Connectors vs Conjunctions

When you google the word 'connector', this is what comes up:

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

The main feature of connectors is that they DO NOT join clauses within a sentence. They join IDEAS, i.e. they join separate sentences rather than clauses within one sentence.

For further practice, please use the following websites:

Stickyball

Flash Quiz

Scribd

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.

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

*** Be careful with 'after', 'before' and 'so' as they can be both connectors and conjunctions. 

To clarify what conjunctions do, have a go at the following activities:

Conjunctions game (Easy)

ESL tower

Conjunctions II

Choose the best conjunction

Quiz

Newspaper headlines- why are they difficult?

Many non-native speakers of English find news headlines difficult to understand. No wonder, there are several methods that journalists use in order to attract attention of the reader. One of them is a pun -a play on words or a double meaning of words. Check the examples below (I put some clues under both headlines to help you understand):

What's the difference between 'piece' and 'peace'?

Do you understand the word 'undies'?

Other methods that are used by the journalists are shown below:


by mariolahejduk


 As you can see, the authors 'play' with the language to achieve desired effect- the interest of the reader. They leave the words out, they use tenses differently and they exploit double meaning of words. Below, you have a quiz of some words that are used in the headlines frequently. Beware, their meaning in headlines is different from their everyday use. Can you guess the meaning of the following words in headlines?




by mariolahejduk


Finally, do an internet research into headlines that contain the words from the quiz. What can you say about the meaning of the words? Does it match the meaning of the correct answer in the quiz? Or maybe there is yet another meaning to the word, e.g. 'to axe', apart from meaning 'to cut', can also mean 'to remove'. Put your findings and the headlines you found in the comment box!