Teaching Point: Discourse Markers – Noticing

IH World Level: 8

Task I: Underline the odd item in each group.

1 a. for a start b. for one thing c. generally speaking

2 a. while b. furthermore c. besides
3 a. even so b. as a result c. having said that
4 a. whereas b. in contrast c. in addition to
5 a. broadly speaking b. by the way c. incidentally
6 a. so, in this sense b. as opposed to c. for that reason
7 a. in the first place b. not only … but also c. as well as
8 a. thus b. hence c. moreover
9 a. by and large b. on top of that c. on the whole

Task II: Can you put the odd ones in the groups where they belong?

1 c → group 9

© International House World Organisation Created by: Ilinca Stroe

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Teaching Point: Discourse Markers – Noticing

IH World Level: 8

Task I: Underline the odd item in each group.

1 a. for a start b. for one thing c. generally speaking

2 a. while b. furthermore c. besides
3 a. even so b. as a result c. having said that
4 a. whereas b. in contrast c. in addition to
5 a. broadly speaking b. by the way c. incidentally
6 a. so, in this sense b. as opposed to c. for that reason
7 a. in the first place b. not only … but also c. as well as
8 a. thus b. hence c. moreover
9 a. by and large b. on top of that c. on the whole

Task II: Can you put the odd ones in the groups where they belong?

1 c → group 9

© International House World Organisation Created by: Ilinca Stroe

Teaching Point: Discourse Markers – Noticing
IH World Level: 8

Teachers’ Notes

Task I Key

2a 3b 4c 5a 6b 7a 8c 9b

Task II Key

2 a → group 9 3 b → group 8 4 c → group 7 5 a → group 9

6 b → group 4 7 a → group 1 8 c → group 2 9 b → group 2

Variations

SS find names for the groups according to the function of the discourse makers they contain. For example:

Group 1 – starting Group 2 – developing a point Group 3 – concession

Group 4 – contrasting Group 5 – giving new info Group 6 – explaining

Group 7 – adding a point Group 8 – concluding Group 9 – making generalizations

SS choose discourse makers they’d use in a short report/complaint letter/letter of apology/funny story, etc.
They put them in the order in which they’d use them. They write the text.

© International House World Organisation Created by: Ilinca Stroe