Introduction:

- It is common knowledge that …

- It is an indisputable fact that …
- Here is a/another controversial issue which provides a good ground for argument
- In our daily lives we face …
- It is admitted/claimed/believed that …
- I absolutely agree/disagree with the claim/statement/idea that …
- I truly support the idea that …
- To my way of thinking …
- As far as I am concerned …
- As for me …
- It is customary for somebody to …
- In my opinion …
- I think …
- To me …
- Theoretically speaking … but in practice …
- Incredible as it may seem …

Paragraphs:

1) Connecting similar ideas:

- Again
- Also
- And
- Another
- Besides
- It is equally important
- Further
- Furthermore
- In like manner
- Likewise,
- Moreover,
- Similarly,
- In addition
- What is more important …
- In this train of thoughts …
- In parenthesis I would say that …
- Intriguingly …
) Introducing an example:

- For example, …
- For instance, …
- In fact
- Life is brimming over with examples of …
- There are different examples that prove this statement
- Just to mention …
- There is another example of …

3) Connecting contrasting ideas:

- Although + a clause
- In spite of + something/doing something
- Despite + something/doing something
- And yet, ….
- But …

- Conversely, …
- Even so, …
- Whereas …
- However, …
- Nevertheless, …
- Notwithstanding …
- By contrast …
- Unlike …
- Contrary to …
- While ...
- Equaly
- On the contrary, …
- Otherwise, …
- Provided that …
- Yet, …
- Still, …
- On the other hand, …
- Alternatively, …
- Except …
- Nonetheless …
- Regarding of …
- Irrespective of …
4) Time and situation:
- First …
- In the first place …
- Firstly …
- First and foremost …
- To begin/start with …

- Second …
- Secondly …
- In the second place …

- Thirdly …
- Then …
- Next …
- Finally …
- Last but not least …
- Last but not in the order of importance …
5) Cause, aim, result

- So …
- As a result of …
- Consequently …
- Accordingly …
- Therefore … / Hence …
- Thus …
- For this/that reason …
- Since/because …
- That is why …
- Then …
- Due to …

6) Conclusion

- On the whole …
- To recapitulate …
- Generally speaking …

- As a conclusion I would say that …

- As I have said …
- In any event …
- In brief/short …
- To put it in a nutshell …
- In conclusion …
- In other words …
- In fact …
- To sum up …