Using Connectors in Essays

Can you write good essays (redacciones)  in English? Many of you probably hate the idea of writing essays because of the negative memories associated with school homework. Well, don’t worry, help is here! Today we pay particular attention to one of the most distinctive features of essay writing, the connector. It is difficult to remember all the connectors, so we will focus on the most frequently used ones.

There are many different connectors that occur in essays. These either appear as a word or a multi-word phrase. These can be subdivided into four principal categories.  Today we will talk about the first two. 

1. Adding Ideas

The following connectors are used to add information or arguments that have already been mentioned. The following table shows the most common adding idea connectors and their Spanish translation.

Adding Ideas	Spanish Translation
Moreover (formal)	Además (por otra parte)
Furthermore (formal)	Además
In addition	Además de
As well as that	Además de esto
Another thing is	Otro cosa es
In fact	De hecho
Besides /in any case	Además (de), aparte de/de todos modos
Also	También

Here are some of the above expressions in context:

He borrowed ( tomó prestado) my English dictionary and never gave it back.(devolvió ) And as well as that/another thing is, he broke the mirror in the bathroom and never paid for it. He also said it was my fault!

Harry has no alcohol drinks for tonight’s party. Furthermore/In addition, he has no food to give his guests.

Why are you trying to get a job as a lifeguard?(socorrista) You are too young for the job. In any case/Besides, you can’t swim very well. In fact you don’t even like swimming!

2- Balancing Contrasting Ideas

Often connectors are used to contrast two different facts or ideas, but do not contradict each other. Below are some examples with their Spanish equivalent.

Balancing Contrasting Ideas	Spanish Translation
While	Mientras
Whereas	Mientras que
On the other hand	Por otro lado

Here are the above expressions in context:

She likes reading books, while/whereas her sister prefers watching TV.

While/whereas she likes reading books, her sister prefers watching TV.

It is very common to have sub-zero temperatures in Siberia during the winter. In Africa, on the other hand, sub-zero temperatures are unusual.