Linking Words

Linking Words

What are 'connectors'? You must have read about connectors in your previous classes. Do you remember their uses? Now, let's read the passage below and try to underline the connectors.

Social Networking

Social networking sites are a part of everyday life and they have brought revolutionary changes in communication between people. These sites provide different resources such as email and instant messages. Availability of these resources makes communication easier and faster. When we look at the impacts of social networking sites, we find that they have both positive and negative effects. Because of this fact, it is necessary to analyse both advantages and disadvantages of social networking sites.

Undoubtedly, social networking sites are helpful to young generations. With the help of these sites, people can communicate and express themselves by exchanging messages and comments. Social Networking sites help connect people, friends and relatives. These sites can be accessed from any part of the world. Therefore, a person can communicate with another person from any place. However, we can see clearly that social networking sites are useful only if they are used wisely. So we should use social networking sites positively.

Now, talk about the italic/highlighted words with a partner. In pairs discuss the following questions:

a)  What is a connector?

b) What different types of connectors are there in English?

c)  What roles do connectors play in a sentence?

Let's try to describe Connectors.

Sentence Connectors are used to express relationships between ideas and to combine sentences.

There are various types of connectors. Let's try to look at them more closely. We can divide them into:

Coordinating Conjunctions:

They connect words, phrases and clauses. They are usually found in the middle of a sentence.

Examples:

He went to school and attended the classes.

He is a meritorious boy but his brother is dull.

List of coordinating conjunctions:

 for and nor but or yet so

Correlative Conjunctions

They connect equal sentence elements together (like two nouns) and are always composed of two words.

List of correlative conjunctions: both...and not only...but also not...but either...or neither...nor whether...or as...as

Examples:

She is not only a good student but also a social worker.

The book is neither interesting nor practical.

Subordinating Conjunctions

They connect a dependent clause and an independent clause and establish a relationship between them. They are used at the beginning of a sentence (with a comma in the middle separating the clauses) or in the middle of a sentence with no comma.

List of subordinating conjunctions

after	if	though	although
if only	till	as	in order that
unless	as if	now that	until
as long as	once	when	as though
rather than	whenever	because	since
where	before	so that	whereas
even if	than	wherever	even though
that	while

Examples:

If it rains, they will not play.

Wait here until she comes back.

List of linking adverbs and transition words:

They connect two independent clauses or sentences. They provide transition between ideas.

accordingly	however	nonetheless	also
indeed	otherwise	besides	instead
similarly	consequently	likewise	still
conversely	meanwhile	subsequently	finally
moreover	then	furthermore	nevertheless
therefore	hence	next	thus

Exercise 1

Now, read the following passage and discuss with your partner the uses of connectors.

Hasan's Picture

Hasan wasn't a very bright boy. Usually/GenerallYl he never stood second from the bottom in any test. However/Nevertheless, that morning in the art lesson, he had drawn a beautiful picture of a scarecrow in a field of maze. To his amazement/To his surprise, the drawing was the only one given full marks - ten out of ten - which made him for the first time in his life the best in the class! He had proudly pinned the picture up on the wall behind his desk, where it could be admired by all although/even though, it could not be seen from all corners of the class. Those who saw the picture liked it. As a matter of fact/Besides, it had been chosen to be printed in the School Magazine by the class teacher. Nevertheless/Besides, his talent in painting spread among the students and teachers.

Exercise 2

Let's read the English folktale given below and fill in the blank spaces with suitable connectors.

There were once three tortoises - a father, a mother a baby. one fine morning during Spring, they decided  they would like to go for a picnic. They chose the place they would like to go; a nice wood at some distance, they began to put their things together. They got tins of cheese, vegetables, meat and fruits. In about three months, they were ready. They set out carrying their baskets. eighteen months, they sat down for a rest. They knewthey were already half way to the picnic place. In three years they reached there. They unpacked spread out the canned food.