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fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M14.234 10.162L22.977 0h-2.072l-7.591 8.824L7.251 0H.258l9.168 13.343L.258 24H2.33l8.016-9.318L16.749 24h6.993zm-2.837 3.299l-.929-1.329L3.076 1.56h3.182l5.965 8.532l.929 1.329l7.754 11.09h-3.182z\"\u002F>",{"id":47,"title":48,"author":49,"body":50,"cefrLevel":715,"date":49,"description":716,"exercises":717,"extension":770,"faqs":771,"gcseTier":49,"intro":49,"language":784,"lastUpdated":49,"meta":785,"navigation":786,"path":787,"seo":788,"stem":789,"verbSlugs":49,"__hash__":790},"pages\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fdiscourse-markers.md","Discourse markers in English: well, anyway, actually, mind you and by the way",null,{"type":51,"value":52,"toc":697},"minimark",[53,78,81,84,89,92,113,123,127,132,138,157,186,190,196,216,227,231,237,251,264,300,304,310,322,333,337,343,355,358,362,368,380,387,391,504,526,530,541,571,575,578,647,651,654,681,687],[54,55,56,57,61,62,61,65,61,68,61,71,61,74,77],"p",{},"Take any page of English subtitles and count the words that do no grammatical\nwork at all. ",[58,59,60],"em",{},"Well",", ",[58,63,64],{},"anyway",[58,66,67],{},"actually",[58,69,70],{},"you know",[58,72,73],{},"mind you",[58,75,76],{},"by the\nway",". A learner reading with a dictionary finds nothing useful under any of\nthem, concludes they are padding, and cuts them from their own speech.",[54,79,80],{},"That is the wrong conclusion. These are discourse markers, and they are the\ntraffic signals of English conversation. They tell the listener what kind of\nsentence is coming: a correction, a change of subject, bad news, a concession.\nNative speakers navigate by them without noticing. Speech with no markers at\nall is grammatical, and it sounds like a legal document being read out under\noath.",[54,82,83],{},"This page covers the six you will meet most, what each one signals socially,\nand which ones belong to speech only.",[85,86,88],"h2",{"id":87},"what-a-discourse-marker-is","What a discourse marker is",[54,90,91],{},"A discourse marker is a word or phrase that stands outside the grammar of the\nsentence and comments on it. Remove it and nothing breaks:",[93,94,95,105],"ul",{},[96,97,98,101,102],"li",{},[58,99,100],{},"Well, it was not my idea."," → ",[58,103,104],{},"It was not my idea.",[96,106,107,101,110],{},[58,108,109],{},"Anyway, we got there in the end.",[58,111,112],{},"We got there in the end.",[54,114,115,116,119,120,122],{},"Both stripped versions are correct. What is lost is the signal: the ",[58,117,118],{},"well","\nwarned the listener that the speaker was distancing themselves from something,\nand the ",[58,121,64],{}," told them a story was being wrapped up. Markers carry social\nmeaning, not dictionary meaning, which is why translating them one-for-one\ninto another language so often fails.",[85,124,126],{"id":125},"the-six-that-matter","The six that matter",[128,129,131],"h3",{"id":130},"well-softening-what-comes-next","well - softening what comes next",[54,133,134,135,137],{},"At the start of a turn, ",[58,136,118],{}," announces that the answer will not be the\nsimple yes the other person was hoping for.",[93,139,140,149],{},[96,141,142,145,146],{},[58,143,144],{},"Did you like it?"," - ",[58,147,148],{},"Well, the music was good.",[96,150,151,145,154],{},[58,152,153],{},"Is it far?",[58,155,156],{},"Well, it depends how you travel.",[54,158,159,160,164,165,168,169,172,173,176,177,179,180,185],{},"The pattern to learn: ",[161,162,163],"strong",{},"question, then well, then a polite miss."," ",[58,166,167],{},"The music\nwas good"," means ",[58,170,171],{},"no, I did not like it",", and every native speaker hears it\nthat way. English strongly avoids the bare ",[58,174,175],{},"no"," in conversation, and ",[58,178,118],{}," is\nthe main tool for getting around it. See\n",[181,182,184],"a",{"href":183},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Findirect-questions","indirect questions"," for the same\npoliteness instinct applied to word order.",[128,187,189],{"id":188},"anyway-changing-the-subject-or-leaving","anyway - changing the subject, or leaving",[54,191,192,195],{},[58,193,194],{},"Anyway"," closes the current topic. Where the conversation goes next decides\nthe flavour:",[93,197,198,204,210],{},[96,199,200,201],{},"Back to the point after a side story: ",[58,202,203],{},"Anyway, as I was saying, we need a\nplan.",[96,205,206,207],{},"On to a new topic: ",[58,208,209],{},"Anyway, how was your week?",[96,211,212,213],{},"Towards the exit: ",[58,214,215],{},"Anyway, I should let you go.",[54,217,218,219,222,223,226],{},"That last one is close to a fixed phrase. ",[58,220,221],{},"Anyway, I should let you go"," or\n",[58,224,225],{},"anyway, I will let you get on"," is how British phone calls end, and the claim\nthat the OTHER person needs to leave is a polite fiction both sides accept.\nNobody is fooled and nobody minds.",[128,228,230],{"id":229},"actually-correcting-the-record","actually - correcting the record",[54,232,233,236],{},[58,234,235],{},"Actually"," introduces a fact that contradicts what was said or assumed, and it\nsoftens the correction while making it:",[93,238,239,245],{},[96,240,241,244],{},[58,242,243],{},"Actually, it is my round."," (You thought it was yours. It is not.)",[96,246,247,250],{},[58,248,249],{},"She is my sister, actually."," (You guessed wrong, and I am telling you\ngently.)",[54,252,253,254,256,257,260,261],{},"Position changes the temperature. At the front, ",[58,255,67],{}," is a mild heads-up.\nAt the end, it can carry an edge: ",[58,258,259],{},"I do know what I am doing, actually"," is a\nsmall push back. In the middle, it is nearly invisible: ",[58,262,263],{},"It was actually\nquite good.",[54,265,266,267,269,270,273,274,277,278,281,282,285,286,289,290,277,292,295,296,299],{},"The trap for Spanish and French speakers is severe enough to repeat: ",[58,268,67],{},"\ndoes ",[161,271,272],{},"not"," mean ",[58,275,276],{},"actualmente"," or ",[58,279,280],{},"actuellement",". It means ",[58,283,284],{},"in fact",". For\n",[58,287,288],{},"currently",", say ",[58,291,288],{},[58,293,294],{},"at the moment",". ",[58,297,298],{},"Actually I work in London","\ntells an English listener you are correcting them, not describing the present.",[128,301,303],{"id":302},"by-the-way-the-sideways-topic","by the way - the sideways topic",[54,305,306,309],{},[58,307,308],{},"By the way"," introduces something off the current topic while marking it as\nminor:",[93,311,312,317],{},[96,313,314],{},[58,315,316],{},"By the way, your mum called.",[96,318,319],{},[58,320,321],{},"Oh, by the way, we are out of milk.",[54,323,324,325,328,329,332],{},"The signal is \"this is not part of the main conversation\". Be aware that\nspeakers also use it strategically: the thing introduced ",[58,326,327],{},"by the way"," is\nsometimes the thing they came to say. ",[58,330,331],{},"By the way, were you going to pay me\nback?"," is not a small sideways remark, and both people know it.",[128,334,336],{"id":335},"mind-you-conceding-against-yourself","mind you - conceding against yourself",[54,338,339,342],{},[58,340,341],{},"Mind you"," adds a point that pulls against what the speaker just said. It is a\nbuilt-in balance mechanism:",[93,344,345,350],{},[96,346,347],{},[58,348,349],{},"The food was terrible. Mind you, it was cheap.",[96,351,352],{},[58,353,354],{},"He never calls. Mind you, neither do I.",[54,356,357],{},"The speaker makes a claim, hears how one-sided it sounds, and files the\ncorrection themselves before anyone else can. It is spoken British English\nthrough and through, and one of the surest small signs of a natural speaker.",[128,359,361],{"id":360},"to-be-fair-credit-to-the-other-side","to be fair - credit to the other side",[54,363,364,367],{},[58,365,366],{},"To be fair"," concedes a point in someone or something's defence, usually just\nafter criticising them:",[93,369,370,375],{},[96,371,372],{},[58,373,374],{},"She was two hours late. To be fair, the roads were closed.",[96,376,377],{},[58,378,379],{},"It is a boring job. To be fair, they pay well.",[54,381,382,383,386],{},"It keeps the criticism on the table while showing you are being reasonable\nabout it. The related ",[58,384,385],{},"in fairness"," does the same job slightly more formally.",[85,388,390],{"id":389},"quick-reference","Quick reference",[392,393,394,413],"table",{},[395,396,397],"thead",{},[398,399,400,404,407,410],"tr",{},[401,402,403],"th",{},"Marker",[401,405,406],{},"Signals",[401,408,409],{},"Typical position",[401,411,412],{},"Register",[414,415,416,432,447,462,476,490],"tbody",{},[398,417,418,423,426,429],{},[419,420,421],"td",{},[58,422,118],{},[419,424,425],{},"soft no, hesitation, distance",[419,427,428],{},"start of a turn",[419,430,431],{},"spoken",[398,433,434,438,441,444],{},[419,435,436],{},[58,437,64],{},[419,439,440],{},"topic closed, moving on",[419,442,443],{},"start of sentence",[419,445,446],{},"spoken, informal writing",[398,448,449,453,456,459],{},[419,450,451],{},[58,452,67],{},[419,454,455],{},"correction, surprise",[419,457,458],{},"start, middle, end",[419,460,461],{},"spoken and written",[398,463,464,468,471,473],{},[419,465,466],{},[58,467,327],{},[419,469,470],{},"new minor topic",[419,472,443],{},[419,474,475],{},"spoken, messages",[398,477,478,482,485,487],{},[419,479,480],{},[58,481,73],{},[419,483,484],{},"concession against yourself",[419,486,443],{},[419,488,489],{},"spoken only",[398,491,492,497,500,502],{},[419,493,494],{},[58,495,496],{},"to be fair",[419,498,499],{},"credit to the criticised side",[419,501,443],{},[419,503,446],{},[54,505,506,508,509,511,512,514,515,277,518,520,521,525],{},[58,507,341],{}," is the one that does not survive on paper: in an essay it reads as\nchatty to the point of odd. ",[58,510,60],{}," as a turn-opener is also spoken only, for\nthe simple reason that essays do not take turns. ",[58,513,235],{}," crosses into\nwriting comfortably, and ",[58,516,517],{},"however",[58,519,284],{}," cover the formal end. For the\nconnectives that do belong in writing, see\n",[181,522,524],{"href":523},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Flinking-words","linking words",".",[85,527,529],{"id":528},"why-subtitles-are-full-of-them","Why subtitles are full of them",[54,531,532,533,536,537,540],{},"Scripted dialogue imitates real speech, and real speech runs on markers, so\nsubtitles are where learners meet them in bulk. This makes films and series\ngenuinely good teachers here, with one warning: subtitles compress, and the\nmarkers are the first thing subtitle editors cut when a line runs long. If the\naudio says ",[58,534,535],{},"Well, anyway, look, the point is we lost"," and the subtitle says\n",[58,538,539],{},"The point is we lost",", the audio is the lesson.",[54,542,543,544,547,548,551,552,555,556,558,559,562,563,566,567,525],{},"The deeper reason to learn them is what your own speech sounds like without\nthem. A learner who answers ",[58,545,546],{},"Did you like the food?"," with a flat ",[58,549,550],{},"No"," is\ngrammatically perfect and socially loud. The native version, ",[58,553,554],{},"Well, not\nreally, to be fair the fish was fine",", wraps one ",[58,557,175],{}," in three layers of\npadding. English speakers soften almost everything; the markers are how. Their\nclose cousins, the vagueness words ",[58,560,561],{},"sort of"," and ",[58,564,565],{},"a bit",", get their own page\nat ",[181,568,570],{"href":569},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fhedging-and-vague-language","hedging and vague language",[85,572,574],{"id":573},"common-mistakes","Common mistakes",[54,576,577],{},"Ranked by how often learners actually make them.",[579,580,581,594,611,632,638],"ol",{},[96,582,583,164,586,589,590,277,592,525],{},[161,584,585],{},"Using actually to mean currently.",[58,587,588],{},"Actually I live in Madrid"," is a\ncorrection, not a description. Say ",[58,591,288],{},[58,593,294],{},[96,595,596,164,599,602,603,606,607,610],{},[161,597,598],{},"Deleting all markers and sounding abrupt.",[58,600,601],{},"Do you want to come?"," -\n",[58,604,605],{},"No."," The grammar is fine; the effect is cold. ",[58,608,609],{},"Well, not tonight"," costs\ntwo extra words and keeps the friendship.",[96,612,613,164,616,61,618,620,621,623,624,626,627,277,630,525],{},[161,614,615],{},"Writing spoken markers in essays.",[58,617,341],{},[58,619,64],{}," and turn-opening\n",[58,622,118],{}," belong in speech and messages. In formal writing use ",[58,625,517],{},",\n",[58,628,629],{},"nevertheless",[58,631,284],{},[96,633,634,637],{},[161,635,636],{},"Hearing by the way as always innocent."," It marks the NEXT topic as\nminor; it does not promise the speaker believes that. Listen to what\nfollows it.",[96,639,640,164,643,646],{},[161,641,642],{},"Answering the words instead of the signal.",[58,644,645],{},"Well, the seats were\ncomfortable"," is a no. Taking it as a yes is a listening error, not a\ngrammar error, and it is the one that costs learners in real\nconversations.",[85,648,650],{"id":649},"practice","Practice",[54,652,653],{},"What is each speaker signalling? Answers are below.",[579,655,656,661,666,671,676],{},[96,657,658],{},[58,659,660],{},"Anyway, it is getting late.",[96,662,663],{},[58,664,665],{},"Actually, that seat is taken.",[96,667,668],{},[58,669,670],{},"Well, I have seen better films.",[96,672,673],{},[58,674,675],{},"Mind you, the tickets were free.",[96,677,678],{},[58,679,680],{},"To be fair, she did warn us.",[54,682,683,686],{},[161,684,685],{},"Answers:"," 1. closing the conversation, probably leaving 2. correcting you,\npolitely 3. a soft way of saying the film was bad 4. conceding a point\nagainst the complaint just made 5. giving the criticised person credit",[54,688,689,690,692,693,525],{},"Discourse markers are one half of the machinery English uses to take the edge\noff. The other half is deliberate vagueness, covered at\n",[181,691,570],{"href":569},",\nand the tag questions that fish for agreement at\n",[181,694,696],{"href":695},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fquestion-tags","question tags",{"title":698,"searchDepth":699,"depth":699,"links":700},"",2,[701,702,711,712,713,714],{"id":87,"depth":699,"text":88},{"id":125,"depth":699,"text":126,"children":703},[704,706,707,708,709,710],{"id":130,"depth":705,"text":131},3,{"id":188,"depth":705,"text":189},{"id":229,"depth":705,"text":230},{"id":302,"depth":705,"text":303},{"id":335,"depth":705,"text":336},{"id":360,"depth":705,"text":361},{"id":389,"depth":699,"text":390},{"id":528,"depth":699,"text":529},{"id":573,"depth":699,"text":574},{"id":649,"depth":699,"text":650},"B1-B2","What the little words of spoken English actually do: well to soften, anyway to change the subject, actually to correct, plus mind you, by the way and to be fair - and why subtitles are full of them.",[718,735,754],{"type":719,"instructions":720,"options":721,"items":722},"which-one","Choose the discourse marker that fits what the speaker is doing.",[118,64,67,327,73,496],[723,725,727,729,731,733],{"prompt":724,"answer":67},"___, it was me who broke the cup, not the dog.",{"prompt":726,"answer":118},"Did you enjoy the party? ___, the food was nice.",{"prompt":728,"answer":64},"___, I should let you go. It is getting late.",{"prompt":730,"answer":327},"___, did you ever find your keys?",{"prompt":732,"answer":73},"The hotel was awful. ___, it only cost twenty pounds.",{"prompt":734,"answer":496},"He was late again. ___, the trains were not running.",{"type":736,"instructions":737,"items":738},"fill-blank","Write the missing discourse marker. The first letter is given.",[739,741,743,745,748,751],{"prompt":740,"answer":60},"A: Was the test hard? B: W___, it was not easy.",{"prompt":742,"answer":194},"A___, let us get back to the plan.",{"prompt":744,"answer":67},"He is not my brother, a___. He is my cousin.",{"prompt":746,"answer":747},"Oh, b___ the way, your mum called.","by",{"prompt":749,"answer":750},"It rained all week. M___ you, nobody comes here for the weather.","Mind",{"prompt":752,"answer":753},"She shouts a lot. To be f___, she gets results.","fair",{"type":755,"instructions":756,"pairs":757},"match","Match each discourse marker to the job it does in conversation.",[758,760,762,764,766,768],{"left":118,"right":759},"softens a disappointing answer",{"left":64,"right":761},"closes the subject or the conversation",{"left":67,"right":763},"corrects the record",{"left":327,"right":765},"adds a new subject casually",{"left":73,"right":767},"concedes a point against what you just said",{"left":496,"right":769},"gives credit to the other side","md",[772,775,778,781],{"q":773,"a":774},"What is a discourse marker in English?","A discourse marker is a word or phrase that carries no grammatical weight and no dictionary meaning in the sentence, but tells the listener how to take what comes next. Well, anyway, actually, by the way, mind you and to be fair are the common ones. Remove them and the sentence is still correct; it just lands differently, and usually harder. They are social signals, not content.",{"q":776,"a":777},"What does well mean at the start of a sentence?","It is a warning that the answer will not be the one you wanted. Did you like the film? Well, the seats were comfortable. The word buys the speaker a moment and softens what follows: a no, a correction, a complaint, bad news. A bare no in English conversation sounds abrupt; well, not really does the same job with the edges taken off. It does not mean the speaker is unsure.",{"q":779,"a":780},"Does actually mean the same as currently?","No, and this is one of the most common false-friend errors in English. Actually means in fact and introduces a correction or a surprise: Actually, I ordered tea. It says the record needs putting straight. For the meaning right now, English uses currently or at the moment. Spanish actualmente and French actuellement both mean currently, which is exactly why learners reach for the wrong word.",{"q":782,"a":783},"Is it rude to say anyway in a conversation?","No, it is useful, but you should know what it announces. Anyway signals that the current topic is being closed: back to the point, or on to a new subject, or towards the door. Anyway, I should let you go is the standard polite way to end a phone call. It only sounds rude if you drop it while the other person is mid-story, because then you are closing a topic they had not finished.","english",{},true,"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fdiscourse-markers",{"title":48,"description":716},"english\u002Fgrammar\u002Fdiscourse-markers","KV52b6nHocHvHKYPvr-KMMVMY9T2uJCV_etNCJkuAXI",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":792},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M13 21h8M15 5l4 4m2.174-2.188a1 1 0 0 0-3.986-3.987L3.842 16.174a2 2 0 0 0-.5.83l-1.321 4.352a.5.5 0 0 0 .623.622l4.353-1.32a2 2 0 0 0 .83-.497z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":794},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M11 4.702a.705.705 0 0 0-1.203-.498L6.413 7.587A1.4 1.4 0 0 1 5.416 8H3a1 1 0 0 0-1 1v6a1 1 0 0 0 1 1h2.416a1.4 1.4 0 0 1 .997.413l3.383 3.384A.705.705 0 0 0 11 19.298zM16 9a5 5 0 0 1 0 6m3.364 3.364a9 9 0 0 0 0-12.728\"\u002F>"]