1B GRAMMAR  discourse markers (1): linkers

 a Circle the correct linker.

I would say that the most challenging period in my career so far was my first junior
management position in the company where I still work today. I had always wanted to be
an accounts manager, 1 so / although / despite I was thrilled when I got the job, but little
did I know what was waiting for me on my first day. The office environment was rather
disorganized, and to make matters worse, my boss was completely unsupportive of me.
For some reason, he just refused to take any responsibility for dealing with the clients, and
2
 consequently / so as to / although, I was forced to deal with all the problems by myself. I
used to stay late at the office almost every night 3 because of / so that / so as not to miss any of
the clients’ deadlines. It seems ridiculous now, but I was so stressed that I used to check my emails every
five minutes, even at weekends, 4 so that / in case / as a result there was an urgent message asking me to
sort something out. It was worth it in the end, 5 though / but / as, because eventually my boss was fired
and I got promoted in his place!

 b Complete the text with a linker from the list. There are two you don’t need to use.

although as as a result but despite however so that

The toughest time I’ve ever had was definitely my first term here at university. 1 Although
I really love student life now, it wasn’t so easy in the beginning. My bad luck started
on the very first day. My parents had just dropped me off with all my stuff when some
of the guys whose rooms were on the same corridor as mine suggested going to play
basketball in the park nearby. I don’t know exactly how it happened, 2 
somehow, during the game, I tripped and fell really hard on my right arm and broke it.
Apart from not being able to play any sports for weeks, it was especially annoying because
my injury meant I wasn’t able to write properly. 3  , I got really behind with my essays
and I had to take an extra class later in the year 4  I could catch up. On top of that, it wasn’t
as easy as I had expected to find friends, and I was pretty homesick for a while. 5  , things
got better eventually. Once my arm was better, I managed to get into the university basketball team and
made loads of new friends.

 c Complete the text with a suitable linker. Sometimes more than one answer is possible.

Most people can’t wait until the day they retire, but I can tell you it’s not as simple as
you might think. 1 Despite all the free time, retirement isn’t just a question of enjoying
yourself and feeling happy that you never have to work again. When my husband Frank
retired after 40 rewarding years as a lawyer, he had terrible trouble adjusting to his new
lifestyle. 2  he had always been committed to his career, it wasn’t easy just to
give it up overnight. We decided to move to the countryside 3  be nearer to our
daughter and her family, but when we arrived, we found that they were all so busy with their
own lives that they didn’t have much time for us. Of course, we did babysit for our daughter
sometimes 4  she could go out in the evenings, but somehow it wasn’t the life we had
imagined. Just when we were feeling really down, a friend of ours invited us along to a ballroom dancing
class in the village. Frank wasn’t keen at first, 5  once we got there, we had a wonderful time.
Now we go three times a week and it’s changed our lives. We keep fit and we’ve met so many fantastic
people. And it’s all 6  the dance class. I don’t know what we would have done without it!

ACTIVATION
Write a paragraph about a challenging experience you have faced. You could write about your work,
studies, or family. Explain what the challenge was and how you overcame it. If you can’t think of
anything from your life, write about a friend or relative.
In your paragraph, make sure you use at least five linkers.
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