English Language GCSE
Discourse Markers
What Discourse Markers means in English Language GCSE, as defined for OCR, Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Discourse Markers
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
Words or phrases used to connect ideas and guide the reader through a text (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', 'On the other hand').
Words or phrases used to organise speech, manage the conversation, or signal a shift in topic (e.g., 'well', 'right', 'moving on').
Words or phrases used to organize and connect speech or writing (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', 'On the other hand').
Words or phrases used to organise speech and guide the listener (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'In contrast', 'To conclude').
Words or phrases used to organize, connect, and manage the flow of writing (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Consequently').
Words or phrases used to connect, organise, and manage writing (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'However', 'Consequently').
Topics that use Discourse Markers
- Responding to spoken language (OCR GCSE)
- Spoken language (03 or 04) (OCR GCSE)
- Writing for audience, impact and purpose (OCR GCSE)
- Writing imaginatively and creatively (OCR GCSE)
- Reading: Non-fiction and Transactional Writing (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Writing: Fiction and Imaginative Writing (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Semantic Field
- Juxtaposition
- Register
- Rhetorical Question
- Connotation
- Implicit Information
- In Medias Res
- Cyclical Structure
Using Discourse Markers in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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