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Firstly, secondly, thirdly. ...

 In view of; in light of; considering. ...
 According to X; X stated that; referring to the views of X. ...
 Moreover; furthermore; in addition; what's more. ...
 In order to; to that end; to this end.

 In other words; to put it another way; that is; to put it more simply
 Similarly; likewise; another key fact to remember; as well as; an equally
significant aspect of
 Conversely; however; alternatively; on the contrary; on the other hand;
whereas
 By contrast; in comparison; then again; that said; yet
 Despite this; provided that; nonetheless
 Importantly; significantly; notably; another key point
 For instance; to give an illustration of; to exemplify; to demonstrate; as
evidence; to elucidate
 In conclusion; to conclude; to summarise; in sum; in the final analysis;
on close analysis
 Persuasive; compelling
 Therefore; this suggests that; it can be seen that; the consequence is
 Above all; chiefly; especially; most significantly; it should be noted
 All things considered
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 In other words; to put it another way; that is; to put it more simply
1. Firstly, secondly, thirdly

Even though it sounds obvious, your argument will be clearer if you

deliver the ideas in the right order. These words can help you to offer
clarity and structure to the way you expose your ideas. This is an
extremely effective method of presenting the facts clearly. Don’t be too
rigid and feel you have to number each point, but using this system can
be a good way to get an argument off the ground, and link arguments
together.

2. In view of; in light of; considering

These essay phrases are useful to begin your essay. They help you pose
your argument based on what other authors have said or a general
concern about your research. They can also both be used when a piece of
evidence sheds new light on an argument. Here’s an example:

The result of the American invasion has severely impaired American

interests in the Middle East, exponentially increasing popular hostility to
the United States throughout the region, a factor which has proved to be
a powerful recruitment tool for extremist terrorist groups (Isakhan,
2015). Considering [or In light of / In view of] the perceived resulting
threat to American interests, it could be argued that the Bush
administration failed to fully consider the impact of their actions before
pushing forward with the war.

3. According to X; X stated that; referring to the views of X

Introducing the views of an author who has a comprehensive knowledge

of your particular area of study is a crucial part of essay writing.
Including a quote that fits naturally into your work can be a bit of a
struggle, but these academic phrases provide a great way in.
Even though it’s fine to reference a quote in your introduction, we don’t
recommend you start your essay with a direct quote. Use your own words
to sum up the views you’re mentioning, for example:
As Einstein often reiterated, experiments can prove theories, but
experiments don’t give birth to theories.

Rather than:
“A theory can be proved by experiment, but no path leads from
experiment to the birth of a theory.” {Albert Einstein, 1954, Einstein: A
Biography}.

See the difference?

And be sure to reference correctly too, when using quotes or paraphrasing

someone else's words.

Adding information and flow

The flow of your essay is extremely important. You don’t want your
reader to be confused by the rhythm of your writing and get distracted
away from your argument, do you? No! So, we recommend using some
of the following ‘flow’ words, which are guaranteed to help you articulate
your ideas and arguments in a chronological and structured order.

4. Moreover; furthermore; in addition; what’s more

These types of academic phrases are perfect for expanding or adding to a

point you’ve already made without interrupting the flow altogether.
“Moreover”, “furthermore” and “in addition” are also great linking
phrases to begin a new paragraph.
Here are some examples:
The dissociation of tau protein from microtubules destabilises the latter
resulting in changes to cell structure, and neuronal transport. Moreover,
mitochondrial dysfunction leads to further oxidative stress causing
increased levels of nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide and lipid
peroxidases.

And:

On the data of this trial, no treatment recommendations should be made.

The patients are suspected, but not confirmed, to suffer from pneumonia.
Furthermore, five days is too short a follow up time to confirm clinical
cure.

5. In order to; to that end; to this end

These are helpful academic phrases to introduce an explanation or state

your aim. Oftentimes your essay will have to prove how you intend to
achieve your goals. By using these sentences you can easily expand on
points that will add clarity to the reader.

For example:

My research entailed hours of listening and recording the sound of

whales in order to understand how they communicate.

Or...

Dutch tech companies offer support in the fight against the virus. To this
end, an online meeting took place on Wednesday...

Even though we recommend the use of these phrases, DO NOT use them
too often. You may think you sound like a real academic but it can be a
sign of overwriting!
6. In other words; to put it another way; that is; to put it more

simply

Complement complex ideas with simple descriptions by using these

sentences. These are excellent academic phrases to improve the
continuity of your essay writing. They should be used to explain a point
you’ve already made in a slightly different way. Don’t use them to repeat
yourself, but rather to elaborate on a certain point that needs further
explanation. Or, to succinctly round up what just came before.

For example:
A null hypothesis is a statement that there is no relationship between
phenomena. In other words, there is no treatment effect.

Or...

Nothing could come to be in this pre-world time, “because no part of

such a time possesses, as compared with any other, a distinguishing
condition of existence rather than non-existence.” That is, nothing exists
in this pre-world time, and so there can be nothing that causes the world
to come into existence.

7. Similarly; likewise; another key fact to remember; as well as; an

equally significant aspect of

These essay words are a good choice to add a piece of information that
agrees with an argument or fact you just mentioned. In academic writing,
it is very relevant to include points of view that concur with your opinion.
This will help you to situate your research within a research context.

Also, academic words and phrases like the above are also especially
useful so as not to repeat the word ‘also’ too many times. (We did that on
purpose to prove our point!) Your reader will be put off by the repetitive
use of simple conjunctions. The quality of your essay will drastically
improve just by using academic phrases and words such as ‘similarly’, ‘as
well as’, etc. Here, let us show you what we mean:

In 1996, then-transport minister Steve Norris enthused about

quadrupling cycling trips by 2012. Similarly, former prime minister
David Cameron promised a “cycling revolution” in 2013…

Or

Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) aims to bridge the gap of access to

electricity across the continent (...). Another key fact to remember is that
it must expand cost-efficient access to electricity to nearly 1 billion
people.

The wording “not only… but also” is a useful way to elaborate on a

similarity in your arguments but in a more striking way.

Comparing and contrasting information

Academic essays often include opposite opinions or information in order

to prove a point. It is important to show all the aspects that are relevant to
your research. Include facts and researchers’ views that disagree with a
point of your essay to show your knowledge of your particular field of
study. Below are a few words and ways of introducing alternative
arguments.

8. Conversely; however; alternatively; on the contrary; on the other

hand; whereas

Finding a seamless method to present an alternative perspective or theory

can be hard work, but these terms and phrases can help you introduce the
other side of the argument. Let's look at some examples:
89% of respondents living in joint families reported feeling financially
secure. Conversely, only 64% of those who lived in nuclear families said
they felt financially secure.

And...

The first protagonist has a social role to fill in being a father to those
around him, whereas the second protagonist relies on the security and
knowledge offered to him by Chaplin.

“On the other hand” can also be used to make comparisons when worded
together with “on the one hand.”

9. By contrast; in comparison; then again; that said; yet

These essay phrases show contrast, compare facts, and present

uncertainty regarding a point in your research. “That said” and “yet” in
particular will demonstrate your expertise on a topic by showing the
conditions or limitations of your research area. For example:

All the tests were positive. That said, we must also consider the fact that
some of them had inconclusive results.

10. Despite this; provided that; nonetheless

Use these phrases and essay words to demonstrate a positive aspect of

your subject-matter regardless of lack of evidence, logic, coherence, or
criticism. Again, this kind of information adds clarity and expertise to
your academic writing.

A good example is:

Despite the criticism received by X, the popularity of X remains

undiminished.
11. Importantly; significantly; notably; another key point

Another way to add contrast is by highlighting the relevance of a fact or

opinion in the context of your research. These academic words help to
introduce a sentence or paragraph that contains a very meaningful point
in your essay.

Giving examples

A good piece of academic writing will always include examples.

Illustrating your essay with examples will make your arguments stronger.
Most of the time, examples are a way to clarify an explanation; they
usually offer an image that the reader can recognise. The most common
way to introduce an illustration is “for example.” However, in order not
to repeat yourself here are a few other options.

12. For instance; to give an illustration of; to exemplify; to

demonstrate; as evidence; to elucidate

The academic essays that are receiving top marks are the ones that back
up every single point made. These academic phrases are a useful way to
introduce an example. If you have a lot of examples, avoid repeating the
same phrase to facilitate the readability of your essay.

Here’s an example:

‘High involvement shopping’, an experiential process described by Wu et

al. (2015, p. 299) relies upon the development of an identity-based
alliance between the customer and the brand. Celebrity status at Prada,
for example, has created an alliance between the brand and a new
generation of millennial customers.
Concluding your essay

Concluding words for essays are necessary to wrap up your

argument. Your conclusion must include a brief summary of the ideas
that you just exposed without being redundant. The way these ideas are
expressed should lead to the final statement and core point you have
arrived at in your present research.

13. In conclusion; to conclude; to summarise; in sum; in the final

analysis; on close analysis

These are phrases for essays that will introduce your concluding
paragraph. You can use them at the beginning of a sentence. They will
show the reader that your essay is coming to an end:

On close analysis and appraisal, we see that the study by Cortis lacks
essential features of the highest quality quantitative research.

14. Persuasive; compelling

Essay words like these ones can help you emphasize the most relevant
arguments of your paper. Both are used in the same way: “the most
persuasive/compelling argument is…”.

15. Therefore; this suggests that; it can be seen that; the

consequence is

When you’re explaining the significance of the results of a piece of

research, these phrases provide the perfect lead up to your explanation.
16. Above all; chiefly; especially; most significantly; it should be

noted

Your summary should include the most relevant information or research

factor that guided you to your conclusion. Contrary to words such as
“persuasive” or “compelling”, these essay words are helpful to draw
attention to an important point. For example:

The feasibility and effectiveness of my research has been proven chiefly

in the last round of laboratory tests.

Or...

Film noir is, and will continue to be, highly debatable, controversial, and
unmarketable – but above all, for audience members past, present and to
come, extremely enjoyable as a form of screen media entertainment.

17. All things considered

This essay phrase is meant to articulate how you give reasons to your
conclusions. It means that after you considered all the aspects related to
your study, you have arrived to the conclusion you are demonstrating.

Summary

After mastering the use of these academic words and phrases, we

guarantee you will see an immediate change in the quality of your essays.
The structure will be easier to follow, and the reader’s experience will
improve. You’ll also feel more confident articulating your ideas and
using facts and examples. So jot them all down, and watch your essays go
from ‘good’ to ‘great’!
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