Linking Words & Discourse Markers – English Grammar Exercises for B2
Chatting with a friend about a disappointing movie, but adding a “footnote” to acknowledge one small, redeeming positive aspect.
Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence in the conversation.
1 “The pacing of the movie was terrible, and it really dragged in the middle. ______, the final battle scene was visually stunning.”
(A) Even although
(B) Furthermore
(C) Even so
(D) Even that
2 “I wouldn’t recommend paying full price to see it in theaters. ______, if it comes out on a free streaming service, it might be worth a watch on a rainy day.”
(A) Besides
(B) Mind you
(C) Although
(D) Mind that
3 “The director completely ruined the original source material. ______, the costume design absolutely deserves an Academy Award.”
(A) Saying that
(B) In addition
(C) Despite
(D) Having said that
4 “It is easily the worst sci-fi movie I’ve seen this year. ______, I did laugh out loud at a couple of the jokes.”
(A) All the same
(B) In spite of
(C) Consequently
(D) All the way
5 “The ending made absolutely no logical sense and left too many plot holes. ______, it was a spectacular visual experience to sit through.”
(A) Until
(B) Still
(C) Still that
(D) Therefore
6 “I was checking my watch after the first twenty minutes because I was so bored. ______, the lead actress gave a genuinely moving performance.”
(A) Whereas
(B) That said being
(C) Similarly
(D) That being said
7 “Most of the characters were incredibly unlikable and flat. ______, the main villain was actually quite complex and interesting.”
(A) Admit it
(B) Admittingly
(C) Admittedly
(D) Hence
8 “The script was full of annoying, predictable clichés. ______, the cinematography managed to create a really eerie atmosphere.”
(A) Even as
(B) Even so
(C) Even such
(D) Moreover
9 “I wouldn’t watch that garbage again if you paid me. ______, the opening sequence was undeniably clever.”
(A) Whereas
(B) In conclusion
(C) Mind your
(D) Mind you
10 “The movie felt like a cheap, unoriginal copy of ‘Inception’. ______, the musical score was completely original and captivated me.”
(A) By contrast
(B) Having say that
(C) Having said that
(D) To have said that
11 “The romantic subplot felt incredibly forced and unnecessary. ______, the two lead actors did have decent on-screen chemistry.”
(A) Granted
(B) Granting
(C) Because
(D) Furthermore
12 “I gave it a two out of ten on my movie review blog. ______, I can see why young kids might actually enjoy it.”
(A) In the same time
(B) Since
(C) At the same time
(D) As a result
13 “The CGI looked like it was made twenty years ago. ______, the practical makeup effects on the monsters were brilliant.”
(A) All the same
(B) All in all
(C) Despite of
(D) All the similarities
14 “The storyline was a complete mess from start to finish. ______, the action choreography was surprisingly tight and well-rehearsed.”
(A) Consequently
(B) Even though
(C) Even so
(D) Even thus
15 “The protagonist’s decisions were frustratingly stupid throughout the entire film. ______, her final sacrifice was beautifully directed.”
(A) That being said
(B) Being said that
(C) Although
(D) Additionally
16 “It totally failed as a horror movie because there were zero jump scares. ______, it worked surprisingly well as a dark comedy.”
(A) So that
(B) Mind you
(C) In summary
(D) Mind it
17 “The three-hour runtime was completely unjustified and bloated. ______, the pacing in the final act kept me on the edge of my seat.”
(A) Stillness
(B) Already
(C) Yet still
(D) Still
18 “I usually hate superhero origin stories, and this was definitely no exception. ______, the post-credits scene was an absolute blast.”
(A) Admittedly
(B) To admit
(C) Therefore
(D) Admittingly
19 “The dialogue was so cheesy I actually cringed in the theater. ______, the actors delivered it with so much confidence that it almost worked.”
(A) Even if
(B) Even so
(C) In addition
(D) Even though
20 “Overall, the entire cinematic experience was a massive disappointment. ______, I don’t regret buying the large popcorn.”
(A) Saying this
(B) Having said those
(C) Having said that
(D) Therefore
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) Even so
- Why it is correct: “Even so” acts as an adverbial phrase meaning “despite what has just been said.” It perfectly bridges a negative criticism with a positive concession.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: “Even although” is grammatically invalid. (B) Meaning Trap: “Furthermore” adds information of the same type (would introduce another negative point). (D) Common Mistake: Incorrect phrasing.
2 (B) Mind you
- Why it is correct: In spoken English, “mind you” is used to add a detail that makes what you just said seem less strong. It acts as a conversational footnote.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: “Besides” adds a supporting point, not a contrasting one. (C) Structural Error: “Although” is a subordinating conjunction and cannot be used with a comma to start a standalone independent clause in this way. (D) Common Mistake: “Mind that” is not the correct idiom for this function.
3 (D) Having said that
- Why it is correct: A very common B2/C1 discourse marker used to introduce a contrasting opinion that softens the previous negative statement.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Common Mistake: The standard idiom requires the perfect participle “Having said”, not the present participle “Saying”. (B) Meaning Trap: Adds supporting information, doesn’t contrast. (C) Structural Error: “Despite” is a preposition and must be followed by a noun phrase or gerund, not a comma and a full clause.
4 (A) All the same
- Why it is correct: An idiomatic linking phrase meaning “nevertheless” or “despite this.” It introduces a surprisingly positive element.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) Structural Error: “In spite of” requires a noun/gerund object. (C) Meaning Trap: Shows a cause-and-effect relationship, which is illogical here. (D) Common Mistake: “All the way” means completely/entirely, totally changing the meaning.
5 (B) Still
- Why it is correct: When placed at the beginning of a sentence, “Still” acts as a concession marker meaning “Nevertheless.”
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: “Until” is a time conjunction. (C) Common Mistake: Incorrect phrasing. (D) Meaning Trap: Shows a logical result rather than a contrast.
6 (D) That being said
- Why it is correct: A variation of “Having said that.” It acknowledges the validity of the previous harsh criticism before introducing a positive caveat.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: “Whereas” is a conjunction that joins two clauses into one sentence; it cannot start a new sentence this way. (B) Common Mistake: Clunky, incorrect word order. (C) Meaning Trap: “Similarly” would introduce another boring aspect.
7 (C) Admittedly
- Why it is correct: Used to introduce a concession, confessing that a small part of the movie (the villain) was actually good despite the rest being bad.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: “Admit it” is an imperative command, not a discourse marker. (B) Common Mistake: “Admittingly” is a very common spelling/vocabulary mistake; the correct word is “admittedly.” (D) Meaning Trap: Means “as a result.”
8 (B) Even so
- Why it is correct: Transitions from the negative critique of the script to a positive note about the cinematography.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: “Even as” is a time conjunction meaning “at the same time as.” (C) Common Mistake: Incorrect phrasing. (D) Meaning Trap: Used to add more information of the same tone (more complaints).
9 (D) Mind you
- Why it is correct: A highly natural spoken marker to add a contrasting “afterthought” or exception to a sweeping negative statement.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: “Whereas” requires a dependent clause structure. (B) Meaning Trap: Too formal and logically incorrect for adding an exception. (C) Common Mistake: “Mind your” requires an object (e.g., “mind your business”).
10 (C) Having said that
- Why it is correct: Concedes that despite the lack of originality in the plot, the music was surprisingly good.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: “By contrast” usually compares two completely different subjects, rather than conceding a point within the same subject. (B) Structural Error: Grammatically invalid past participle usage. (D) Common Mistake: Incorrect infinitive phrase.
11 (A) Granted
- Why it is correct: Used to admit that something is true before saying something else about it. Here, it admits a positive point despite the overall negative subplot.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) Common Mistake: “Granting” is not used as a standalone discourse marker here. (C) Structural Error: Subordinating conjunction used incorrectly. (D) Meaning Trap: Would introduce another negative point.
12 (C) At the same time
- Why it is correct: Used to introduce a contrasting fact that must be considered alongside the previous fact.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Common Mistake: Incorrect preposition (“In”). (B) Structural Error: Conjunction used incorrectly. (D) Meaning Trap: Shows a consequence.
13 (A) All the same
- Why it is correct: Means “nevertheless.” The bad CGI doesn’t cancel out the fact that the practical effects were good.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) Meaning Trap: “All in all” means “overall/in conclusion,” which doesn’t fit the contrasting nature of the second sentence. (C) Structural Error: “Despite” never takes the preposition “of”. (D) Common Mistake: Literal, incorrect translation.
14 (C) Even so
- Why it is correct: “Even so” acts as a transition.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: Indicates a result. (B) Structural Error: “Even though” is a conjunction that joins two parts of a single sentence (e.g., “Even though it was a mess, the action was tight.”). It does not transition between two separate sentences with a comma. (D) Common Mistake: Incorrect phrasing.
15 (A) That being said
- Why it is correct: Acknowledges the negative (stupid decisions) but introduces a redeeming quality (the final scene).
- Distractor Analysis: (B) Common Mistake: Missing the demonstrative pronoun “That”. (C) Structural Error: “Although” cannot stand alone followed by a comma to link two independent sentences. (D) Meaning Trap: Adds another negative point.
16 (B) Mind you
- Why it is correct: Adds a conversational footnote to rescue the movie’s genre classification.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: “So that” shows purpose. (C) Meaning Trap: Shows a conclusion, not a contrast. (D) Common Mistake: Incorrect idiom.
17 (D) Still
- Why it is correct: A short, punchy marker meaning “Nevertheless” when starting a sentence.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: “Stillness” is a noun. (B) Meaning Trap: “Already” relates to time, not contrast. (C) Common Mistake: Unnatural redundancy.
18 (A) Admittedly
- Why it is correct: The speaker is reluctantly confessing (“admitting”) a positive point about a genre they usually hate.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) Structural Error: Cannot use an infinitive phrase here. (C) Meaning Trap: “Therefore” implies cause-and-effect. (D) Common Mistake: Not a real word in standard English.
19 (B) Even so
- Why it is correct: A standalone transition phrase showing contrast.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: “Even if” requires a dependent clause. (C) Meaning Trap: “In addition” adds more negativity. (D) Structural Error: “Even though” requires a dependent clause, it cannot be used with a comma to bridge two independent sentences.
20 (C) Having said that
- Why it is correct: Concludes the review by pivoting from a heavy negative summary to a lighthearted positive detail.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: Incorrect idiom. (B) Common Mistake: “Those” is incorrect; the idiom is strictly fixed as “that”. (D) Meaning Trap: Shows a logical result.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
When you are reviewing a product, a movie, or an experience, you rarely want to be 100% negative. To sound like a fluent B2/C1 speaker, you need to know how to add a positive “footnote” smoothly.
- Mind you
- Usage: Very conversational. Used to add a detail that softens your previous statement.
- Example: “The hotel was tiny. Mind you, it was very clean.”
- Having said that / That being said
- Usage: Slightly more formal but widely used. It means “I acknowledge the truth of what I just said, BUT…”
- Example: “The food was terribly overpriced. Having said that, the service was excellent.”
- Even so / All the same / Still
- Usage: These act exactly like “Nevertheless.” They are transition phrases that start a new sentence.
- Grammar Trap: Do NOT confuse Even so with Even though.
- Correct: “The movie was bad. Even so, I liked the music.” (Two sentences).
- Correct: “Even though the movie was bad, I liked the music.” (One sentence).
- Wrong: “The movie was bad. Even though, I liked the music.”
- Admittedly / Granted
- Usage: Used when you are somewhat reluctantly confessing that a small positive point exists within your overall negative view.