EnglishAges 16-18

Academic transitions & discourse markers

Select appropriate academic transitions for contrast, concession, cause, illustration and synthesis. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.

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Age band:Ages 13-15 Ages 16-18

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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 16-18

Academic transitions & discourse markers

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Choose the grammatically correct concessive conjunction before a full clause: “____ the rain was heavy, the match continued” (Although / Despite).
Choose the grammatically c… · Academic transitions & dis…
2. Which discourse marker adds a reinforcing argument in the same direction: “moreover” (or “furthermore”) or “nevertheless”?
“moreover” · “furthermore” · Academic transitions & dis…
3. Which discourse marker introduces the exact opposite situation or reverse perspective: “conversely” or “accordingly”?
“conversely” · “accordingly” · Academic transitions & dis…
4. Which discourse marker draws a parallel between two comparable cases: “similarly” (or “likewise”) or “on the contrary”?
“similarly” · “likewise” · Academic transitions & dis…
5. Which causal preposition phrase means “because of” before a noun phrase: “owing to” (or “due to”) or “whereas”?
“because of” · “owing to” · Academic transitions & dis…
6. Choose the grammatically correct concessive phrase before a noun phrase: “____ the heavy rain, the match continued” (Despite / Although).
Choose the grammatically c… · Academic transitions & dis…
7. Which temporal transition indicates that a second event was happening at the exact same time in another place: “meanwhile” (or “simultaneously”) or “hitherto”?
“meanwhile” · “simultaneously” · Academic transitions & dis…
8. Which discourse marker introduces the first stage of a chronological sequence: “initially” (or “firstly”) or “subsequently”?
“initially” · “firstly” · Academic transitions & dis…
9. Which preposition of concession is followed directly by a noun phrase or -ing form (WITHOUT “of”): “despite” or “although”?
“of” · “despite” · Academic transitions & dis…
10. Which discourse marker means “after that” or “as a later step in time”: “subsequently” or “previously”?
“after that” · “subsequently” · Academic transitions & dis…
11. Which pair of correlative transitions balances two sides of a dilemma: “on the one hand … on the other hand” or “firstly … finally”?
“firstly … finally” · Academic transitions & dis…
12. Which subordinating conjunction contrasts two simultaneous facts within a single sentence: “Solar energy is renewable, ____ coal is a finite fossil fuel” (whereas / therefore)?
Which subordinating conjun… · Academic transitions & dis…

12 questions · Seed 104729 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 16-18

Academic transitions & discourse markers

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Choose the grammatically correct concessive conjunction before a full clause: “____ the rain was heavy, the match continued” (Although / Despite).
Although
“The rain was heavy” is a full clause with subject and verb, so it requires the subordinating conjunction “Although”.
2. Which discourse marker adds a reinforcing argument in the same direction: “moreover” (or “furthermore”) or “nevertheless”?
moreover (or furthermore)
“Moreover” and “furthermore” add an additional supporting point of even greater weight.
3. Which discourse marker introduces the exact opposite situation or reverse perspective: “conversely” or “accordingly”?
conversely
“Conversely” reverses the terms or direction of the previous comparison.
4. Which discourse marker draws a parallel between two comparable cases: “similarly” (or “likewise”) or “on the contrary”?
similarly (or likewise)
“Similarly” and “likewise” show that a second case follows the same pattern as the first.
5. Which causal preposition phrase means “because of” before a noun phrase: “owing to” (or “due to”) or “whereas”?
owing to (or due to)
“Owing to” and “due to” introduce a noun phrase explaining the cause.
6. Choose the grammatically correct concessive phrase before a noun phrase: “____ the heavy rain, the match continued” (Despite / Although).
Despite
“The heavy rain” is a noun phrase, so it requires the preposition “Despite” (whereas “Although” requires a full clause with a verb).
7. Which temporal transition indicates that a second event was happening at the exact same time in another place: “meanwhile” (or “simultaneously”) or “hitherto”?
meanwhile (or simultaneously)
“Meanwhile” links concurrent actions occurring during the same interval.
8. Which discourse marker introduces the first stage of a chronological sequence: “initially” (or “firstly”) or “subsequently”?
initially (or firstly)
“Initially” marks what happened at the very beginning of a process.
9. Which preposition of concession is followed directly by a noun phrase or -ing form (WITHOUT “of”): “despite” or “although”?
despite
Use “despite + noun phrase” (or “in spite of + noun phrase”); never write “despite of”.
10. Which discourse marker means “after that” or “as a later step in time”: “subsequently” or “previously”?
subsequently
“Subsequently” indicates an event that occurred after the previously mentioned one.
11. Which pair of correlative transitions balances two sides of a dilemma: “on the one hand … on the other hand” or “firstly … finally”?
on the one hand … on the other hand
This paired structure weighs two competing considerations side by side.
12. Which subordinating conjunction contrasts two simultaneous facts within a single sentence: “Solar energy is renewable, ____ coal is a finite fossil fuel” (whereas / therefore)?
whereas
“Whereas” (or “while”) directly contrasts two clauses within the same sentence.

12 questions · Seed 104729 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 16-18

Academic transitions & discourse markers

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Choose the grammatically correct concessive conjunction before a full clause: “____ the rain was heavy, the match continued” (Although / Despite).
Choose the grammatically c… · Academic transitions & dis…
2. Which discourse marker adds a reinforcing argument in the same direction: “moreover” (or “furthermore”) or “nevertheless”?
“moreover” · “furthermore” · Academic transitions & dis…
3. Which discourse marker introduces the exact opposite situation or reverse perspective: “conversely” or “accordingly”?
“conversely” · “accordingly” · Academic transitions & dis…
4. Which discourse marker draws a parallel between two comparable cases: “similarly” (or “likewise”) or “on the contrary”?
“similarly” · “likewise” · Academic transitions & dis…
5. Which causal preposition phrase means “because of” before a noun phrase: “owing to” (or “due to”) or “whereas”?
“because of” · “owing to” · Academic transitions & dis…
6. Choose the grammatically correct concessive phrase before a noun phrase: “____ the heavy rain, the match continued” (Despite / Although).
Choose the grammatically c… · Academic transitions & dis…
7. Which temporal transition indicates that a second event was happening at the exact same time in another place: “meanwhile” (or “simultaneously”) or “hitherto”?
“meanwhile” · “simultaneously” · Academic transitions & dis…
8. Which discourse marker introduces the first stage of a chronological sequence: “initially” (or “firstly”) or “subsequently”?
“initially” · “firstly” · Academic transitions & dis…
9. Which preposition of concession is followed directly by a noun phrase or -ing form (WITHOUT “of”): “despite” or “although”?
“of” · “despite” · Academic transitions & dis…
10. Which discourse marker means “after that” or “as a later step in time”: “subsequently” or “previously”?
“after that” · “subsequently” · Academic transitions & dis…
11. Which pair of correlative transitions balances two sides of a dilemma: “on the one hand … on the other hand” or “firstly … finally”?
“firstly … finally” · Academic transitions & dis…
12. Which subordinating conjunction contrasts two simultaneous facts within a single sentence: “Solar energy is renewable, ____ coal is a finite fossil fuel” (whereas / therefore)?
Which subordinating conjun… · Academic transitions & dis…

12 questions · Seed 104729 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 16-18

Academic transitions & discourse markers

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Choose the grammatically correct concessive conjunction before a full clause: “____ the rain was heavy, the match continued” (Although / Despite).
Although
“The rain was heavy” is a full clause with subject and verb, so it requires the subordinating conjunction “Although”.
2. Which discourse marker adds a reinforcing argument in the same direction: “moreover” (or “furthermore”) or “nevertheless”?
moreover (or furthermore)
“Moreover” and “furthermore” add an additional supporting point of even greater weight.
3. Which discourse marker introduces the exact opposite situation or reverse perspective: “conversely” or “accordingly”?
conversely
“Conversely” reverses the terms or direction of the previous comparison.
4. Which discourse marker draws a parallel between two comparable cases: “similarly” (or “likewise”) or “on the contrary”?
similarly (or likewise)
“Similarly” and “likewise” show that a second case follows the same pattern as the first.
5. Which causal preposition phrase means “because of” before a noun phrase: “owing to” (or “due to”) or “whereas”?
owing to (or due to)
“Owing to” and “due to” introduce a noun phrase explaining the cause.
6. Choose the grammatically correct concessive phrase before a noun phrase: “____ the heavy rain, the match continued” (Despite / Although).
Despite
“The heavy rain” is a noun phrase, so it requires the preposition “Despite” (whereas “Although” requires a full clause with a verb).
7. Which temporal transition indicates that a second event was happening at the exact same time in another place: “meanwhile” (or “simultaneously”) or “hitherto”?
meanwhile (or simultaneously)
“Meanwhile” links concurrent actions occurring during the same interval.
8. Which discourse marker introduces the first stage of a chronological sequence: “initially” (or “firstly”) or “subsequently”?
initially (or firstly)
“Initially” marks what happened at the very beginning of a process.
9. Which preposition of concession is followed directly by a noun phrase or -ing form (WITHOUT “of”): “despite” or “although”?
despite
Use “despite + noun phrase” (or “in spite of + noun phrase”); never write “despite of”.
10. Which discourse marker means “after that” or “as a later step in time”: “subsequently” or “previously”?
subsequently
“Subsequently” indicates an event that occurred after the previously mentioned one.
11. Which pair of correlative transitions balances two sides of a dilemma: “on the one hand … on the other hand” or “firstly … finally”?
on the one hand … on the other hand
This paired structure weighs two competing considerations side by side.
12. Which subordinating conjunction contrasts two simultaneous facts within a single sentence: “Solar energy is renewable, ____ coal is a finite fossil fuel” (whereas / therefore)?
whereas
“Whereas” (or “while”) directly contrasts two clauses within the same sentence.

12 questions · Seed 104729 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification