ABSTRACT
Links represent the relationship between one idea and another. Often they are flagged by the speaker, who may use what are sometimes called link words. The link is not a word; words can be used to highlight it, they are very useful pointers. But it is not the word that makes the link; it is the speaker's train of thought. Speakers may use no more than their intonation to flag links. They may assume, because it is clear from the context, that the audience sees a link. Alternatively, they may use a word that we associate with a link where there is no link. It is also possible that the use and frequency of links in the target language differ slightly from those in the source language. Total immigration continues to rise, although the government has imposed a number of new visa restrictions on non-EU nationals.
