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. Which discourse marker means “after that” or “as a later step in time”: “subsequently” or “previously”?
“after that” · “subsequently” · Academic transitions & dis…
2. Which discourse marker signals a logical cause-and-effect conclusion: “consequently” (or “therefore”) or “conversely”?
“consequently” · “therefore” · Academic transitions & dis…
3. Which preposition of concession is followed directly by a noun phrase or -ing form (WITHOUT “of”): “despite” or “although”?
“of” · “despite” · Academic transitions & dis…
4. Which adverbial marker signals that a statement is being made briefly and without unnecessary detail: “briefly” (or “concisely”) or “repeatedly”?
“briefly” · “concisely” · Academic transitions & dis…
5. Which discourse marker introduces the exact opposite situation or reverse perspective: “conversely” or “accordingly”?
“conversely” · “accordingly” · Academic transitions & dis…
6. Which concise formal adverb means “for this reason” or “from this fact”: “hence” (or “thus”) or “meanwhile”?
“for this reason” · “from this · Academic transitions & dis…
7. 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…
8. Which discourse marker introduces a contrasting point or concession: “however” or “furthermore”?
“however” · “furthermore” · Academic transitions & dis…
9. Which discourse marker draws a parallel between two comparable cases: “similarly” (or “likewise”) or “on the contrary”?
“similarly” · “likewise” · Academic transitions & dis…
10. 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…
11. 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…
12. Which discourse marker clarifies that the preceding negative statement is false and states the true opposite: “on the contrary” or “in addition”?
“on the contrary” · “in additi · Academic transitions & dis…

12 questions · Seed 49 · 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. 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.
2. Which discourse marker signals a logical cause-and-effect conclusion: “consequently” (or “therefore”) or “conversely”?
consequently (or therefore)
“Consequently” and “therefore” introduce a result that follows from the previous evidence.
3. 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”.
4. Which adverbial marker signals that a statement is being made briefly and without unnecessary detail: “briefly” (or “concisely”) or “repeatedly”?
briefly (or concisely)
It alerts the reader that the following summary is condensed.
5. 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.
6. Which concise formal adverb means “for this reason” or “from this fact”: “hence” (or “thus”) or “meanwhile”?
hence (or thus)
“Hence” and “thus” indicate logical deduction from the preceding premise.
7. 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.
8. Which discourse marker introduces a contrasting point or concession: “however” or “furthermore”?
however
“However” signals a contrast or exception to the preceding statement.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. Which discourse marker clarifies that the preceding negative statement is false and states the true opposite: “on the contrary” or “in addition”?
on the contrary
After a negative statement (“The reef is not dead; on the contrary, it is thriving”), “on the contrary” intensifies the correction.

12 questions · Seed 49 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 16-18

Academic transitions & discourse markers

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Which discourse marker means “after that” or “as a later step in time”: “subsequently” or “previously”?
“after that” · “subsequently” · Academic transitions & dis…
2. Which discourse marker signals a logical cause-and-effect conclusion: “consequently” (or “therefore”) or “conversely”?
“consequently” · “therefore” · Academic transitions & dis…
3. Which preposition of concession is followed directly by a noun phrase or -ing form (WITHOUT “of”): “despite” or “although”?
“of” · “despite” · Academic transitions & dis…
4. Which adverbial marker signals that a statement is being made briefly and without unnecessary detail: “briefly” (or “concisely”) or “repeatedly”?
“briefly” · “concisely” · Academic transitions & dis…
5. Which discourse marker introduces the exact opposite situation or reverse perspective: “conversely” or “accordingly”?
“conversely” · “accordingly” · Academic transitions & dis…
6. Which concise formal adverb means “for this reason” or “from this fact”: “hence” (or “thus”) or “meanwhile”?
“for this reason” · “from this · Academic transitions & dis…
7. 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…
8. Which discourse marker introduces a contrasting point or concession: “however” or “furthermore”?
“however” · “furthermore” · Academic transitions & dis…
9. Which discourse marker draws a parallel between two comparable cases: “similarly” (or “likewise”) or “on the contrary”?
“similarly” · “likewise” · Academic transitions & dis…
10. 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…
11. 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…
12. Which discourse marker clarifies that the preceding negative statement is false and states the true opposite: “on the contrary” or “in addition”?
“on the contrary” · “in additi · Academic transitions & dis…

12 questions · Seed 49 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 16-18

Academic transitions & discourse markers

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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.
2. Which discourse marker signals a logical cause-and-effect conclusion: “consequently” (or “therefore”) or “conversely”?
consequently (or therefore)
“Consequently” and “therefore” introduce a result that follows from the previous evidence.
3. 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”.
4. Which adverbial marker signals that a statement is being made briefly and without unnecessary detail: “briefly” (or “concisely”) or “repeatedly”?
briefly (or concisely)
It alerts the reader that the following summary is condensed.
5. 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.
6. Which concise formal adverb means “for this reason” or “from this fact”: “hence” (or “thus”) or “meanwhile”?
hence (or thus)
“Hence” and “thus” indicate logical deduction from the preceding premise.
7. 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.
8. Which discourse marker introduces a contrasting point or concession: “however” or “furthermore”?
however
“However” signals a contrast or exception to the preceding statement.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. Which discourse marker clarifies that the preceding negative statement is false and states the true opposite: “on the contrary” or “in addition”?
on the contrary
After a negative statement (“The reef is not dead; on the contrary, it is thriving”), “on the contrary” intensifies the correction.

12 questions · Seed 49 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification