Logical

Connectors
They used to join or connect two ideas that
have a particular relationship. These
relationships can be: sequential (time),
reason and purpose, adversative
(opposition and/or unexpected result),
condition.
Subordinating conjunctions

• Introduce adverb clauses

• Either the dependent clause or the
independent clause may come first in the
sentence, with no change in meaning
ex: Before he came, we didn't have a
physical education teacher.
We didn't have a physical education
teacher before he came.
Prepositions

• Is followed by a noun or noun phrase

• Either clause may appear first
ex: He didn't come to class due to his
illness.
Transitions and Conjunctive adverbs

• Joins two sentences separated by a

period or two clauses separated by a
semi-colon.
• Only one possible order of the sentences
• The transition may appear clause initial,
clause final, or between the subject and
verb of the second sentence.
ex: He was sick. Nevertheless, he came to
class.
Conjunctions

• One possible order

• A comma is used before the conjunction
• In academic writing, do not begin a
sentence with a conjunction
ex: He didn't do his homework, so he didn't
pass the class.
Conjunctions

• One possible order

• A comma is used before the conjunction
• In academic writing, do not begin a
sentence with a conjunction
ex: He didn't do his homework, so he didn't
pass the class.
Sequential (Time)
Causal (Reason
and Purpose,
Cause and Effect)
Adversative
(unexpected result,
contrast,
opposition)
Condition
Reduced
Adverb
Clauses
Rule: If the subject of the adverb clause and the main
clause are the same, the adverb clause may be
reduced.
To reduce, drop the I had an accident while I
subject and the verb was driving past the
be in the adverb clause. REI climbing rock.
I had an accident while
driving past the REI
climbing rock.
Even though she was
hungry, she didn’t eat the
pie.
Even though hungry, she
didn’t eat the pie.
If there is not be verb, Before she owned a
change the adverb clause pet, she was afraid of
verb to the present dogs.
participle. Before owning a pet,
she was afraid of dogs.
You may omit the While camping at Mt.
subordinating conjunction Rainier, I saw several
(while) mountain goats.
with simultaneous Camping at Mt. Rainier, I
actions. saw several mountain
goats.
Because is always omitt Because she didn’t get
ed in reduced clauses. accepted to the
university, she is going
to attend community
college.
Not being accepted to
the university, she is
going to attend
community college.
You may also omit Being dyslexic, he
being in the reduced doesn’t like to read in
clause. public.
Dyslexic, he doesn’t like
to read in public.
Remember: Only While I was eating corn
sentences in which the on the cob, my tooth fell
subjects of both clauses out. This adverb clause
are the same maybe be cannot be reduced
reduced. because the subject of the
adverb clause is not the
same as the subject of the
main clause.
OBSERVATION
S
It is obvious above that most multi-word
connectors are preposition phrases. Within
these, that is quite common after the
preposition. In many cases, this is an
alternative, the difference usually being one
of historical or psychological “distance”
The variety of prepositions usable
with that/this raises the question of
whether any preposition can form a connector with
these words. I suspect that many prepositions can
indeed make a connector-like link in this way, but
many of the combinations would have to be ruled
out as “proper” connectors because they are not
common. For example, under that seems a very
unlikely but still possible way of showing a
meaning link between sentences. Combinations
with like seem more connector-like, but perhaps
should be considered borderline rather than
definite connectors.
In the second category, infinitive verbs (with to)
are as common, it will be seen, as that in the first.
This is hardly surprising: just as this and that are
the most natural means of representing a previous
statement, so verbs are a natural means of naming
a link with one, and the infinitive form is a very
common way of fitting any kind of text-describing
verb into a sentence
Another feature that infinitives share with that is
the ability to make connector-like phrases that are
quite novel and hence not very fixed, such as to
elaborate, to say why and to give another
example. Once again, the lack of fixedness of
such phrases can rule them out as true connectors.
Note, finally, that some of the phrases above have
a non-connector use – typically preposition-like – as
well as their connector one.
NOTABLE
MEANINGS
The overall number of multi-word connectors
makes it impractical for all of their meanings and
uses to be elaborated here. However, there are
some that are not considered elsewhere in this
blog but perhaps merit special attention. Two – as
such and more so – have a use in some regional
varieties of English that is not found in Standard
English.
The non-standard use of as such is as an exact
equivalent of therefore. In Standard English, as
such only sometimes equates to therefore. Here
is a sentence where both are possible:
(c) Reptiles cannot generate much body heat
of their own. As such (or Therefore), they
need regular exposure to the heat of the sun.
One way to check whether as such is possible is to
see whether the sentence still sounds logical
with as replaced by its synonym being. This is the
case in (c), but would not be if the underlined
words were changed to lose heat at night. Two
conditions make both as and being possible. One
is that the subject of the verb in the second
sentence (they) should mean the same as the
subject of the verb in the first (reptiles). The other
is that the first sentence should describe a state
rather than action.
The non-standard use of more so is as a connector
meaning moreover. In Standard English, more
so is not a connector at all, but a way to express
the comparative meaning of an already-mentioned
adjective or manner adverb without repetition.
Sentence-Span
ning Adverbs
One of the adverb characteristics highlighted in the
post before this is that some can give information
about a complete sentence rather than any
particular part of one, their position in such cases
usually being at the start. The difference between
these so-called sentence adverbs and other adverb
types is clearly illustrated in sentences like the
following:
(a) Children will happily eat some healthy
foods.
(b) Happily, children will eat some healthy
foods.
The sentence adverb here is happily in (b). It
shows happiness felt by the speaker about the
entire sentence message. In (a), on the other
hand, happily is an ordinary manner adverb,
giving information about the verb will eat, and
expressing the feeling of the subject of the
verb, children.
Sentence position is a major differentiator of these
two adverb uses, but not a complete one. This is
because sentence adverbs can occupy other
positions than the start, including even that shown
in (a). The punctuation can then be the main clue,
since many sentence adverbs need to be inside
bracket-like commas. However, even special
punctuation is not always present.
TYPES OF
SENTENCE
ADVERB
Connectors

Connectors are words or phrases that show how

two neighbouring sentences are related to each
other. They may be illustrated
with consequently in the following example:
(c) People are living longer. Consequently,
more doctors are needed.
 Communication-Describing Adverbs
Sentence adverbs in this quite small group indicate
the way the speaker is communicating. For
example, honestly indicates communication of an
honest kind. Other common examples are bluntly,
briefly, frankly, generally, personally,
practically, realistically,
seriously and technically.
These adverbs resemble comments made with
a to or -ing verb between parenthetical commas,
such as to be brief or speaking personally .
Indeed, they can be “proved” to be
communication-describing by the possibility of
adding speaking in front. Some, such
as impartially, roughly,
scientifically and strictly, may actually be more
common with an -ing verb than without one.
Judgement Adverbs

Sentence (b) above illustrates this very large

category of sentence adverbs. They allow the
speaker to express a judgement about what is
being said. Thus, in (b) happily expresses the
speaker’s positive judgement of children’s
willingness to eat some healthy foods.
Three major subdivisions of judgement adverbs
seem to exist. Happily is of a kind that might be
labelled “speaker-focussed”, since it says
something about the speaker of the sentence (that
s/he is “happy”). It corresponds to I am happy
that… . Many of the adverbs in this category are
similarly emotive, expressing emotions like anger,
surprise, interest and sympathy. Examples
are alas, amazingly, annoyingly, confusingly,
disappointingly, hopefully, intriguingly,
mercifully, regrettably, sadly, shockingly,
(un)surprisingly and understandably.
Time and Place Adverbs
Most time and place adverbs have a sentence-
spanning use. The three main categories of time
adverbs are all usable in this way.
Sentence-spanning “when” adverbs
include historically, before, then, now,
afterwards, meanwhile, soon,
today and tomorrow; “how often” ones
include daily, annually,
sometimes and regularly; and “how long” ones
include briefly, quickly, slowly,
temporarily and throughout. Exceptions tend to
be in this last category: a sentence-spanning use
seems unlikely or rare, for example,
with permanently and perpetually.
RECOGNISING
WHICH ADVERBS
MUST OR CAN OR
CANNOT BE
SENTENCE
ADVERBS
Most sentence adverbs can, it seems, also be
ordinary adverbs. This is even true of connectors,
though not all of them. “Pure” connectors perhaps
include therefore, consequently,
alternatively and moreover. Those with an
alternative use include anyway (non-connector
meaning = “regardless”), equally, hence (=
“from here), however (= “in whatever way”)
A. (ORDINARY ADVERB) Scoring at least 60%
is required. Those who perform
otherwise will be rejected.
B. (SENTENCE ADVERB) Scoring at least 60%
is required. Otherwise, candidates will be
rejected.