II.

Phân loại Discourse markers

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý các loại Discourse markers thường dùng trong IELTS
SPEAKING như sau:

1. To add information
 On top of that
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: We missed the bus, and on top of that it
started raining.
 Another thing is
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Another thing is that I like to think about
music – it’s weird to say it – as a sport.
 Besides that
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: The library on 5th Avenue in New York City
is one of the best places to do research. Besides that, it has hundreds of
the most respected magazines and journals in the world.
 Also
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: The library on 5th Avenue in New York City
is one of the best places to do research. It also has hundreds of the most
respected magazines and journals in the world.
 Other than that
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: We know he lived in Fleet Road, but other
than that we don’t know much about him
 Next
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Next, we will look at the discourses markers
used to change topics.
 Additionally, … (thêm vào đó)
 Besides, … (ngoài ra)
 And one more thing,… (và một điều nữa là)
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
What do you like about your house?
 Well, It’s spacious and fully- furnished. On top of that, the rental fee is
affordable for a student like me. (Chà, nó rộng rãi và đầy đủ tiện nghi. Hơn
hết, phí thuê nhà vừa phải với một sinh viên như tôi.)
What part of your house do you like the most?
 The kitchen, I would say. Cuz I’m into cooking. Also, my family members are
usually gathering together in the kitchen to have meal, and to enjoy many
delicious dishes cooked by my mom. 
Do you want to change anything in your house? (Bạn có muốn thay đổi gì trong ngôi
nhà của mình không?)
 I’ve not thought about it before, actually. But if I have free time, I would like to
repaint my house in blue. And one more thing, I want to decorate my own bed
room with some new paintings and potted trees.

2. To grab attention
 Now
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Now, this is the picture I want you to focus
on.
 Fine/Great,…
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Fine/Great, let’s meet again next week, then,
shall we?
 Listen/ Look…
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Listen/Look, why don’t you let me sort it out?

 See/ you see

 The thing is …
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
Do you plan to live in your current house for a long time?
 Nope. I don’t think so. You see, it’s a bit small and stuffy so I wanna move to
another spacious flat to get a sense of comfort.

3. To fill in the pauses (let me think)

3.1. Bắt đầu cuộc trò chuyện
 Well
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:Well… we all know that technology changes
very rapidly.
 Do you work or are you a student? 
 Well, currently I’m a senior and I’m studying at
International University. 
 You know, sort of… : bạn biết đấy, kiểu như là….
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: He was, you know, sort of…just standing
there.
 Right,… 
 Okay,…
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
  Do you like travelling? (Bạn có thích đi du lịch không?)
 Of course, I do. You know, it’s a great way to relax and temporarily
disconnect from work.
3.2. Chuyển chủ đề
 Anyway,… (dù sao đi nữa)
 By the way,… (nhân tiện thì)
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
 Mom: Have you finished your homework?
 Son: Of course I have. By the way, what will we have for lunch, mom?
 Mom: Meat and soup.

4. To make things clear/give more details

 Well, I mean,…
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
 I don’t like him. I mean he’s a good teacher but I don’t like
him because he’s too strict.
 Do you have any plants at home? (Bạn có trồng cây gì trong nhà
không?)
 No, I don’t. Honestly, I don’t have a green thumb. Well, I
mean I don’t know much about planting, only that plants
need watering, fertilizing.
 Actually
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
 I got so bored listening to what he was saying that I actually fell
asleep half way through his presentation.
 How long have you lived in Ho Chi Minh city? 
 Well, I’ve been living there for almost 5 year since I started
my university studies. Actually, I was born and grew up in
Quang Nam province, a flar-flung area which is in the
central part of VietNam.
 In fact
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
 Before I tell you the ways that you can spend money that will
make you happier, let’s think about the ways we usually spend it
that don’t, in fact, make us happier.
 What I mean is,…/ what I want to say is,…
 In other words, …
5. Adding contrast: đưa ra sự tương phản
 Conversely (adv) /ˈkɒn.vɜːs.li/: in an opposite way: ngược lại thì….
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Conversely, youth is depicted as a time of
vitality and good health.
 On the contrary = used to show that you think or feel the opposite of what has
just been stated: trái lại thì…
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: ”I thought you said the film was exciting?"
"On the contrary, I nearly fell asleep half way through it!"
 In spite of something = even though there is something unpleasant or bad
happening: bất chấp cho cái gì dó…
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:  In spite of his injury, Ricardo will play in
Saturday’s game.
 Still/ On the other hand….: mặt khác mà nói thì…
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:  It rained all day yesterday. Still/ On the
other hand, we can’t complain, it was fine all last week.
 Having said that
 That said
 IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: I get on well with my roommate most of the
time, simply because we have a lot in common. Having said that, we
sometimes argue since she doesn’t see eyes to eyes with me in some
situations.
IELTS TUTOR có hướng dẫn Cách dùng HAVING SAID THAT /
THAT SAID / THAT BEING SAID
6. Sắp xếp thứ tự các ý
 First (of all)
 Second
 Next
 then
 Lastly
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
 In your opinion, what are some drawbacks of living in a big city?
 Well, for a start, life in major cities is quite hectic. I mean everyone are
so busy with their work that they don’t even have enough time to talk
and get to know others. And then, I hate the heavy traffic here. You
know, being stuck in the traffic congestion during peak hours really
drive me crazy.
7. Nhắc lại thông tin trước đó
 As I was saying,…
 Like I said,…
 As I’ve told you before,…
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
Do you prefer a city break or a beach holiday?
 A beach holiday, definitely. Like I said, I’ve been living in HCM city for quite
a long time, and I just want to stay away from the bustle and hustle of city
life. So enjoying a day off on a sandy beach would be much better, I suppose.

8. Thể hiện thái độ, cảm nhận của người nói

8.1. Thể hiện sự thành thật
 To be honest (thành thật là)
 Honestly/ honestly speaking (thành thật mà nói)
 To tell the truth (sự thật là)
 Frankly (thẳng thắn mà nói)
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
Do you often write with a pen? (Bạn có thường viết bằng bút không?)
 Nope. To be honest, my handwriting is not very legible, so I prefer typing on a
computer. 
8.2. Thể hiện sự khẳng định, chắc chắn   
 Of course (chắc chắn rồi)
 Obviously (dĩ nhiên rồi/ rõ ràng rồi)
 Definitely 
 Absolutely 
 Certainly
 Without a doubt/ with no doubt (không nghi ngờ gì nữa)
 Undoubtedly 
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
Do you think it’s important to eat a lot of vegetables? (Bạn có nghĩ rằng ăn nhiều rau
là điều quan trọng)
 Obviously! You know, vegetables contain a high amount of nutrients such as
vitamins and fiber which can help strengthen the immune system. 
Do you often eat vegetable? (Bạn có thường ăn rau không?)
  Of course! I would say I’m a health- conscious person so eat much vegetables
is my first priority to follow a healthy diet.
8.3. Thể hiện sự chưa chắc chắn
 I think (tôi nghĩ)
 I suppose (tôi cho là)
 I guess (tôi đoán)
 Apparently 
 Kind of 
 Just 
 Sort of 
 Maybe 
 Perhaps
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
What do you think is the most popular free-time activity in Vietnam?
 Listening to music, I suppose that. People, especially the young are into
listening to music in their free time cuz it helps them relieve stress and chill
out after their study 
Do you play any water sports? (Bạn có chơi bất kỳ môn thể thao dưới nước nào
không?)
 No, to be honest. I don’t even know to swim despite the fact that I was born
and grew up in a coastal city. I should probably try one, maybe water surfing,
just to relax during this hot summer.
 She’s kind of shy. She hardly say anything to a stranger. (Cô ấy có phần hơi
nhút nhát. Cô ấy hầu như không nói bất cứ điều gì với một người lạ.) 
 IELTS TUTOR giải thích: Việc sử dụng từ “kind of” trong câu đầu tiên
giúp giảm nhẹ ý của câu nói, tránh nói quá thẳng thắng về tính cách
“nhút nhát” của đối tượng được đề cập. 
 They spent the whole year sort of travelling around the world. (Họ đã dành cả
năm, đại loại là để đi du lịch vòng quanh thế giới.) 

8.4. Thể hiện sự thừa nhận

 I must say (phải nói rằng)
 I must admit that,… (tôi phải thừa nhận rằng)
 Admittedly 
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
Do you set a plan every day? (Bạn có lập kế hoạch hàng ngày không?)
  Not really. To tell the truth, I’m a bit of a procrastinator. I must admit that I
sometimes got into trouble since I forgot important tasks or missed the
deadline.

8.5. Khác
 Basically (cơ bản là)
 Literally (theo nghĩa đen là)
 Fortunately (may mắn thay)
 Unfortunately (không may thay)
 Hopefully (hy vọng là)
 I see Really Sure Exactly Quite Absolutely Wonderful Yeah
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ:
Are the transport facilities to your home very good? (Cở sở vật chất về giao thông đến
nhà bạn có tốt không?)
 No, unfortunately. I’m living in the most bustling street in district 9. You know,
loads of people commuting every day on such a narrow street which leads to
heavy traffic congestion, especially on rush hours. I can’t stand being stuck in
the jams, honestly. Hopefully in the near future, the authorities can invest
money to widen this road and improve its quality.