what are connectives?
Connectives, conjunctions, conjuncts or linking words? Same thing, different names. If you already have read about paragraphs and some of the ways they may be linked, you know that linking words help connect what you have said in the previous paragraph to the topic in the next paragraph. In addition, linking words make the text more meaningful to the reader, since they act as signposts in the text. They create a link between the ideas in the text and help the reader understand where one idea ends and the next one begins. However, linking words not only connect paragraphs, as you will learn below, but also other parts of the text. All this makes your text more meaningful, logical and coherent.
We may use connectives to create links on at least four different levels:
1. Within a sentence
Within a sentence connectives may connect words, phrases or clauses (sentences).
E.g. Amanda bought apples, pears and oranges. - In this example and connects words
E.g. William loves playing the guitar, but not the piano. - Here but connects two phrases
When they connect clauses to create longer sentences, we call this longer sentence a compound sentence. In a compound sentence connectives may link either two independent clauses (coordinate two clauses), or an independent clause with a subordinated clause.
In the compound sentence equal attention is given to the two clauses, since they both are independent.
E.g. Did they fly to France, or did they decide to take the train?
In contrast, when we connect an independent sentence with a subordinated clause, the subordinated is dependent upon the main clause. The subordinated clause is not not a complete sentence and, thus, cannot stand alone. In such sentences the connective word is placed at the beginning of the subordinated clause, as we can see in this example:
E.g. Since Kate had forgotten her passport, she was not allowed to vote.
2. Across sentences
E.g. At first he thought there was nobody at home. Then he noticed the car in the garage.
We may also link the last sentence of a paragraph to the topic sentence of the next paragraph.
3. Across paragraphs
E.g.
Paragraph 1: Swimming is both fun and healthy. It is fun because you get to be with your friends and ....(...)
Paragraph 2: Swimming is also healthy, since you have to use the whole body. Not only your muscles, but...(...)
This kind of connection may sometimes be difficult to distinguish from type 2, .
4. Throughout the whole text
Two common ways of creating this type of connection is by using pronouns or words belonging to the same topic.
We create so-called "chains" of words through the text, which are linked to each other.
E.g. food - soup - dinner - supper - pizza - hamburgers - healthy - fast food - unhealthy
E.g. my parents - Lisa and Craig - they - them - themselves - him and her - the couple
We may use connectives to create links on at least four different levels:
1. Within a sentence
Within a sentence connectives may connect words, phrases or clauses (sentences).
E.g. Amanda bought apples, pears and oranges. - In this example and connects words
E.g. William loves playing the guitar, but not the piano. - Here but connects two phrases
When they connect clauses to create longer sentences, we call this longer sentence a compound sentence. In a compound sentence connectives may link either two independent clauses (coordinate two clauses), or an independent clause with a subordinated clause.
In the compound sentence equal attention is given to the two clauses, since they both are independent.
E.g. Did they fly to France, or did they decide to take the train?
In contrast, when we connect an independent sentence with a subordinated clause, the subordinated is dependent upon the main clause. The subordinated clause is not not a complete sentence and, thus, cannot stand alone. In such sentences the connective word is placed at the beginning of the subordinated clause, as we can see in this example:
E.g. Since Kate had forgotten her passport, she was not allowed to vote.
2. Across sentences
E.g. At first he thought there was nobody at home. Then he noticed the car in the garage.
We may also link the last sentence of a paragraph to the topic sentence of the next paragraph.
3. Across paragraphs
E.g.
Paragraph 1: Swimming is both fun and healthy. It is fun because you get to be with your friends and ....(...)
Paragraph 2: Swimming is also healthy, since you have to use the whole body. Not only your muscles, but...(...)
This kind of connection may sometimes be difficult to distinguish from type 2, .
4. Throughout the whole text
Two common ways of creating this type of connection is by using pronouns or words belonging to the same topic.
We create so-called "chains" of words through the text, which are linked to each other.
E.g. food - soup - dinner - supper - pizza - hamburgers - healthy - fast food - unhealthy
E.g. my parents - Lisa and Craig - they - them - themselves - him and her - the couple
examples of connectives
Below we have listed some of the most common connectives, but the list is by no means complete. We have sorted them according to their function in the text.
Remember, though, you do not have to use linking words all the time, that is, in every sentence. Otherwise your text might become repetitive and artificial.
tasks
Kildehenvisninger:
http://www.grammarbank.com/connectives-list.html
http://www.lokus.no/open/stages/Stages-102/The-Exam/Linking-Words/About-Linking-words
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode64/languagepoint.shtml
http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/pruter/film/paragraphs.htm
http://www.espressoenglish.net/linking-words-in-english-reasons-and-results/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/topic/connectives
http://www.lokus.no/open/stages/Stages-102/The-Exam/Linking-Words
http://a4esl.org/q/h/9901/gc-connectives.html
http://www.grammarbank.com/connectives-list.html
http://www.lokus.no/open/stages/Stages-102/The-Exam/Linking-Words/About-Linking-words
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode64/languagepoint.shtml
http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/pruter/film/paragraphs.htm
http://www.espressoenglish.net/linking-words-in-english-reasons-and-results/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/topic/connectives
http://www.lokus.no/open/stages/Stages-102/The-Exam/Linking-Words
http://a4esl.org/q/h/9901/gc-connectives.html
Sist redigert:
27.09.15 M.I.
27.09.15 M.I.