Discourse flow

Discourse Markers

A discourse marker is a word or phrase—often an adverb or prepositional phrase—that does not belong to the clause’s core grammar, but instead signals how the clause relates to the surrounding discourse (e.g., contrast, result, addition, sequence). They are semantic/pragmatic connectors, not syntactic arguments. They usually appear at the beginning of a clause and are set off by punctuation. When joining independent clauses, they require strong punctuation (period, semicolon, or colon), not just a comma.

Examples: however, therefore, moreover, in contrast, in addition, on the other hand, instead, nevertheless