient abstract knowledge of their first language to quickly link grammatical elements from their second language to their first. However, children do not possess this abstract knowledge, and clear scientific evidence that supports second-language grammar teaching is lacking.”
In this short paragraph, the writer starts by saying that there’s evidence that supports the idea of teaching grammar to adult learners of English because they already have some grammatical knowledge of their first language. Then, the author provides a contrasting argument, introduced by the linking word however, to illustrate that evidence of this is not present in children and that there is no evidence that children can also benefit from this abstract knowledge.
If you’re looking for two other examples that illustrate the use of linking words, look at my video on YouTube (around 03:13).
Add flow by adding linking words.
So, linking words, connectors, and linkers (all the same) are words that add flow and cohesion to your text. By thinking about the linking words while you’re working on the outline of your writing, you can add them at natural points in your story and text.
Linking words are also handy tools to indicate that you’re starting a new set of level 2 and 3 sentences in your paragraphs. As you know, level 2 and 3 sentences explain the topic sentence of your paragraph and provide examples that support the topic sentence. Linking words of sequence and examples can introduce these ideas, especially in longer paragraphs.
Can you identify the linking words?
So, now you know how to make your work flow naturally. Challenge yourself by going over this article again and identifying the linking words. Once you’ve identified them, highlight them and indicate how they glue together my ideas in this text, and if you’re really up to it, try finding different linking words that I could have used instead.
