Linking Words PDF

Linking Words Addition: Addition linking words are words or phrases that are used to join ideas that are related to the same topic. They help to add information in one clause to the information in the next clause. ….., and …. ….. In addition, …… ……. Moreover, …. ……. Besides, …… ….; furthermore...

Linking Words Addition: Addition linking words are words or phrases that are used to join ideas that are related to the same topic. They help to add information in one clause to the information in the next clause. ….., and …. ….. In addition, …… ……. Moreover, …. ……. Besides, …… ….; furthermore, … …, too …. Also, …. Not only …. but also What’s more, … Examples: She enjoys reading and painting in her free time. She speaks three languages. In addition, she’s learning a fourth. Education is important. Moreover, it is empowering. The new software enhances security. Besides, it’s user-friendly. I love to travel; furthermore, I enjoy trying new foods. She’s an accomplished pianist. Her brother plays the guitar, too. He excels in mathematics. Also, he’s a skilled chess player. She speaks not only English but also Spanish. The trip was affordable; what’s more, it included guided tours. 1 Contrast/Concession Concession/contrast linking words are words or phrases that are used to connect opposing ideas. They help to communicate more complex ideas and improve the flow and clarity of writing. …; however, … …., but …; nevertheless, …. …; nonetheless, … …; still, …… ……; yet, …. On the one hand, … on the other hand; … Although/Though/Even though. Despite/In spite of …., … No matter how ……, … Examples: He apologized sincerely; however, she remained upset. The food was expensive, but it was delicious. The weather was cold; nevertheless, they enjoyed the picnic. The traffic was terrible; nonetheless, we arrived on time. She was busy; still, she found time for hobbies. I know I should exercise more, yet I always find an excuse not to. On the one hand, studying abroad is good; on the other, it’s costly. Although it was raining, we decided to go for a hike anyway. 2 Despite the bad reviews, we decided to try the new restaurant. No matter how busy you are, make time for family. Purpose Purpose linking words are words or phrases that are used to show the purpose or goal of an action. They are used to introduce a sentence that expresses the purpose or intention of a previous action. They help to clarify the reason or motivation behind an action, ….. to …. ….. in order to …….so as to… ….. so that …. …..with the goal of/ …….for the purpose of …. ….. in order that …. ….. for …. ….. lest …. …. for fear that …. Examples: I went to the gym to work out. He studied hard in order to/so as to pass the exam. She saved money so that she could buy a new laptop. I write daily with the goal of/for the purpose of improving my skills. They volunteer with the goal of helping the community. She revises her lessons in order that she excels in her exams. We work for a better future. I keep a backup lest my computer crashes. I carry an umbrella for fear that it might rain. 3 Similarity Similarity linking words can be used to show that two or more things are alike in some way. For example, the sentence “The two dogs looked similar. They both had brown fur and floppy ears” uses the similarity linking word “similar” to show that the two dogs have the same physical characteristics. …; similarly, …. ……; likewise, …... in the same way …. Just as …. Compared to …. …. similarly to … Examples: She enjoys painting; similarly, he finds joy in sketching. She’s good at math; likewise, her brother excels in physics. She loves reading; in the same way, her sister enjoys writing. Just as the sun sets, the moon rises. Compared to painting, drawing uses similar artistic skills. The book ends similarly to the movie, with a surprising twist. Cause/Reason Cause/Reason linking words are words or phrases that connect the cause of something to its effect or result. These words help to explain why something happened and can make the text more coherent and easier to understand.. …. because … ….. since …. As …., …. 4 ….. due to …. …. owing to … …. thanks to … On account of …. … as a result of … Because of …., …. …; for this reason, …. Examples: He joined an NGO because he loves helping others. I’ve been socially active since joining the environmental club. As Ahmed enjoys humor, he watches comedy shows regularly. She received a full scholarship due to her academic excellence. Ahmed’s blog gained fame owing to his unique sense of humor. Women gained more representation thanks to new voting laws. On account of her research, she received a science award. Many laws are being reconsidered as a result of women’s activism. Because of his humor, Ahmed’s articles are widely shared online. She excels in science; for this reason, she won awards. Effect/Result Effect/Result linking words are words or phrases that connect the effect or result of something to its cause. These words help to explain what happened as a consequence of a particular action or event. …., so …. 5 ….; as a consequence, …. ……; as a result, …. ….; consequently, …. ……; hence, …… …….. Therefore, ……. ….. Thus, ……. Examples: She worked hard, so she got good marks. He overslept; as a consequence, he missed his class. e studied daily; as a result, he aced the test. She ignored the regulation; consequently, he got injured at work. The chef used fresh ingredients; hence, the meal was great. The printer is broken. Therefore, we can’t print reports. He forgot to set the alarm. Thus, he was late. Giving Examples Giving examples linking words are used to introduce examples that support or illustrate a point. …….; for example, …. … ;for instance, …. … such as Like/Including, … … one example is, …. … as an example, …. 6 Examples: Ahmed enjoys outdoor activities, for example, hiking and running There are several energy sources, for instance, coal and gas. He enjoys classic authors such as Orwell, Shakespeare, and Dickens. He enjoys classic authors like Orwell, Shakespeare, and Dickens. Many students excel in sciences; one example is Ahmed. There are efficient means of transport, as an example, electric cars. List Ideas in Order of Time These words can be used to show the order in which events happen or the steps in a process. For example, the sentence “First, I woke up. Then, I got dressed. Next, I ate breakfast. Finally, I went to school” uses the time order linking words “first,” “then,” “next,” and “finally” to show the order in which the events of the day happened. Firstly, …. First of all, …. To begin with, …. Initially, …. At the outset, …. At first, …. In the beginning, …. Second(ly), …. Next, …. Then, …. Afterward(s), …. 7 Subsequently, …. Following that, …. Examples: To combat climate change, firstly, we must reduce carbon emissions. In learning a new skill, first of all, master the basics. To begin with, turn off all your smartphones before studying. Initially, the organization targeted only local communities. At the outset, the team faced numerous challenges. At first, the gym offered a one-month free trial. In the beginning, the company focused solely on staff development The athletes warmed up; secondly, they started the actual practice. She finished her homework; next, she read her favorite book. He washed the dishes; then, he took out the trash. They watched the movie; afterward, they discussed its themes. She passed the exam; subsequently, she applied for the job. They had breakfast; following that, they went for a hike. Summarizing/Concluding These words can be used to signal to the reader that the main points of the argument or writing have been presented and that the writer is now summarizing or concluding. In conclusion, …. To sum up, …. Overall, …. In summary, …. 8 To conclude, …. Finally, … All in all, …. In a nutshell, …. In the end, …… Examples: In conclusion, the party was a huge hit among neighbors. To sum up, the hiking trip was both challenging and rewarding. Overall, the new restaurant offers a variety of tasty dishes. In summary, the book covered many aspects of ancient civilizations. To conclude, the movie had a surprising but satisfying ending. Finally, the garden was complete with a variety of flowers. All in all, the concert was a musical feast for attendees. In a nutshell, the game was a rollercoaster of emotions. 9. In the end, the detective solved the mystery ingeniously. 9 Asking for and Giving directions All right, the best way to ask for directions is by using this expression: "Excuse me, how do I get to _?" "Could you tell me the best way to get to _?" For example, if you want to ask how to get to Times Square, you say: Excuse me, how do I get to Times Square? You could also say… "What is the quickest way to get to the movies?" "Excuse me. Where's the nearest (post office) please?" "Excuse me. I'm looking for _." And if you are very close to your destination, you could simply ask: "Where is the hotel?" If you get lost, just ask this simple question: "Where exactly am I?" Okay, great. Now let's see how to give directions. Here are some useful phrases for giving directions on the street: TURN LEFT TURN RIGHT GO STRAIGHT AHEAD An example: "Sorry, what is the quickest way to get to the city center? "It is easy. Go straight ahead and then turn right. They can also tell you to TAKE the first, second, or third, street, for example. Let's look at the same example: 10 "Excuse me, could you tell me the best way to get to the city center?" "It is easy. Go straight ahead and take the second street on the right." Another example: "Sorry, how do I get to the mall." "Very easy. Cross the street and turn right. Go straight ahead and take the third street on the left. Cross the square, and you will see the mall." Here are some useful expressions you can use to give directions: Go past = continue past something so that it is now behind you. Go across = cross something, like a road or crossroads. Go up = walk up a hill. Go down = walk down a hill. Go out of = exit. Go through = pass through something, such as a tunnel or a town. Don’t forget to say "Excuse me" before you ask a person. "How can I get to the airport?" "Where can I find a bank?" "How do I get to the city center?" "Could you tell me where the hospital is?" "I’m looking for a hotel." "Do you know where the museum is?" 11 Quantifiers We use quantifiers when we want to give someone information about the number of something: how much or how many. Sometimes we use a quantifier in the place of a determiner:  Most children start school at the age of five.  We ate some bread and butter.  We saw lots of birds. Quantifiers with count and uncount nouns We can use these quantifiers with both count and uncount nouns:  We have lots of time.  Joe has lots of friends.  I can't go out. I've got no money.  There was a lot of food but no drinks. These more colloquial forms are also used with both count and uncount nouns: plenty of heaps of a load of loads of tons of  We have loads of time.  Joe has plenty of friends.  There was heaps of food. some and any We do not normally use the quantifier some in negative and interrogative sentences. We normally use any: Do you have any children? Did you see any friends? We don't have any children. 12 I didn't see any friends. We saw some lions at the zoo, but we didn't see any tigers. but we can use some for offers and requests:  Would you like some tea?  I want some apples, please. Quantifiers with count nouns Some quantifiers can be used only with count nouns: (not) many each either (a) few several both neither fewer These more colloquial forms are used only with count nouns: a couple of hundreds of thousands of I’ll be back in a couple of minutes. There were hundreds of people at the meeting. Quantifiers with uncount nouns Some quantifiers can be used only with uncount nouns: (not) much a bit of a little Would you like a little wine? Could I have a bit of butter, please?  These quantifiers are used particularly with abstract nouns such as time, money and trouble: a great deal of a good deal of It will probably cost a great deal of money. He spent a good deal of time watching television. 13 Members of groups We put a noun directly after a quantifier when we are talking about members of a group in general:  Few snakes are dangerous.  Most children like chocolate.  I never have enough money. but if we are talking about members of a specific group, we use of the as well:  Few of the snakes in this zoo are dangerous.  Most of the boys at my school play football.  He’s spent all (of) the money that we gave him.  Both (of) the chairs in my office are broken. Note: with all and both, we don’t need to use of. We can say all the … and both the …. 14 both, either and neither If we are talking about two people or things, we use the quantifiers both, either and neither: One Two supermarkets More than two supermarkets supermarket The Both the supermarket supermarkets All the supermarkets were closed. was closed. were closed. The Neither of the supermarket supermarkets None of the supermarkets were open. wasn’t open. was open. I don’t think the I don’t think either of supermarket the supermarkets I don’t think any of the supermarketswere open. was open. was open. Note that nouns with both have a plural verb but nouns with either and neither have a singular verb. every and each We use the quantifiers every and each with singular nouns to mean all:  There was a party in every street. (= There were parties in all the streets.)  Every shop was decorated with flowers. (= All the shops were decorated with flowers.)  Each child was given a prize. (= All the children were given a prize.)  There was a prize in each competition. (= There were prizes in all the competitions.) 15 We often use every to talk about times like days, weeks and years:  When we were children, we had holidays at our grandmother's every year.  When we stayed at my grandmother's house, we went to the beach every day.  We visit our daughter every Christmas. We do not use a determiner with every and each:  Every shop was decorated with flowers. (NOT The every shop)  Each child was given a prize. (NOT The each child) 16 Whereas and while We use the conjunction whereas to indicate a contrast between two facts or ideas:  He loves foreign holidays, whereas his wife prefers to stay at home.  Whereas most new PCs have several USB slots, older ones often only had one. Warning: Whereas means the same as while in sentences expressing contrasts. It does not mean the same as while when while refers to time: The south has a hot, dry climate, whereas/while the north has a milder, wetter climate. The secretary took care of my appointments while I was away from the office. Not: … whereas I was away from the office. 17 Countable and uncountable nouns It's important to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns in English because their usage is different in regards to both determiners and verbs. Countable nouns Countable nouns are for things we can count using numbers. They have a singular and a plural form. The singular form can use the determiner "a" or "an". If you want to ask about the quantity of a countable noun, you ask "How many?" combined with the plural countable noun. Singular Plural one dog two dogs one horse two horses one man two men one idea two ideas one shop two shops Examples She has three dogs. I own a house. I would like two books please. How many friends do you have? Uncountable nouns Uncountable nouns are for the things that we cannot count with numbers. They may be the names for abstract ideas or qualities or for physical objects that are too small or too amorphous to be counted (liquids, powders, gases, etc.). Uncountable nouns are used with a singular verb. They usually do not have a plural form. Examples tea sugar 18 water air rice knowledge beauty anger fear love money research safety evidence We cannot use a/an with these nouns. To express a quantity of an uncountable noun, use a word or expression like some, a lot of, much, a bit of, a great deal of , or else use an exact measurement like a cup of, a bag of, 1kg of, 1L of, a handful of, a pinch of, an hour of, a day of. If you want to ask about the quantity of an uncountable noun, you ask "How much?" Examples There has been a lot of research into the causes of this disease. He gave me a great deal of advice before my interview. Can you give me some information about uncountable nouns? He did not have much sugar left. Measure 1 cup of water, 300g of flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt. How much rice do you want? Tricky spots Some nouns are countable in other languages but uncountable in English. They must follow the rules for uncountable nouns. The most common ones are: 19 accommodation, advice, baggage, behavior, bread, furniture, information, luggage, news, progress, traffic, travel, trouble, weather, work Examples I would like to give you some advice. How much bread should I bring? I didn't make much progress today. This looks like a lot of trouble to me. We did an hour of work yesterday. Be careful with the noun hair which is normally uncountable in English, so it is not used in the plural. It can be countable only when referring to individual hairs. Examples: She has long blond hair. The child's hair was curly. I washed my hair yesterday. My father is getting a few grey hairs now. (refers to individual hairs) I found a hair in my soup! (refers to a single strand of hair) 20  Subject Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives What are subject pronouns? The Subject Subject pronouns are words that replace the noun. pronouns are: Ex: Maria is from Colombia. She is from Colombia. I You María and I work at Costco. He/She/It We work at Costco. We You, your father and your dog play football. You You play football. They The bear, the lion, and the tiger play They play What are possessive adjectives? Possessive adjectives are words that indicate possession The possessive adjectives are: Ex: I have a white car My car is white My Your We have a very nice professor Our professor is very nice His/Her/Its Our He has a big house Your His house is big Their I You He/She/It My Your His/Her/Its We You They Our Your Their Person? Number? What are those? When we explain pronouns and possessive adjectives, we refer to them as First person, Second Person, and Third Person. The First person always is, or includes, the speaker: I, We The Second person always is, or includes, the person that receives the message: You The Third person always is someone else: He, she, it, they We also refer to pronouns and possessive adjectives as singular and plural. Singular refers to only one person: I, You, He, She, It. Plural refers to two or more persons: We, You, They. All these rules also apply to possessive adjectives. You can refer to both, one person or many persons. Use this chart to help you: Subject Possessive Number Person Gender pronoun adjective 1st Male/Female I My 2nd Male/Female You Your Singular Male He His 3rd Female She Her Neutral It Its 1st Male We Our Plural 2nd Female You Your 3rd Neutral They Their  Subject pronouns and possessive adjectives exercises 1. Match the word or group of words on the left with the corresponding pronoun on the right. _____ 1. Pat and I a. We _____ 2. Joseph b. They _____ 3. Alyssa c. It _____ 4. The big truck d. She _____ 5. Kevin and Martin e. We _____ 6. The kids _____ 7. John and his wife f. They _____ 8. The bear, the tiger, and the rest g. He _____ 9. You and our sister h. They _____ 10. Andrea, you, and I i. You j. They 2. Write a pronoun that could replace the underlined word(s) is each sentence. 1. Joseph loves to sing. He loves to sing 2. Jennifer and Carl enjoy listening to Joseph's singing. ___________________ 3. Joseph will sing a duet with Olivia. ___________________ 4. Olivia has a beautiful voice too. ___________________ 5. The concert will be tomorrow evening. ___________________ 6. Freddy and I will be sitting in the front row. ___________________ 7. Freddy will go with Joseph's parents. ___________________ 8. Charles plays many instruments ______________________ 9. The trumpet, the drums and the violin sound very nice ______________________ 3. Write the correct possessive adjective on the line. Use the subject pronoun in parenthesis as a hint a. Where is my book? (I) b. Here is ___ teacher. (we) c. She goes to school with ___ brother. (she) d. ___ father works in a car factory. (They) e. ___ laptop is very expensive. (You) f. ____ favorite hobby is tennis. (He) g. ____ husband and I want to go to Paris. (I) h. We want to see ____ historical monuments. (it) i. Leila likes ____ dog. (she) j. ____ name is Bobby. (It) Asking about one’s job: Frank: Hello. My name is Frank. Paul: Nice to meet you, Frank. I’m Paul. Frank: Nice to meet you, too. Paul, what do you do? Paul: I work in a restaurant. I’m a server. Frank: Oh, I see. What do you like about your job? Paul: I meet many new people. Frank: What do you dislike about your job, Paul? Paul: I stand up all day, so I get tired. Paul: what is your job? Frank: I’m a firefighter. Paul: That sounds exciting. What do you wear to work? Frank: I wear a yellow uniform and a helmet. Paul: I see. Is your work dangerous? Frank: Yes, but I like to help people. Paul: That’s great! Have a good time at the party, Frank. Frank: You, too, Paul. Wish with past simple and past perfect In English, we use wish + past form verb when we want something now or in the future to be different e.g. I wish I had more money. In English, we use wish + past perfect verb to show we regret something (we want something in the past to be different) e.g. I wish I had listened to my mom and studied harder. Wishes about the present and future 1. wish + past simple is used to express that we want a situation in the present (or future) to be different. o I wish I spoke Italian. (I don’t speak Italian) o I wish I had a big car. (I don’t have a big car) o I wish I were on a beach. (I’m in the office) o I wish it were the weekend. (It’s only Wednesday) 2. wish + past continuous is used to express that we want to be doing a different action in the present (or future). o I wish I were lying on a beach now. (I’m sitting in the office) o I wish it weren’t raining. (It is raining) o I wish you weren’t leaving tomorrow. (You are leaving tomorrow) Note: In Standard English we use “I wish I were…” and “I wish it were…”. However, “I wish I was…” and “I wish it was” are in common usage. Using this form, the examples above would be: I wish I was on a beach. I wish it was the weekend. I wish I was lying on a beach now. I wish it wasn’t raining. Wishes about the past wish + past perfect is used to express a regret, or that we want a situation in the past to be different. I wish I hadn’t eaten so much. (I ate a lot) I wish they’d come on holiday with us. (They didn’t come on holiday) I wish I had studied harder at school. (I was lazy at school) Wish + would wish + would + bare infinitive is used to express impatience, annoyance or dissatisfaction with a present situation or action. o I wish you would stop smoking. You are smoking at the moment and it is annoying me. o I wish it would stop raining. I’m impatient because it is raining and I want to go outside. o I wish she’d be quiet. I am annoyed because she is speaking. Wish and hope To express that you want something to happen in the future (not wanting a situation to be different, and not implying impatience or annoyance) hope is used instead of wish. o I hope it’s sunny tomorrow. “I wish it was sunny tomorrow” is not correct. o I hope she passes her exam next week. “I wish she were passing her exam next week” is not correct. o I hope the plane doesn’t crash tomorrow. “I wish the plane wouldn’t crash tomorrow” is not correct. Wish and want wish + infinitive or wish + object + infinitive is used to mean want in a formal situation.  I wish to leave now. (+ infinitive) I wish to speak to your supervisor please. (+ infinitive) I do not wish my name to appear on the list. (+ object + infinitive) Wish in fixed expressions I/we wish you… is used in fixed expressions. I wish you a happy birthday. We wish you good luck in your new job Demonstratives this and these We use this (singular) and these (plural) as pronouns: to talk about people or things near us:  This is a nice cup of tea.  Whose shoes are these? to introduce people:  This is Janet.  These are my friends John and Michael. Be careful! We say, This is John and this is Michael. (NOT These are John and Michael.) to begin a conversation on the phone: Hello, this is David. Can I speak to Sally? that and those We use that (singular) and those (plural) as pronouns to talk about things that are not near us:  What's that?  Those are very expensive shoes.  This is our house, and that's Rebecca's house over there. We also use that to reply to something someone has said: 'Shall we go to the cinema?' 'Yes, that’s a good idea.' 'I've got a new job.' 'That's great.' 'I'm very tired.' 'Why is that?' With nouns We can also use this, these, that and those with nouns. We use this and these for people or things near us:  We have lived in this house for twenty years.  Have you read all of these books? and that and those for people or things that are not near us:  Who lives in that house?  Who are those people? Describe a close friend. You should say: how long you have known this person how you met what kind of person he/she is and explain why you like him/her. So clearly you must talk about the beginning of your friendship, as the first two points relate to this. Then you should describe their personality, and also what it is that you like about them. This is a great question, but it should be quite easy to answer. But first, let’s think about making notes. My best friend is called Rich. We met in 2003 on our first day of university, during Freshers’ Week. I can hardly believe that it was fifteen years ago! We were both seventeen at the time and we met in the halls of residence, which is where we stayed during that first year. He was an art student and I was studying literature. We got along well from the very first moment. I remember him wearing a t-shirt. We lived together for two years and have stayed best friends ever since. Rich is a very generous and creative person. He plays in a band and he loves to paint and do other artistic things. A few years ago he got married and now he has a child. He’s changed a lot since we were students, but in many ways he has stayed the same. I liked him back then because he was such a nice guy, and the same is true now. Everyone who knows him thinks he is patient and open-minded, so he’s very easy to get along with. Shopping Shopping is a necessary part of life which very few people can avoid. It is a daily routine for some people. Some people shop for pleasure while other people go shopping just to buy the necessary items in order to survive. The weekend is usually a good time to go shopping because people have free time from work. At this time the shops are usually very busy because people try to get the best items for the lowest price before the item runs out of stock. Some people go shopping more regularly than other people to browse products in shops even when they do not have much money. This is known as window shopping and allows people to plan ahead and save for the things they want to buy in the future or wait for the items to drop in price. Some people spend a lot of time looking for bargains while others do not think of the price and are happy to spend a lot. Some people believe that the more expensive the item, the better the quality, but this is not always true. It is sensible to buy items which are affordable, but some people use a credit card or borrow money from the bank so that they can buy the items they really want rather than wait for it. Sometimes shopping can be stressful when choosing a gift to buy other people for a special occasion. It is common to buy a gift voucher so that a friend or loved one can go shopping themselves at their own convenience. Shopping online is often popular with people who have a busy lifestyle. People are able to order their necessary and luxury items from the comfort of their own home, or even on the move. Delivery is usually free and items are often cheaper than in shops on the high street. The only real problem is that the item description and quality may be different than what they hoped for. This could mean the customer may become disappointed with the item they receive and will need to return it at their own cost. People who go to shops to do their shopping often use self-service payment machines. This usually saves time as the shopper does not need to join a long queue. However, it can be frustrating when the machine has a problem and the sales assistant is not always available to help. Reading comprehension questions that go with the above reading passage. 1) Why is the weekend a good time to go shopping? A) It is very busy on the weekend. B) People are free from work.  C) Things are usually cheaper. D) The shops are closed. 2) What are people doing when they go shopping just to have a look and not to buy? A) Bargain hunting B) Window shopping C) They do not have much money D) Looking for the best quality 3) What do some people usually think about items of better quality? A) They are cheaper B) They are harder to find C) They are more expensive D) They are on sale 4) When can shopping be stressful? A) When shops are about to close B) When it is very busy C) When buying a gift for someone D) On the weekend 5) Is there sometimes a problem with online shopping? A) No the shops are open 24 hours a day B) Yes with the quality and description of the item C) Yes there are too many queues D) No there are no problems Fertility Rate: The fertility rate is defined as the average number of living children born to a woman who survives her reproductive years (ages 15–49). It is influenced by multiple factors, including economic and social change. The total fertility rate (TFR) is considered a measure of population growth. Globally, the population is growing while fertility rates continue to decline. This is because population growth is calculated based on fertility rate, death rate and migration. 1. Improved Educational Opportunities for Women According to Oxford University's Our World in Data project, the social empowerment of women, particularly through increased education, has been shown to decrease fertility rates. Increased education also contributes positively to other factors that decrease fertility rates, such as higher use of contraception, better childhood health and women's participation in the workforce. 2. Lower Child Mortality Historically, high child mortality — including infant deaths and deaths by early childhood illnesses — kept population growth low and fertility rates high. As child mortality rates have declined (dramatically in some countries) fertility rates have fallen. 3. Better Access to Contraception and Family Planning Advice For some areas of the world, the sharpest declines in fertility rates have come from the introduction of safe, reliable access to contraception. This may include confidential access if local cultural norms or family members impede a woman's right to access birth control. The increased availability of sexual health education and family planning resources has also impacted fertility rates. 4. Increasing Societal Prosperity High-income countries have experienced a steeper decline in fertility than low-income countries, but it's unclear whether confounding factors, such as increased educational opportunities, are responsible for this correlation. A higher level of education fosters more prosperity and a lower number of children, according to The World Bank. However, Our World In Data speculates whether other factors such as career aspirations and changing cultural pressures around marriage might contribute to parents choosing to have fewer children — or none at all. People in many wealthier regions are getting married later in life, pursuing careers and choosing to have children later, according to The Week. Predicting the Consequences of Lower Fertility Rates With an aging population and a shrinking pool of younger workers, some analysts worry economic growth will decline in a way that will be difficult to overcome. Initially, as the birth rate declines, the economy grows; but when a tipping point is reached and fertility rates continue to fall, the imbalance between elderly and working-age people becomes unsustainable. Fast Food: The basic question is, what made fast food so popular this last century? One answer would be that the change in lifestyle compared to before is a cause for this. It pushes workers or people to eat fast food than cook food themselves. For instance, two working parents are a good example of this. Due to their jobs, they do not have time to cook for their children or even themselves. As a consequence, they find it easier to order from these fast food restaurants rather than cook. That is why they favor fast food over their own cooked food. Another cause of fast food usage is long working hours, which may also lead people to eat outside the home. There are many fast-food businesses in our cities. Some are McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, etc. We can make a long list with hundreds of names from these restaurants. During the last couple of years, we saw a lot of advertisements and promotions for those restaurants. Nevertheless, there still remains a question of why they spend to promote ineffective food. What are the reasons for this? The answer is that fast food is easy to cook. It does not take long to cook, and it is readily available. The shareholders of these businesses have their own goals, that of the profits they get from these restaurants. Effects of Fast Food: Above, we have seen the causes that may have led to the flourishing of the fast-food industry. However, what is more important, is its effects on society and human beings. The primary effect that fast food has on human beings is that it can get your health in danger status. First, fast food can cause vitamin deficiencies that may, in turn, help to cause diseases. Obesity is one of the consequences of fast food on the human body. Obesity comes because fast food is the factor that enriches the body with fats. So people will become less healthy, less effective, and less productive, and this is the conclusion of obesity (Adams, 2007, pp. 155). Another serious effect of the popularity of fast food presences is the loss of the family tradition of eating together. The family used to eat together, and thus they had the opportunity to talk with each other about daily problems. Fast food also affects the income of the family. The conclusion is that fast food is more expensive than the food you cook for yourself. Comparison between fast food and homemade food Today everyone is working, so getting a hot meal in the kitchen every day isn’t an expected luxury. Most families eat out because of tiredness and it’s quicker doing so. Just in the bid to satisfy one’s hungry stomach, the thought of what to eat, how much money to spend, and the dilemma of whether to grab a fast food or to eat homemade food sets in. Hence, in the vastness of variety of choices, one has to decide what food can bring satisfaction quickly, that is affordable and of course healthy. Homemade food is healthy, delicious, cost friendly and definitely satisfies the individual’s palate and hunger. Fast food on the other hand is not healthy, might be delicious, can be expensive and might not satisfy the individual’s palate and hunger.