40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays Oxford Royale Academy

particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a
problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance.
Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without
the sun.”
4. That is to say
Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your
explanation, or to be more precise.
Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”
5. To that end
Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”.
Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with
each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds
and their possible meanings.”
Adding additional information to support
a point
Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to
add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to 
build an argument
.
Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.
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6. Moreover
Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in
support of a point you’re making.
Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling
evidence in support of…”
7. Furthermore
Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information.
Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”
8. What’s more
Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”.
Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”
9. Likewise
Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what
you’ve just mentioned.
Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of
this point of view.”
10. Similarly
Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”.
Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because
it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react
with surprise to the unfamiliar.”
11. Another key thing to remember
Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to
remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”.
Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between
humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during
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the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”
12. As well as
Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”.
Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”
13. Not only… but also
Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something
that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information.
Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the
summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the
British Empire.”
14. Coupled with
Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time.
Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view
of…”
15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…
Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the
other.
Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And
thirdly, Z.
16. Not to mention/to say nothing of
Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information
with a bit of emphasis.
Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to
mention its impact on the country’s economy.”
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Words and phrases for demonstrating
contrast
When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or
opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X
says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in
these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.
17. However
Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said.
Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”
18. On the other hand
Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the
same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or
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