Discourse markers are words or expressions that link, manage and help to organise sentences. They connect what is written or said with something else. They make no change to the meaning. They are also often called linking words and, sometimes, fillers. They are important to make your speech or text flow and to avoid a series of short unconnected statements. Discourse markers can be placed in any part of a sentence, including the beginning. We use different types of discourse markers for different types of links; informal markers for speech and formal type markers for formal writing, such as essays and reports.