Furthermore, Another Article, In Addition to the One Before: On the Questionable Uses of Conjunctive Adverbs

• Furthermore… 
• Moreover… 
• In addition…
• Nevertheless…
• On the other hand…
• However…
• Interestingly…

The above words and phrases, or technically speaking, conjunctive adverbs, pepper student essays, dissertations, articles and even PhDs. And they are also, in my opinion, completely and utterly useless.

This point is a confusing one because many students, and particularly second language English speakers, are in fact told to use these ‘conjunctive adverbs’. Such phrases are thought to help with the flow, to facilitate writing, and some tutors will even tell you they make your essay better, that they will signal direction in a clear manner and endow the work with a more academic tone. In my opinion, these tutors are wrong.

Let me illustrate.

On the one hand, I have for a long time thought that direction signallers in an essay can be dispensed with entirely. On the other hand, some tutors like them. Furthermore, in many cases they recommend their usage. However, I also think that when a tutor comes across a properly written essay it has no need for such words. These words and phrases often tell us very obvious points, thereby rendering them unnecessary. Moreover, they waste space and create jumps in wording when none is needed. In addition, they can sometimes even create a kind of seesaw effect as we swing back and forward in the argument. However, it is important to note that they do occasionally have a place, but their usage should be kept to a minimum.

or…

I have for a long time thought that direction signallers in an essay can be dispensed with entirely. Some tutors like them. In many cases they recommend their usage. However, I also think that when a tutor comes across a properly written essay it has no need for such words. These words and phrases often tell us very obvious points, thereby rendering them unnecessary. They waste space and create jumps in wording when none is needed. They can sometimes even create a kind of seesaw effect as we swing back and forward in the argument. It is important to note that they do occasionally have a place, but their usage should be kept to a minimum.

See how the second version flows much better. There is no need for me to signal my direction to my reader. Instead, I can simply take a turn and they will follow me down my path. Of course the above example is a slightly extreme one, although such extensive usage of these words and phrases is not uncommon. But even a few instances can very often be deleted. Note that I do keep one ‘however’ in the rewrite. ‘However’ is probably the only one of these words and phrases I would keep in, but again, keep its usage to a minimum. More than one ‘however’ in a paragraph can make it difficult to follow the direction of your argument.

With regard to the word ‘Interestingly’, a great tutor at university once told me that ‘Nobody is interested except you Laura.’ She laughed at me. It hurt. But she was right. ‘Interestingly’ signals information that is not necessary and therefore, by definition, should not be included in an academic piece of writing. It could possibly be a footnote, but more often than not it should be cut entirely. If this is an essential piece of information then beginning your sentence with the word ‘interestingly’ is in fact misrepresenting you. This is not interesting, it is vital.

The key factor to keep in mind here is the assumptions people bring to academic writing. I assume that your academic essay will tell me only things I need to know, that it will follow the line of an argument and each point will build upon and develop the last. As such, I don’t need you to tell me that each point is being laid out in addition to the previous one; I am aware of that. I do not need to know things that are interesting, just those that are useful, that feed in. And I will naturally assume everything is useful. If you change direction I would like to know, but I would like this to be clearly outlined in the content, not just in the wording. So, if you do use the word ‘however’, please follow this with a point that contradicts the previous argument.

Sometimes tutors suggest the usage of direction signallers because they make writing easier. If this is the case, by all means use them in the first draft. But then, when you go through the editing or redrafting process, cut as many as you possibly can. See how your argument stands without such words. You may surprise yourself and find that you have a really great essay that flows like you’ve never seen before.

Looking for help with academic work? Check out my academic proofreading and editing or tutoring services. 

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