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 preposition of concession is followed directly by a noun phrase or -ing form (WITHOUT “of”): “despite” or “although”?
“of” · “despite” · Academic transitions & dis…
2. Which discourse marker draws a parallel between two comparable cases: “similarly” (or “likewise”) or “on the contrary”?
“similarly” · “likewise” · Academic transitions & dis…
3. Which discourse marker introduces a contrasting point or concession: “however” or “furthermore”?
“however” · “furthermore” · Academic transitions & dis…
4. Which transition word means “correspondingly” or “in a way that is appropriate to the circumstances”: “accordingly” or “alternatively”?
“correspondingly” · “according · Academic transitions & dis…
5. Which discourse marker acknowledges an opposing point as true before pivoting to a stronger counter-argument: “admittedly” (or “granted”) or “hence”?
“admittedly” · “granted” · Academic transitions & dis…
6. Which discourse marker signals that the writer is summing up the overall argument at the end of an essay: “in conclusion” (or “to summarise”) or “initially”?
“in conclusion” · “to summaris · Academic transitions & dis…
7. Which transition phrase restates a complex technical idea in simpler terms: “in other words” or “by contrast”?
“in other words” · “by contras · Academic transitions & dis…
8. Which discourse marker introduces a specific illustration of a general claim: “for instance” (or “for example”) or “despite this”?
“for instance” · “for example” · Academic transitions & dis…
9. Which discourse marker introduces a different option or second possibility: “alternatively” or “consequently”?
“alternatively” · “consequentl · Academic transitions & dis…
10. 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…
11. Which discourse marker signals a logical cause-and-effect conclusion: “consequently” (or “therefore”) or “conversely”?
“consequently” · “therefore” · Academic transitions & dis…
12. 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…

12 questions · Seed 55 · 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 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”.
2. 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.
3. Which discourse marker introduces a contrasting point or concession: “however” or “furthermore”?
however
“However” signals a contrast or exception to the preceding statement.
4. Which transition word means “correspondingly” or “in a way that is appropriate to the circumstances”: “accordingly” or “alternatively”?
accordingly
“Accordingly” connects a situation to the fitting action taken in response.
5. Which discourse marker acknowledges an opposing point as true before pivoting to a stronger counter-argument: “admittedly” (or “granted”) or “hence”?
admittedly (or granted)
“Admittedly” makes a strategic concession (often followed by “however” in the next clause).
6. Which discourse marker signals that the writer is summing up the overall argument at the end of an essay: “in conclusion” (or “to summarise”) or “initially”?
in conclusion (or to summarise)
“In conclusion” signals the synthesis and final takeaway of an argument.
7. Which transition phrase restates a complex technical idea in simpler terms: “in other words” or “by contrast”?
in other words
“In other words” paraphrases or clarifies the preceding statement.
8. Which discourse marker introduces a specific illustration of a general claim: “for instance” (or “for example”) or “despite this”?
for instance (or for example)
“For instance” signals that a concrete example is about to illustrate the general principle.
9. Which discourse marker introduces a different option or second possibility: “alternatively” or “consequently”?
alternatively
“Alternatively” proposes another course of action.
10. 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).
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 55 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 16-18

Academic transitions & discourse markers

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Which preposition of concession is followed directly by a noun phrase or -ing form (WITHOUT “of”): “despite” or “although”?
“of” · “despite” · Academic transitions & dis…
2. Which discourse marker draws a parallel between two comparable cases: “similarly” (or “likewise”) or “on the contrary”?
“similarly” · “likewise” · Academic transitions & dis…
3. Which discourse marker introduces a contrasting point or concession: “however” or “furthermore”?
“however” · “furthermore” · Academic transitions & dis…
4. Which transition word means “correspondingly” or “in a way that is appropriate to the circumstances”: “accordingly” or “alternatively”?
“correspondingly” · “according · Academic transitions & dis…
5. Which discourse marker acknowledges an opposing point as true before pivoting to a stronger counter-argument: “admittedly” (or “granted”) or “hence”?
“admittedly” · “granted” · Academic transitions & dis…
6. Which discourse marker signals that the writer is summing up the overall argument at the end of an essay: “in conclusion” (or “to summarise”) or “initially”?
“in conclusion” · “to summaris · Academic transitions & dis…
7. Which transition phrase restates a complex technical idea in simpler terms: “in other words” or “by contrast”?
“in other words” · “by contras · Academic transitions & dis…
8. Which discourse marker introduces a specific illustration of a general claim: “for instance” (or “for example”) or “despite this”?
“for instance” · “for example” · Academic transitions & dis…
9. Which discourse marker introduces a different option or second possibility: “alternatively” or “consequently”?
“alternatively” · “consequentl · Academic transitions & dis…
10. 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…
11. Which discourse marker signals a logical cause-and-effect conclusion: “consequently” (or “therefore”) or “conversely”?
“consequently” · “therefore” · Academic transitions & dis…
12. 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…

12 questions · Seed 55 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 16-18

Academic transitions & discourse markers

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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”.
2. 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.
3. Which discourse marker introduces a contrasting point or concession: “however” or “furthermore”?
however
“However” signals a contrast or exception to the preceding statement.
4. Which transition word means “correspondingly” or “in a way that is appropriate to the circumstances”: “accordingly” or “alternatively”?
accordingly
“Accordingly” connects a situation to the fitting action taken in response.
5. Which discourse marker acknowledges an opposing point as true before pivoting to a stronger counter-argument: “admittedly” (or “granted”) or “hence”?
admittedly (or granted)
“Admittedly” makes a strategic concession (often followed by “however” in the next clause).
6. Which discourse marker signals that the writer is summing up the overall argument at the end of an essay: “in conclusion” (or “to summarise”) or “initially”?
in conclusion (or to summarise)
“In conclusion” signals the synthesis and final takeaway of an argument.
7. Which transition phrase restates a complex technical idea in simpler terms: “in other words” or “by contrast”?
in other words
“In other words” paraphrases or clarifies the preceding statement.
8. Which discourse marker introduces a specific illustration of a general claim: “for instance” (or “for example”) or “despite this”?
for instance (or for example)
“For instance” signals that a concrete example is about to illustrate the general principle.
9. Which discourse marker introduces a different option or second possibility: “alternatively” or “consequently”?
alternatively
“Alternatively” proposes another course of action.
10. 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).
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 55 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification