Page 75 - English Vocabulary in Use (Pre & Intermediate)

34 Addition and contrast

In addition, moreover, etc. (X and Y)
When you add a second piece of information in a sentence to support the first piece of
information, you often use and, e.g.The food is excellent and very good value. When you
put this information in two sentences, these link words and phrases are common:
The food is usually very good. Furthermore, it is one of the cheapest restaurants in town.
The set menu is £10, which is excellent value. In addition, you get a free glass of wine.
The restaurant has a reputation for excellent food. It’s:also very good value.
The food is excellent in that restaurant. It’s very good value as well (or too).
You get very good food in that place. What’s more, it’s excellent value.
Note: The first two examples are more formal and more common in written English. The
last two examples are more common in spoken English.

Although, in spite of, etc. (X but Y)
When you want to contrast two pieces of information in a single sentence and say that the
second fact is surprising after the first, you can use these link words:
She still won the game although / though / even though she had a bad knee.
They still went for a walk in spite of the fact that it was pouring with rain.
The service is worse despite theafaet that they have more staff.
Note:
In these examples you can also begin the sentence with the link word:
Although she had a bad knee, she still won the game.
It is very common to use still in these sentences to emphasise the surprise (as in examples).
In the last two example sentences you can use a noun or -ing form:
They went for a walk in spite of the rain. The service is worse despite having more staff.
After although, you can only have a noun/pronoun + verb (i.e. although she had a bad knee
/ her knee was bad).

Whereas

This word is used to connect a fact or opinion about a person, place or thing, with
something different about another person, place or thing (you can also use whilst). In other
words, the second fact is a contrast with the first, but not always a surprise (as in B above).
John is very careful whereas Christopher makes lots of mistakes.
The south is hot and dry whereas the north gets quite a lot of rain.

However
You can use however to contrast two ideas in two sentences, and say that the second
sentence is surprising after the first (as in B}; and you can use however or on the other hand
to make a contrast between different people/places or things (as in C above):
I don’t agree with a lot of his methods. However, he is a good teacher.
We didn’t like the hotel at all. However, we still enjoyed ourselves.
Marcel thought it was a great film. Joe, however / on the other hand, thought it was stupid.
Most big cats, such as tigers and leopards, are very solitary creatures. Lions, however / on
the other hand, spend much of their time in groups.

72 English Vocabulary in Use (pre-intermediate & intermediate)