Introduction
English writing is an essential part of the middle school English curriculum. The ability to write well not only affects students' grades, but also has a huge impact on their future academic and career prospects. As a result, it is crucial for students to master a set of commonly used phrases and expressions to improve their writing skills, especially when it comes to writing essays for the middle school final exams. This article provides a list of common English phrases and expressions that are useful for middle school English essay writing.
Beginning a Paragraph
To begin an essay or paragraph, you can use a few different phrases:
"Firstly/First of all": to introduce the first point
"In the first place": to introduce the first point, with emphasis
"To start with": a more informal way to introduce the first point
Adding Information
When you want to add more information to your essay, you can use the following phrases:
"Moreover": to add another point to your essay
"Besides": to add information that is related, but not essential
"Furthermore": to add information that supports your argument
"In addition": to add another point that supports your argument
Contrasting Ideas
If you want to contrast ideas, try using one of these phrases:
"However": to contrast one point with another
"On the other hand": to contrast with an earlier point made in the essay
"In contrast to": to show how one thing is completely different from another
"Although": to contrast two ideas in the same sentence
Agreeing with Ideas
If you want to agree with something that has already been said in the essay, try using one of these phrases:
"Similarly": to show that two things are similar
"Likewise": similar to "Similarly"
"In the same way": yet another way to show that two things are similar
Concluding a Paragraph
To conclude a paragraph, use one of the following phrases:
"In conclusion": to signal that you are bringing your point to a close
"To sum up": to summarize the main points of your paragraph
"Finally": to show that you have come to the end of what you have to say
Conclusion
By using these commonly used phrases, middle school English students can improve their essay writing skills and express their ideas more effectively. Remember to practice using these phrases in your own writing, and try to use them in context to make your writing sound more natural and fluid. With regular practice, you will find that your writing becomes more sophisticated and persuasive, which will help you in your future academic and career endeavors.