which, of course, has nothing to do with learning English, or has it? On the surface, it may not be so obvious, but connectors in language have the same function as connectors shown above- they are necessary to link pieces of a greater whole. In language, they help to create a cohesive whole of your longer piece of writing or a longer piece of speech. In practical terms, they are very important for your speaking and writing exam.
As seen above, there are different connectors- they have various shapes and they link different parts within a unit. Similarly, connectors in language have different functions. The table below sumarises some connectors and their functions:
*Adapted from Advanced Grammar in Use by M Hewings |
For further practice, please use the following websites:
So, what are conjunctions? Well, when I google them, the following images appear, meaning that conjunctions are uniquely linked to language and they don't have any other functions, like in the case of connectors.
*** Be careful with 'after', 'before' and 'so' as they can be both connectors and conjunctions.
Conjunctions, in contrast to connectors, link two clauses within a sentence. They DO NOT link separate sentences, that is why, for example, you cannot start your sentences with 'because' as it has to be attached to another part of the same sentence. On the other hand, conjunctions share the same functions as connectors, i.e. they can introduce contrast, comparison, addition, etc. within a sentence. Have a look below at the revised table of conjunctions and connectors:
*Adapted from Advanced Grammar in Use by M Hewings |
To clarify what conjunctions do, have a go at the following activities: