Business and technology qualifications, Levels 3-6, in Brussels. Explore qualifications
Portal login
Diploma in Higher Education Studies

Linking ideas with connectives

HES 101 · English for Academic Purposes — Week 9 of 16

CourseHES 101
Week9 of 16
SemesterI
TutorOnline in the course chat

This week’s topics

Linking ideas with connectives

  1. First, however, therefore, in addition
  2. Joining sentences smoothly

What you will be able to do

  • 2.1 Construct a topic sentence and supporting paragraph.
  • 2.2 Use formal register and avoid colloquial language.

Activity

Improve a paragraph by adding connectives and removing repetition.

Study materials

Further resources

  • Writing Guide with Handbook, ch. 10.6: Paragraphs and transitions · PDF · OpenStax (2021), connectives that link ideas; p. 343 · for registered students
  • Writing for Success, ch. 9.3: Organizing your writing (transitions) · PDF · Saylor (2012); pp. 353–358 · for registered students
  • Writing for Success, ch. 7.2: Coordination and subordination · PDF · Saylor (2012), joining sentences smoothly; pp. 264–272 · for registered students
  • The development and use of cohesive devices in L2 writing · Open-access article · Crossley et al. (2016), Journal of Second Language Writing. How students' use of connectives such as however and therefore develops and affects marks. · for registered students
  • Metadiscourse: What is it and where is it going? · Open-access article · Hyland (2017), Journal of Pragmatics. Readable overview of linking and signposting language in academic texts. · for registered students
Materials marked “for registered students” open in the student portal, which is set up as soon as you receive final acceptance.
MidtermWeek 10
Course chat

Admitted students ask questions on this week’s page in the student portal: an AI assistant trained on the course answers first, and during the course’s timetabled classes Connect to your tutor brings your tutor into the chat, who may start a call if needed.

Open this week in the portal
Course plan
  • Week 1: How a non-fiction article is organised
  • Week 2: Reading for the main idea: skimming
  • Week 3: Finding information fast: scanning
  • Week 4: The parts of an academic article
  • Week 5: Formal and informal English
  • Week 6: Building a paragraph: the topic sentence
  • Week 7: Supporting your point with evidence and examples
  • Midterm: Midterm evaluation
  • Week 9: Linking ideas with connectives
  • Week 10: Listening to a short lecture
  • Week 11: Taking notes that work
  • Week 12: Summarising in your own words
  • Week 13: From lecture notes to a summary
  • Week 14: Checking and improving your writing
  • Week 15: Review and coursework completion
  • Final: Final assessment and submission
Back to the course
Scroll