discourse marker · academic
On balance, + clause
Band 7+task2
Used to state a conclusion after weighing pros and cons; signals an overall judgement.
Examples
“On balance, stricter regulations are likely to benefit public health despite short-term costs.”
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Band 8 sentence
“On balance, the evidence suggests that investment in preventive healthcare is more cost‑effective than focusing solely on treatment.”
Collocations
- On balance, I conclude that ...
- On balance, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Common mistakes
On balance we should ...→On balance, we should ...
In balance, ...→On balance, ...
Say it for a higher band
5Overall,→6In general,→7+On balance,
Synonyms
Overall,
Easily confused
On the whole,
“On the whole, people support moderate reform.”
Related words
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In Opening & closing ideas
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