Cliches Formal Phrase All in all After considering all points! Having considered all points Always Frequently / Often / Usually! Generally / In most cases And (at the start of a sentence) Also / Additionally / In addition / Moreover Because (at the start of a sentence) This is because Besides The most important point is that! The over-riding point is that (A) bit (disappointing) Somewhat / rather / slightly (disappointing) But (at the start of a sentence) However Crystal clear Quite clear / Very clear (X is a ) double –edged sword! Every coin has two sides! (there are ) pros and cons There are advantages & disadvantages! X may be either positive or negative! There are both benefits and shortcomings Everybody knows! We all know Most people believe! A (large) majority of people believe! According to Jones [1]\nSome experts (Jones, 2014) believe Everywhere In many places / Commonly / Generally Financial tsunami / financial meltdown A very serious financial crisis First and foremost The first and most important point / reason is (A) golden opportunity A unique opportunity/ A particularly good opportunity HKPU! ICAC The Hong Kong Polytechnic University! The Independent Commission Against Corruption (A) hot topic A controversial issue [negative meaning]! A much debated / discussed matter [neutral meaning] Last but not least The final but still very important point is that (It is a) must It is essential / necessary / vital / crucial Never Rarely / seldom / infrequently (In a) nutshell In brief / To conclude / In conclusion Obviously Apparently / Seemingly/ It appears that / It seems that On the other hand (Don’t use this phrase! You don’t have just 1 hand!) Or (at the start of a sentence) Alternatively / Otherwise So (at the start of a sentence) Therefore / Thus