Using contrasting linking devices

The podcast episode explains the use of linking devices to contrast one idea with another. Words and phrases like 'however', 'although', and 'despite' are given as examples. These linking devices help express surprising or unexpected contrasts between ideas. For example, the podcast provides sentences like 'Dean and I were the best of friends, but sometimes we completely disagreed' and 'Although Dean and I were the best of friends, sometimes we completely disagreed' to illustrate the use of 'but' and 'although' for contrasting. The episode further explores the use of 'despite' and 'in spite of', which can be followed by the -ing form of a verb or a noun phrase to express contrast. It concludes by mentioning 'while' and 'whereas', which are used for contrasting facts without expressing surprise or attitude.