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Connectives

Connectives are words or phrases that link sentences and clauses, facilitating smooth transitions in writing and speech. They fall into three categories: conjunctions, prepositions, and adverbs, each serving distinct functions in sentence structure. Proper use of connectives is essential for creating compound and complex sentences, enhancing clarity and coherence in communication.

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7 views10 pages

Connectives

Connectives are words or phrases that link sentences and clauses, facilitating smooth transitions in writing and speech. They fall into three categories: conjunctions, prepositions, and adverbs, each serving distinct functions in sentence structure. Proper use of connectives is essential for creating compound and complex sentences, enhancing clarity and coherence in communication.

Uploaded by

shamodhansaka123
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Connectives

What are connectives?


 Connectives are words or phrases that link sentences (or clauses) together.
 Connectives can be conjunctions ('when, but, because') prepositions or
adverbs, and we use them constantly in written and spoken English.
 Connectives are the often overlooked 'smaller' functional words that help us link
our writing together.
 They are the glue of the literary world.
 Furthermore, they help our words flow and lead on from one to another without
sounding awkward.
 Essentially, without connectives, we wouldn't be able to speak or write in full
sentences!
 Connectives can go from very simple words, such as ‘and’ or ‘next’ to more
descriptive, such as ‘consequently’ or ‘meanwhile.’
Basic Rules for using connectives

 The different types of connectives are not interchangeable.


 The sentences / ideas being connected must be related.
 Connectives are usually used only once in a sentence.
 Connectives in English commonly fall into three categories:
conjunctions, prepositions and adverbs. Look at the following
examples.
• Conjunctions: are a type of connective BUT they’re not the same.
• Conjunctions join words, phrases, clauses, and sentences together to form longer complex
sentences.
For example: and, but, for, or, yet.
• Today, I finished my history assignment but forgot to work out.

• Prepositions: describe the relative location, place, and time between two things. They
demonstrate time and space, direction, and agency.
• Such as: at, in, of, on, under.
• I need to finish the conclusion of my essay before I go to dinner.

• Adverbs: modify verbs, other adverbs, adjectives, and clauses. Adverbs explain how an
action is carried out by adding detail, describing the manner, and showing the “how, when
where, and why” of the action.
• For instance: upwards, quickly, fortunately.
• My deadline is tomorrow. Fortunately, I proofread my thesis chapter already.
• They acted fast and saved the child.
 Some of the more commonly used connectives are listed below.
 Note especially how these connections function to develop, relate, connect and move ideas.
What is a connective phrase?
 Before moving on, it's worth noting that connectives can sometimes be more
than one word.
 Phrases like 'as well as' and 'in addition to' can connect different phrases or
sentences together in much the same way as single words like 'and.’
 “As well as this, conjunctions are sometimes used at the start of a sentence,
rather than in the middle.”
 For an example of this, look no further than the start of the previous sentence!
 Other examples of connective phrases include:
• For instance
• Such as
• On the other hand
Connectives and clauses:
how to use connectives in clauses
 Connectives and punctuation are used to join different main and subordinate clauses in a
sentence.
 Using connectives between clauses creates something called a compound sentence.
 Compound sentences are only possible by using connectives to join two main clauses together
in a sentence.
 For example, you could say: 'I like blue cars and I like red cars.’

 Using the connective 'and' joins together two main clauses that would both make sense on their
own.
 For example, the following sentences show how connectives can be used to join to
clauses in a sentence:
 I like bananas and I like grapes.
 Zoe can be rude at times, but she is a nice girl.
 I normally drink tea in the morning but sometimes I drink coffee.
 The connective ‘but’ also helps to join two main clauses.
 The formular below is a simple way to keep in mind how to create these sentences for yourself!

 Connectives and clauses can also be seen when forming complex sentences. Complex sentences
can also be referred to as multi-clause sentences.

 A complex sentence is formed when you join a main clause and a subordinate clause with a
connective. A subordinate clause (depending clauses) is one that relies on a main clause to make
sense.
 The connectives in complex sentences are subordinating conjunctions and they tell us about the
order or the place in which things happened or specify a cause or effect relationship between
events.
 Connectives used in complex sentences include after, although, as, because, if, since, unless,
when.
 For example, the below sentences are examples of how you can insert connectives in-between
clauses to create a complex sentence.
• I love roast potatoes, although my mom prefers them mashed.
• You need to prepare for the spelling test tomorrow if you want to get all your spellings right.
• The big dog barked whenever I knocked on the door.

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