Signpost Language in the IELTS

In this article, I am going to explain about the usage of the Signpost language in the IELTS. But, before that let's know about signpost first. How often do we see signs on a daily basis? Let’s consider signs on the way to work, near parking, or in a department store. Signs are very useful for us as they help us from getting lost, prevent us from danger, or find the things quickly which we are looking for. Similarly, signpost language is a word or phrase that helps to articulate the structure of a piece of writing, speaking, or listening to ensure the readers don’t get lost. It also helps the listener or reader what has just happened and what is going to happen next.

Here are some examples of helpful signpost language in IELTS

In the lecture today, we are going to look at the nuclear fusion reaction….This signposting word states the subject of the topic.

This article examines the importance of using signposting language in IELTS….This signpost states the focus of the article.

My purpose in focusing on the drawback of self-driving cars…..This signpost language clarifies the side in which the author is going to narrate about.

Now, let’s turn to the…..This signpost dialect provides the signal to the listener or writer that they are moving to a new topic.

Single words and short phrase can also be used as signposting language such as:

For instance….This signpost can be used when you want to introduce an example.

Similarly….This signpost language can be used when you want to make a comparison.

Additionally….This signpost can be used when you want to add more sentence to clarify your topic.

However….This signpost language can be used to discuss the other side of an argument.

Signpost language can be effective when you want to direct your argument for example firstly, secondly, finally, then, next and so on. Signpost language can be very useful if you want to improve your communication skills or if you want people to listen to you when you speak. More importantly, use signpost language in writing and speaking to get a higher score in the IELTS exam.

Useful signpost dialect for writing task 1:

Introducing the topic

The graph shows… / The table reveals…
The chart displays… / The diagram illustrates…
Some interesting facts concerning… are revealed in the diagram.
Several key trends are revealed by the graph showing…
Introducing the first set of data

Beginning with the…
To begin with the…
Let me begin by describing the…
Introducing the second set of data

Meanwhile, the… shows that…
As for the… , it shows that…
Turning to the… , it can be seen that…
Introducing the first major trend

First of all, it is clear that…
Most noticeably of all, it can be seen that…
The first result worth pointing out is that…
Introducing lesser trends

Another trend that can be observed is that…
It is also worth pointing out that…
Also worth noting is that…
Exceptions to the main trend

However, this was not always the case.
However, it should be pointed out that…
There was one noticeable exception, however.
Comparing and contrasting

Similarly, … / By contrast, …
A similar trend can be observed in…
The results for… , however, reveal a markedly different trend.
Adding figures

The figures were X and Y respectively.
…, at X. / …, with Y. (Usage note: use ‘at’ when you mean ‘the figure was’; use ‘with’ when you mean ‘something had’)
…, at/with X and Y respectively.
Concluding and summarising

To sum up, … / In summary, … / In short, …
Overall, … / On the whole, …
The main thing that can be observed here is that…

Signpost language for writing task 2

Introducing an example:

For instance
For example
In this case
In particular
Notably
Providing extra information:

In addition
Moreover
Also
Not only…but..
What is more
Furthermore
Again
Suggesting a result:

In consequence
Therefore
As a result
To prove something:

Evidently
For this reason
Due to this
Because of this
Inevitably
Introducing a contrast/show an exception:

However
Whereas (one thing…),
Nevertheless
In contrast
Despite this,…
Even though
Alternatively
Conversely
On the one hand…; on the other hand…
To emphasize something:

Definitely
Obviously
Inevitably
Undeniably
To order your ideas:

Firstly
In the first instance
In general
Secondly
Finally
To finish your essay

In conclusion
To summarise
To conclude

Source: Signpost language in IELTS