Full list of discourse markers to use in the writing and speaking part of the ielts

On the contrary
, (I think) it was planned to happen that way.” 
Usage b
):
Here is an example of "Usage b". 
Speaker 1: “I think that's ugly.” 
Speaker 2: “I don’t think it’s ugly at all. 
On the contrary
, I think it’s quite 
beautiful.”
Here, “I don’t think it’s ugly” = “I think it’s beautiful” in meaning. Both of these 
statements contradict what Speaker 1 said but the second, positive statement is more 
emphatic than the first, negative statement. 
It is possible for Speaker 2 to simply answer, “
On the contrary
, I think it’s quite 
beautiful.” but the usual usage is to first
contradict
what the other person said. 
In usage b), the form of the statement is this: negative statement + "On the contrary" 
+ positive statement. 
And, the negative statement = the positive statement in meaning. 
The meaning of “
On the contrary
” here is similar to saying, “
in fact
”, “
as a matter 
of fact
” or “
actually
”. 
In both usage a) and usage b), “On the contrary” is used when talking (or writing) 
about two ideas (facts, opinions, beliefs or feelings) that are 180° in opposition to 
each other.

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In the following example, the speaker or writer first makes a negative 
statement, “would not fail.”
“Eventually, I came to believe that I wouldn’t fail. 
On the contrary
, I became 
convinced that I would succeed very well.”
This could either be a written statement or a spoken statement. It either case, it has a 
rather literary or formal tone. The statement is similar to correcting or contradicting 
another person where, in this case, the "other person" is the speaker or writer himself 
and his earlier feelings about his own success. That is, originally this person believed, 
"I might fail" then he changed to have confidence that he would not fail. 
The following example is similar to the one above in structure. However, although 
the use of, “On the contrary” here is acceptable it would be 
more suitable
to use, “