Sentence Connectors

Sentence Connectors


She drinks coffee. He drinks tea.	(Two separate sentences)
She drinks coffee, but he drinks tea.	(Coordination)
She drinks coffee, and he drinks tea.	(Both ideas are equal)
She drinks coffee; he drinks tea.	(Closely related ideas)
Although she drinks coffee, he drinks tea.	(Subordination)
She drinks coffee although he drinks tea.	(One idea is stronger)
Although she drinks coffee, but he drinks tea.	(INCORRECT!)
She drinks coffee; however, he drinks tea.	(Sentence connector)
She drinks coffee. However, he drinks tea.	(Stronger break between ideas)
She drinks coffee. He, however, drinks tea.	(Variation)

Remember:

A period (.) provides the strongest break between ideas.

A semicolon (;) is next, and a comma (,) provides the weakest separation.

Coordinators provide connection between equal ideas.

(and, but, or, nor, so, for, yet)

Examples:

Mom and Dad

red or green

She stayed, but he left.

Subordinators provide connection between unequal ideas.

(because, although, when, while, if, as, since, whenever, wherever)

Example:

He didn’t go to work because he was sick.

Although John was unhappy, he still smiled.

Conjunctive Adverbs provide connection between large groups of ideas/sentences. (usually paragraphs)

(therefore, otherwise, thus, in conclusion, furthermore, on the other hand)

For Practice: See

Connecting Words (from The Internet TESL Journal)

See also:

Sentence Non-starters

English Punctuation

Punctuation: Commas and Periods

Connectors and Reconnectors

Conjunctions and Linking Words

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