English Writing Skills: 48 Essential Phrases by Type

"To begin with"

used to introduce the first point in an argument

"To begin with, regular exercise improves mental health significantly."

"It is widely acknowledged that"

signals a commonly accepted view

"It is widely acknowledged that climate change poses a serious global threat."

"On the one hand … on the other hand"

presents two contrasting perspectives

"On the one hand, remote work saves commute time; on the other hand, it can feel isolating."

"In conclusion"

signals the final summary of the essay

"In conclusion, the evidence strongly supports renewable energy investment."

"Furthermore"

adds another point to reinforce an argument

"Furthermore, studies show that reading improves vocabulary by 30%."

"Nevertheless"

introduces a contrasting idea despite what was just said

"The policy is costly; nevertheless, its long-term benefits outweigh the expenses."

"This suggests that"

draws a conclusion from evidence

"This suggests that early intervention is key to improving outcomes."

"To sum up"

introduces a brief final summary

"To sum up, all three approaches have merit depending on the context."

"I am writing to enquire about"

formal opening for requesting information

"I am writing to enquire about the availability of the conference room on Friday."

"Please find attached"

used when sending a file or document

"Please find attached the revised report for your review."

"I would be grateful if you could"

politely requests action from the recipient

"I would be grateful if you could confirm receipt of this message."

"With reference to"

refers to a previous communication or topic

"With reference to our meeting last Tuesday, I am following up on the proposal."

"I look forward to hearing from you"

professional closing phrase expressing expectation of a reply

"I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience."

"As per our discussion"

refers back to something agreed in a conversation

"As per our discussion, I have updated the project timeline."

"Should you have any questions"

offers help and invites further communication

"Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me."

"Kindly note that"

draws polite attention to important information

"Kindly note that the deadline has been moved to the 15th."

"As a result"

shows a consequence or outcome

"The company invested in training; as a result, productivity increased by 20%."

"In contrast"

highlights a difference between two ideas

"Urban areas have many job opportunities; in contrast, rural regions often face unemployment."

"In addition to this"

adds supplementary information

"In addition to this, the new policy reduces administrative costs."

"Despite the fact that"

introduces a concession before a contrasting point

"Despite the fact that budgets were cut, the team delivered excellent results."

"With regard to"

introduces a new aspect of the topic

"With regard to housing, the city council is planning major reforms."

"Not only … but also"

emphasises two related points simultaneously

"The programme is not only affordable but also highly effective."

"This is largely due to"

explains the main cause of something

"The rise in obesity is largely due to sedentary lifestyles and poor diet."

"Provided that"

sets a condition

"The project can be approved provided that the budget is confirmed by Friday."

"The evidence suggests that"

introduces a conclusion backed by data

"The evidence suggests that early childhood education yields lifelong economic benefits."

"According to"

attributes a claim to a source

"According to Smith (2021), language acquisition peaks before puberty."

"It can be argued that"

introduces a debatable claim with academic caution

"It can be argued that social media has reshaped political discourse fundamentally."

"This study aims to"

states the purpose of the research

"This study aims to examine the relationship between sleep duration and academic performance."

"The findings indicate"

introduces research results

"The findings indicate a statistically significant improvement in the treatment group."

"In light of"

takes something into account when drawing a conclusion

"In light of these findings, policy makers should reconsider current guidelines."

"It is noteworthy that"

draws attention to a significant or surprising fact

"It is noteworthy that the control group showed similar results."

"A significant body of research"

refers to a large amount of existing evidence

"A significant body of research supports the link between diet and cognitive function."

"Out of nowhere"

something happened suddenly and unexpectedly

"Out of nowhere, a storm broke over the mountain."

"The air was thick with"

creates strong atmosphere or tension

"The air was thick with the scent of pine and rain."

"She had the feeling that"

reveals a character's intuition or premonition

"She had the feeling that someone was watching her every move."

"Time seemed to stand still"

emphasises a dramatic or emotional moment

"When she read the letter, time seemed to stand still."

"Without a word"

describes an action taken in silence, often for dramatic effect

"Without a word, he turned and walked into the darkness."

"It was only then that"

reveals a delayed realisation

"It was only then that he understood why she had left."

"As if in a dream"

describes surreal or disorienting experience

"As if in a dream, she floated through the crowd without being noticed."

"The silence was deafening"

paradox that emphasises an overwhelming absence of sound

"After the argument, the silence was deafening."

"The graph illustrates"

introduces a description of visual data

"The graph illustrates a steady rise in global temperatures between 1990 and 2020."

"Overall, it is clear that"

signals the main trend or key finding

"Overall, it is clear that online shopping has overtaken in-store retail."

"Notably"

draws attention to the most significant detail

"Notably, sales in the Asia-Pacific region doubled between 2018 and 2022."

"In brief"

introduces a concise summary of key points

"In brief, the report highlights three critical areas for improvement."

"The data shows a marked increase in"

describes a clear upward trend in statistics

"The data shows a marked increase in remote working adoption since 2020."

"This compares favourably with"

draws a positive comparison between two figures or groups

"This compares favourably with the industry average of 12%."

"It is projected that"

introduces a forecast based on current trends

"It is projected that electric vehicle sales will surpass petrol cars by 2035."

"The purpose of this report is to"

states the objective of the document clearly

"The purpose of this report is to evaluate the effectiveness of the training programme."