Ch 30 · Lesson 10English · Chapter 30 · Lesson 10 · Grammar primer
Mind you, to be fair: the other side
The food was awful. Mind you, it was cheap. To be fair, they pay well. Two ways to add the other side, and which markers belong in speech only.
The short version
Mind you and to be fair add the other side
. , .
Why?Hide
Mind you adds a point against what you just said: The food was awful. Mind you, it was cheap. To be fair says something good about a person or thing you just criticised. Both belong to speech; in a formal essay, use however.
Mind you, to be fair: the other side
These two add a point of what was just said.
adds a point against your own words. It is mostly British and spoken:
. , .. , .
says something good about a person or thing you just criticised:
. , .. , .
In fairness means the same, and is a little more formal.
Speech or writing?
Most discourse markers belong to . In a formal essay, use the formal words.
- mind youspeech
- wellspeech: to start an answer
- anywayspeech, messages
- actuallyspeech and writing
- in factwriting too
- howeverformal writing
For the words that join ideas in writing (however, therefore, whereas), see linking words.
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Actually (= now) | At the moment I live here. | . |
| Mind you in an essay | However | . |
| by a way | by the way | phrase. |
| in the fact | in fact | phrase. |
Going further: What a discourse marker is and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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