Supervisor comment: 'ideas flow from one paragraph to the next'
Your paragraphs may all be succinct and focused on the question, but without connective words/phrases, ideas can seem disjointed, affecting the development of your argument. Your essay can seem to be more a series of statements than a coherent, reasoned piece of academic writing. Using connectives should prompt you to link and develop points, although it is advisable not to overuse them or the structure could appear contrived and your argument less sophisticated.
Look at the examples below and decide which connectives would best suit a 'compare and contrast' question. This short list is by no means comprehensive; it is intended to prompt you to compile a bank of useful terms, not simply for contrasting concepts, but also to ensure that your arguments develop beyond statement of fact.
Examples of connectives
- Consequently
- Subsequently
- Therefore
- Although
- While/Whilst
- Whereas
Activity
Highlight any connective words or phrases in this essay (.pdf) which compares and contrasts eukaryotic with prokaryotic cells and note which effect you feel this has on the structure of the argument.
- Are connective devices used throughout?
- How suited are they to the question?
- How sophisticated are they?
Now click here to access the supervisor's feedback on the connectives in the essay above.