Connectors

University of Economics and Technology Foreign Languages Department

CONNECTORSIn English we use connectors to connect ideas within sentences/between sentences or larger blocks of text. There are 3 types of conjunctions in English:

Coordinators Subordinators Transitions

1. COORDINATORS Coordinate connectors join two independent clauses . The basic coordinators are ‘and, but, for, nor, or,

so, yet’. They are generally used in the middle of sentences with a comma (,). e.g. John thought he had a good chance to get the job, for his father was on the company's board of trustees.

I was worried, so I did some research. This is a useful rule, but it is difficult to remember. Many people might have been killed, or injured by the explosion. She has not told anyone what you said, nor has she given any indication that something is wrong.

(“nor” needs an inverted structure) He’s overweight and feels terrible, yet he continues to eat lots of cakes and biscuits. Tashonda sent in her applications and waited by the phone for a response.

2. SUBORDINATORS Subordinating connectors join one dependent (subordinating) clause to an independent(main) clause. A

subordinating clause is a dependent clause, and it needs a main clause to be meaningful. e.g. If I were you. (meaningless and ungrammatical when used alone)If I were you, I would study harder. (it is meaningful and grammatical with the main clause ‘I would study harder.’

They could be used either at the beginning of sentences or in the middle. When they come at the beginning of sentences, a comma (,) is used between the subordinate and main clauses. When they are in the middle, no punctuation mark is used.

e.g. When I woke up, I saw John by my bed. Subordinating clause I saw John by my bed when I woke up. Subordinating clause

Subordinating connectors could be classified in terms of the meaning they express under the headings; a) time subordinatorsb) place subordinatorsc) reason subordinatorsd) condition subordinatorse) contrast subordinators

TIME SUBORDINATORS

PLACE SUBORDINATORS REASON SUBORDINATORS

CONDITION SUBORDINATORS

CONTRAST SUBORDINATORS

WHEN WHERE AS IF ALTHOUGHWHILE WHEREVER INASMUCH AS (because) UNLESS THOUGHSINCE ANYWHERE SINCE WHETHER EVEN THOUGHAS EVERYWHERE NOW THAT WHEREASAS SOON AS BECAUSE WHILEBEFORE DESPİTEAFTER IN SPITE OFBY THE TIME WHENEVER ONCE (when) UNTIL AS LONG AS


Once the light came on, we all shouted with joy. We'll send payment as soon as you fax the signed contract. He seems to make enemies wherever he goes. Now that we've heard all the arguments for and against the proposal, shall we vote on it? Inasmuch as you are their commander, you are responsible for the behaviors of these men. I like to go swimming whereas Sheila likes to sail. Linda will serve five years in jail unless the parole board releases her early for good behavior.

3. TRANSITIONS*Transitions are used:-to join two sentences

Jason has been learning English for a year now; however, he cannot speak well. Candy is a good mother to her two children; also, she has always been a great support for her husband.

-to make transitions between sentences He forgot to take his umbrella. Consequently, he got wet while he was going to work. They searched the forest all day to find the missing child. However, they couldn’t even find a clue.

TRANSITIONS CONNECTING TWO SENTENCES1.sentence 1*: sentence+ transition+, sentence 22.sentence1*: sentence+ transition*, sentence 2

*Semicolon or dot is used before sentence connectors, and comma is used after sentence connectors.ADDITION:

In addition/Additionally/ Moreover/ Furthermore/ Also/ Besides You can find a large variety of goods at big supermarkets. In addition/ Additionally/ Moreover/

Furthermore/ Also/ Besides, you may benefit from the promotions. Jenny teaches English literature at the university; in addition/ additionally/ moreover/ furthermore/

also/ besides, he translates books from English to Turkish. DIRECT CONTRAST:

However/ In contrast/ On the other hand/ On the contrary Tim doesn’t like noisy places; however/ in contrast/ on the other hand, he often goes to the discos with

his friends. Brandon has always lived a luxurious life and is a wealthy man; however/ in contrast/ on the other

hand, his wife had a poor childhood and a simple life. The couple doesn’t earn much money. On the contrary, their daughter attends a private university.

However/ Nevertheless/ Nonetheless/ Still/Yet/ Even so The professor didn’t like to get the projects late. However/ Nevertheless/ Nonetheless/ Still/ Yet/ Even

so, he took Martin’s because he found it really good. I’m very tired; however/nevertheless/ nonetheless/still/ yet/ even so, I will stay up till 11 to watch my

favorite series.RESULT:

Therefore/ As a result/ Consequently He didn’t attend school regularly during the term. Therefore/ As a result/ Consequently, he was

dismissed from the school. Everybody wanted to go to a different place for holiday; therefore/ as a result/ consequently, they

voted for the places and decided on Antalya.SIMILARITY:

Similarly/Likewise If you don’t study, you can fail. Similarly/Likewise, if you study, you can pass the exam. Sarah attended university and has a good job now; similarly/likewise, her sister is a successful student

and has won the university entrance exam. EMPHASIS:


Actually/ In fact Mr. Brown is an honest man. In fact, you can always rely on him on everything. She looks over 25; actually, he is only 17.

EXEMPLIFICATION: For example/ For instance

The economic status of the country has improved a lot recently. For example/ For instance, the inflation rate has decreased from 25% to 15%.

He has a great number of achievements; for example/ for instance, he gave seminars at two international conferences.

SUMMARY: In conclusion/ All in all/ To sum up/ In short

She attends school regularly, does all her homework and gets high marks. In conclusion/ All in all/ To sum up/ In short, she is a successful student.

The actors and actresses have rehearsed every day since the last month. They have worked hard and spent a lot of time and effort; In conclusion/ All in all/ To sum up/ In short, they have done their best for their performance up till now.

LISTING: First/ First of all/ To begin with/ Second/ Secondly/ Third/ Thirdly/ Finally

There are several steps to organize a nice St. Valentine’s Day. First/Firstly, you should buy a nice present and a bunch of red roses. Second/Secondly, you should cook delicious and special meals. Third/Thirdly, you should choose romantic pieces of music. Finally, you should invite your valentine, of course!

TIME: At first/ Later/ Afterwards/ Then/ Meanwhile/ At last

At first, she couldn’t understand the teacher’s speech, but later she was able to understand it. They arrived in Bodrum in the morning. Afterwards/ Then, they went to the hotel to have a rest. Put the chocolate cake into the oven. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce for your brownies.

TRANSITIONS CONNECTING PHRASE AND SENTENCES

ADDITION: As well as/ In addition to/ Besides

-In addition to/ Besides/ As well as the worker’s demand, the coordinators of the company asked for a rise in their salary.*It is not acceptable to use a subject after ‘in addition to’. So we cannot say:In addition to Jason, Betty likes horror films.-We were not happy with the service we got, so in addition to/as well as/ besides apologizing, the company refunded the money.CAUSE:

Owing to/ Due to/ Because of/ Thanks to Owing to the high technology in communication, people have broken the habit of writing letters. The flight had a two-hour delay because of the heavy fog. Due to some technical reasons, there will be electricity cut in the town during the day.*’thanks to’ is used to express positive meaning.-Thanks to AKUT’s contribution, more people have been rescued in the disaster.

CONTRAST: In spite of/ Despite/ Notwithstanding/ For all

In spite of the negative comments on them, Turkish movies have improved a lot, especially for the last five years.

Prepositional Phrase+ Noun Phrase, Sentence Prepositional Phrase+ Gerund Phrase, Sentence


She turned down the job, notwithstanding the high salary. For all the hindrance, Daniel didn’t give up. Despite the heavy traffic jam, many people prefer driving their own cars to using public transportation.

Unlike/ Different from/ In contrast to/ As opposed to Living on one’s one is different from living with your family. In contrast to her wisdom, her ideas are rather nonsense. Unlike his peers, little Paul didn’t use to like playing games. The witness told what he saw accurately, as opposed to the claim that he is a dishonest man.

TIME: Before/ Prior to/ After/ Subsequent to/ Following/ During

Before the party, she went to the hairdresser. The lecturer asked several questions to learn about the background knowledge of the participants, prior

to first session. After the regulations, everyone was happy with the working conditions of the factory. A party will be held subsequent to the wedding. There was a heavy rain following the strong wind. During the expedition, archeologists have discovered important remains.

In case of/ In the event of/ But for/ Without They built a shelter to hide in case of an earthquake. In the event of a sudden change in climate, the ecological system will be noticeably affected.* ‘But for’ contains the idea “if something didn’t take place or happen” or “if something had not taken place or happened” is followed by a clause including a form of 2nd or 3rd conditional. We would never consider reading the contract carefully but for your warning. (if you didn’t warn us) But for that automatic reminding system, we would have forgotten the deadline of trial period. (If there

had not been an automatic reminding system) We cannot sell this ring without Grandmother’s permission, it is so important to her.( if she doesn’t give

permission)EXEMPLIFICATION:

Such as/ For instance/ For example Living in a big city has several advantages such as educational, medical and vocational opportunities. There are some dangerous kinds of animals such as snakes and crocodiles. Theft is becoming more and more common in such states as New Jersey and West Virginia. My boyfriend doesn’t like the things I enjoy doing, for example riding bicycle and jogging. There are some certain hotels, for instance Hilton and Sheraton, that nobody can deny their quality and

success. EXCEPTION:

Apart from/ Except/ Except for Apart from the pine tree, all the trees fall down their leaves. Except for/ Except Edward, everyone attended Kevin and Betty’s wedding ceremony.

SIMILARITY: Like/ Similar to

Rasing children is like shaping a sculpture. Bungee jumping is like flying. The project they work on is similar to ours. My plans about the party are similar

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Connectors