Learning English

Some useful phrases

In this session we're going to teach you some useful linking devices of cause and effect. To begin with, let's look at cause and effect.

When we speak or write, we communicate ideas. Sometimes there is a direct link or connection between one idea and the next. Idea 1 happens, then something else happens as a result, which is idea 2.

This is a cause and effect relationship. Take a look at this example:

• (Cause) The population has increased.
• (Effect) The government is going to build more houses.

Here's another:

• (Cause) There was a power cut.
• (Effect) I couldn't watch TV.

We could link these ideas with a simple word like so.

• The population has increased so the government is going to build more houses.
• There was a power cut so I couldn't watch TV.

But let's learn some more advanced ways, using linking devices.

Read the text and complete the activity

Form

Group 1: Therefore, consequently, as a result, thus

These are also called conjunctive adverbs, and they all behave in the same way. So how do we use them to join ideas together? This is how we could do it with consequently. Notice the comma after consequently:

• The population has increased. Consequently, the government is going to build more houses.

Or we could join the two sentences together using a semi-colon + consequently + comma:

• The population has increased; consequently, the government is going to build more houses.

But you can't just add consequently without a semi-colon or comma. This is wrong:

• The population has increased consequently the government is going to build more houses.

We can also replace consequently with any of the Group 1 words or phrases: 

• The population has increased. As a result, the government is going to build more houses.
• The population has increased; therefore, the government is going to build more houses.

Note

Therefore and consequently are used mainly in writing or formal speech. Thus is a little old-fashioned but is sometimes used in academic writing. That's why is very common in informal speech. In writing, we usually use it at the beginning of a sentence.

• The traffic was terrible. That's why I'm late.

To do

Choose the correct answers. The first two questions will test your knowledge of cause and effect, the next four will test your ability to use linking devices from Group 1.

Next

Now we're going to look at the next group of linking devices. Join us on the next page!