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In a formal argument the reader should never have to guess how two sentences are related. A discourse marker at the start of the sentence says it openly: this is my next reason, this is a contrast, this is the same idea in other words, this is my conclusion.
| Function | Markers |
|---|---|
| ordering | first and foremost, secondly, finally |
| adding | moreover, furthermore |
| ranking | more importantly, above all |
| contrasting | by contrast, on the other hand |
| restating | in other words |
| concluding | in conclusion, on balance |
These markers are adverbials, not conjunctions. They begin a new sentence or follow a semicolon, and a comma comes after them; a comma alone cannot join the two statements.
A cleft sentence divides one statement into two parts so that a single element receives the stress. A what-cleft keeps the focus for the end (What we need is time); an it-cleft puts it near the beginning and is ideal for correcting a wrong assumption: It is not X but Y that …
What + subject + verb + is / was + focus | It + is / was + focus + that + rest of the clause