Complete the following sentences, then replace the phrases in bold with other similar ones

1 Regardless of the fact that country life can be much healthier than city life, ……………
2 Efforts have been made to reduce discrimination between men and women; nonetheless, ………………………………………………………..
3 In spite of making some attempts to end wars worldwide, ………………………
4 Many people feel that the testing of products on animals is cruel, while……………………..

Useful expressions and linking words/phrases to list points:
Firstly, First of all, In the first place; To begin/start with, Secondly, Thirdly, Finally
to list advantages:One (very convincing) point/argument in favour of… /
One/Another/A further/An additional (major) advantage of… is (that); The main/greatest/first advantage of… is …
to list disadvantages:
One/Another/ A further/An additional (major) disadvantage/drawback of...is (that); The main/greatest/most serious/first disadvantage /drawback of… Another negative aspect of…
to introduce points/arguments for or against:
It could be argued that…..
It is often claimed/suggested that…..
It is widely argued that…..
It is generally believed/held that…..

Some/many/most people/experts/scientist/skeptics/critics ...claim/suggest/argue/feel that…
...maintain/believe/point out/agree/hold that…
...support the view that…
...oppose the view that…
...are in favour of/against…
...are of the opinion that/convinced that…
...are opposed to…

To add more points to the same topic:
in addition (to this), furthermore, moreover, besides, apart from, what is more, as well as, also, not only … but also/as well, both … and;
To make contrasting points:
on the other hand, however, still, yet, but, nonetheless, nevertheless, even so,
others/many people oppose this viewpoint/strongly disagree…, claim/feel/believe this argument is incorrect
although, though, even though, while, whilst, whereas, despite/in spite of (the fact that), regardless of the fact that
To introduce examples:
for example, for instance, such as, like, in particular, particularly, especially, This is (clearly) illustrated/shown by the fact that… One/A clear/striking/ typical example of (this)… The fact that…. shows/illustrates that…
To emphasise a point:
clearly, obviously, it is obvious, naturally, of course, needless to say, indeed
To express reality:
In fact, the fact (of the matter) is, actually, in practice, it is a fact that, in effect
To make general statements:
as a (general) rule, generally, in general, on the whole, by and large, in most cases
To make partially correct statements:
to a certain extent/degree, to some extent/degree, in a way/sense, this is partly true (but), to a limited extent, there is some truth in (this), in some cases, up to a point
To explain/clarify a point:
in other words, that is to say, which means that
To express cause: owing to, due to (the fact that), because, as, since
To express effect: therefore, thus, as a result/consequence, consequently, so, for this reason, if… were to happen, … the effect/result would be…
To express intention: to, so as to, in order to, so that, with the intention of (+ing)

Exercises

1 Read the items below and say whether the second sentence presents an additional or contrasting point. Then, join the sentences using appropriate words/phrases.
1) Alternative medicines treat the symptoms of a disease. Conventional medicines treat the underlying cause of a disorder.
2) Alternative medicine makes use of natural products rather than drugs. Alternative medicines are not tested on animals.
3) Conventional doctors have recognisable and respected qualifications. Conventional treatments are widely available to everyone.
4) People trust conventional treatments because they are tested scientifically. People are often suspicious of alternative methods which sometimes rely on a "trial and error" technique.
5) Alternative treatments cause few or no side-effects. Conventional treatments can cause severe side-effects.

2 Fill in the gaps using words/phrases from the list. Some words/phrases can be used more than once.
up to a point, especially, indeed, this means, needless to say, in general, in fact, the fact that, obviously, example

1 ……………………………………. , people have mixed feelings about the effects tourism has on a country.
2 Most people believe that computers always make life easier, but………………………………….. , the opposite is sometimes true since they often cause problems when they break down.
3 ………………………………….testing products on animals is cruel, but it is difficult to find a suitable alternative.
4 A typical …………………………… of the benefits of country life is the fact that there is very little pollution from traffic.
5 …………………………………….. more and more zoos are closing down shows that fewer people agree with keeping animals in captivity and, therefore, do not want to visit them any longer.
6 Using public transport can be a nuisance, ………………………………… when buses and trains are late during rush hour periods.
7 Advances in medical science mean that cures have been found for many diseases. …………………………… people live longer nowadays.
8 …………………………………., most people agree that more effort should be made where the recycling of materials is concerned.
9 More and more women are going back to work after the birth of their children and ………………………………. they have to find someone to look after the children during the day.

3 Join the sentences using the linking words in the list below.
due to, in addition to, on the grounds, therefore, with the intention of
1 The government has launched a campaign to promote new business rural areas. They hope to draw p away from the large urban centres.
2 Television is a highly entertaining medium. It can also be an excellent educational tool.
3 Freedom of expression is one of man's basic, inalienable rights. People should be allowed to publish books containing all their beliefs and ideas.
4 Consumerism is becoming more and more apart of modern societies. This is because of advertising and the mass media.
5 Many people object to smoking. This is because passive smoking can be extremely harmful to one's health.

Useful expressions and linking words/phrases: Conclusion expressing opinion directly
In conclusion,
On balance,
All things considered,
Taking everything into account/consideration,
To conclude,
To sum up,
All in all,

…………………………… it is my belief/opinion that …
………………………….. I (firmly) believe/feel/think that …
…………………………… I am convinced that …

Examples of summing up:

For the above-mentioned reasons, therefore, I firmly believe that if people are taught a keen sense of responsibility towards themselves and others, then they will have the best possible start in life. The way I see it, taking full responsibility for one's own actions is central to leading an honest life.

On balance, it seems that a sense of responsibility has a role to play in a young person's development. Nevertheless, when placed alongside other human qualities, such as honesty and integrity, it is by no means the most useful.

Topics:

"Should countries encourage tourism?"

"Circus and zoo animals: captured or rescued?"

ЗНО: вариант 1 (тоненькая); вариант 7, 8, 11 (толстенькая);