Second, discourse markers can provide a logical sequence (Detwiler, np). Another example of discourse markers would be if an author wanted to structure sentences in a paragraph or paragraphs in an essay in order of importance or sequence. For example, an author may write “First, the pan must be heated. Second, butter must be placed on the pan and melted so that it may act as a lubricant. Third, the egg must be cracked and emptied into the pan with care to avoid yolk breakage. Fourth, the egg must be flipped to cook the other side. Finally, the egg must be delicately removed and seasoned.” The author uses the discourse markers “First…Second…Third…Fourth” to chronologically structure their sentences, since any other order would be illogical. Thus, the audience understands that if they wish to cook an egg, they must follow the provided sequence. Moreover, the author utilizes “Finally” in their last sentence so that the audience understands that they are describing the final step and concluding the sequence. Another example would be this section detailing the importance of discourse markers. Although neither paragraph has more importance than the other, they are divided into "First...Second...Third" to help the audience better understand the situations in which discourse markers can be used. Discourse markers are critical in structuring sentences and paragraphs to follow a logical sequence. 

        Third, discourse markers can illustrate cause and effect (Detwiler, np). For example, an author may claim, “The police are equipped with the power to severely injure and kill people, and there will continue to be cases of law enforcement officers abusing their power if they are left unchecked. Therefore, body cameras should be mandatory for all law enforcement officers and any attempt to deactivate them should be considered a violation of the law.”. The author demonstrates what the current situation is or a trend that may result in an unfavorable outcome in their first sentence. By beginning their final sentence with “Therefore,” they convince the audience that, because the prior statement is the status quo, the claim in the final sentence must be considered. Without utilizing "Therefore", the two sentences would appear to be two separate statements and would lack a smooth transition, making what is written sound robotic and less sensical. Therefore, using discourse markers that illustrate cause and effect contributes to a more comprehensible essay.

        Discourse markers serve a wide variety of purposes in structuring and connecting clauses, sentences, and paragraphs. They can add, show cause and effect, show sequencing, compare, contrast, give an example, emphasize, generalize, and more (Warwick, np). Utilizing discourse markers enhances the structure of a paragraph or paper, which allows the audience to better understand the presented material. In addition, discourse markers provide clear markers on how each piece of the essay is connected to each other. Thus, students would be wise to include discourse markers in their works and utilize them effectively.

Although utilizing a variety of discourse markers generally benefits writing, certain words and phrases must not be used in English 147 or any technical writing. Wordy and informal discourse markers should be avoided because they distract attention from the main topic and become an overuse of pretentious words. The types of discourse markers a writer chooses should be short, direct, and concise to convey information to the reader efficiently and effectively. An example of a wordy discourse marker is the phrase "due to the fact that." This phrase is five words long and sets up the word "it" later in the sentence. The phrase is more straightforward if simplified to "due to" or replaced with the word "since." Informal discourse markers usually appear in a normal spoken conversation, such as "truth be told" or "for a start." Instead of replacing these discourse markers with formal ones, the phrases do not provide anything valuable to the writing and can be deleted altogether. Avoiding redundant discourse markers helps writers keep their writing to the point and enhance credibility by demonstrating the ability to convey information concisely.

The direct benefits of discourse markers become more evident when comparing their impact to when they are absent from a sentence or argument. Bruce Frasier’s 1988 study “Types of English Discourse Markers” evaluates the different discourse markers commonly used in the English language and their functions and effectiveness. “The absence of the Discourse Marker does not render a sentence ungrammatical and/or unintelligible. It does, however, remove a powerful clue about what commitment the speaker makes regarding the relationship between the current utterance and the prior discourse” (Frasier 22). When an author is proficient in writing with discourse markers an argument will increase in clarity, even though the sentence may have been grammatically correct before the implementation of discourse markers, the effectiveness and ease of comprehension for readers has been found to be positively changed as a result. Discourse markers are natural transitions that writers are largely familiar with, and their inclusion in arguments make it typically more understandable for readers. The familiarity allows the writer making the argument to have a direct message being communicated to their audience, without the chances of misinterpretation or conflicts and biases appearing due to the makeup of the argument being made.

Discourse markers hold an irreplaceable position in the fundamentals of argumentative writing that are taught and practiced today. As students and writers progress through different stages of their writing abilities, the number of discourse markers used, and by extension, the quality of their writing, increases with experience and practice. "The frequency of [discourse markers] can be, to some extent, a potential predictor/indicator of writing quality, that is, the higher the number of [discourse markers], the better the quality of writing" (Huneety et al. 7). The commonly found conclusion is that the furthering of one's knowledge and use of discourse markers in their writing will make the writing produced as a result much more effective, direct, and professional.