Grammar-Quizzes › Connectors › Connector Overview
Connector Overview ("coordinating conjunctions")
Express relationship between sentence parts
Connector Chart
| COORDINATORS | SUBORDINATORS |
|---|---|
A coordinator expresses a relationship (addition +, contrast -, option +/-) between two like (same kind) words, phrases or clauses. The coordinated elements are reversible [A+ B = B + A]. See Coordinators. Also see Coordinator Properties. |
A subordinator marks¹ a clause as subordinate to (a dependent of) the main clause. The subordinator itself does not have a meaning. It serves to connect content information. See Subordinators. Also see Clauses: Other Clause Types. |
It was cold, and the wind was blowing. (different subjects) |
He said that it was raining. He thinks (that) we need rain. |
He opened his umbrella, but the wind blew it away. |
It is so windy that it blew me over. |
Did he take an umbrella, or did he wear his raincoat? |
We like to walk in the rain. We wished (for) them to come along. |
He took neither an umbrella nor a raincoat. |
He asked if I needed an umbrella. |
| NO MEANING | |
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that (declarative) if, whether (interrogative) to (infinitival), for (infinitive subj) |
| ADDITION | |
and, also, and also, both...and, not only ...also, not only ... but also, and...too, and so |
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| ALTERNATIVE | |
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| CAUSE-EFFECT / REASON | |
*so, *for (Also connective adverb)
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| COMPARISON | |
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| CONDITION | |
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| CONTRARY CAUSE-EFFECT | |
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*yet (Also connective adverb) |
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| EMPHASIS / FOCUS | |
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so...that (Adv-Subord) such...that (Adj-Subord) |
| PLACE | |
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| TIME | |
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| CONNECTIVE PREPOSITIONS² | CONNECTIVE ADVERBS |
|---|---|
A preposition as the head of an adjunct prepositional phrase connects a subordinate structure. A preposition, unlike a subordinator, carries meaning. Depending on its meaning, it may take a noun phrase, a clause, or another structure as its complement. |
A connective adverb expresses a relationship between two clauses and transitions the reader or listener from the main idea in one clause to the idea in the next clause. (Also called conjunctive adverbs, linking adverbs or transition words.) |
Though it was raining, he continued walking. |
He opened his umbrella. However, the wind blew it away. |
He walked though it was raining. |
It was windy and cold. Moreover, it was raining. |
Besides being windy, it was rainy. |
His umbrella blew away. Otherwise, he would have used it. |
The wind was strong besides being cold. |
In addition, it was windy and cold, so he left. |
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| ADDITION | |
in addition, furthermore, moreover, additionally, besides, firstly, secondly, next, finally |
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| ALTERNATIVE | |
| CAUSE-EFFECT / REASON | |
because, since, now that, as, in order, as long as, inasmuch, because of, due to, owing to, so that, in order that, if only because |
so (reason), for (purpose), therefore, consequently, as a consequence, as a result, thus, hence, accordingly |
| COMPARISON | |
as (like), as…as, same as, so…as, such…as, such as, similar to, equal to/with, identical to/with, -er than, more than, less than, rather than, prefer…to, superior to, inferior to, different from/to/than. |
In the same way, Similarly, In contrast, Unlike X, Y
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| CONDITION | |
if, only if, unless, even if, whether, whether or not, provided (that), in case, in the event (that) |
otherwise, in the event (that), anyway, anyhow |
| CONTRARY CAUSE-EFFECT | |
although, even though, though, while, whereas, despite, in spite of, regardless of |
yet, nevertheless, nonetheless, however, on the one hand, on the other hand, in contrast to, in contrast, on the contrary |
| EMPHASIS / FOCUS | |
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indeed, in fact, of course, certainly
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| PLACE | |
there³, here, In this location |
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| TIME | |
after, before, when, while, since, as, until, as soon as, by the time, once |
first, second, next, then, finally, previously, now, presently, next, still, meanwhile, subsequently, afterward |
Beginning a sentence with and, so or but (comments by Fowler, Merriam-Webster and other grammarians.)
¹A subordinator is a marker. A preposition is not analyzed as a marker but as an integral part (the head) of the prepositional phrase. See Coordinator, Subordinator, Preposition in Adjunct Phrase.
²Connective prepositions are also called "adjunct prepositions", "adverbial prepositions", "conjunctive prepositions".
³See Temporal Expressions ("adverbs" that belong to other categories) and An Adverb (an overview of adverbs and adverbials)
conjunction (N) – In traditional grammar, "conjunction" is another word for a "connector" (a word that joins a dependent to the main clause). However in linguistics (and mathematics), this term is reserved for the logic function: A + B "both" or "and". Caffeine is found in coffee and tea. See Conjunction, Exclusion, Disjunction; also Either…or Logic.
Grammar Notes (Advanced)
Terms in Various Grammar Systems
Traditional and Linguistic Descriptions
| MIXED DESCRIPTIONS |
|---|
| A) COORDINATORS |
and, or, but, nor
for, only and so that
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| C) SUBORDINATORS |
after, as, as soon as, before, once, since, when, while
because, as, since, inasmuch as
though, even though, although
because of, due to, owing to, on account of
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| D) TRANSITION WORDS |
then, next, besides, however, moreover, however, otherwise
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| B) PAIRED COORDINATORS |
but…still, but…anyway
both…and, not only…but also, either…or, neither…nor
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| C) SUBORDINATORS (continued) |
even so, despite, regardless of, in spite of
yet, so
if, unless
that (He said that it was cold.)
whether, if (He asked if it was cold.)
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| D) TRANSITION WORDS (continued |
however, nevertheless, nonetheless, therefore, first
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Major change: In The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (2002), several words that were previously analyzed as adverbs (belonging to the Adverb category) were re-analyzed as prepositions (belonging to the Preposition category). "We count as prepositions words that take other kinds of complement than NPs, and we also include in the preposition category some words that occur without complement. i. According to Mary, we have no chance of winning. ii. The basket is outside." (Huddleston et al. 6.5.1) The traditional category of subordinating conjunctions is reanalyzed as prepositions (PP) with a content clause as the complement (Huddleston 11.8.1)
Word Categories: N – Noun; V – Verb; Aux – Auxiliary; Adj – Adjective; Adv – Adverb; P –Preposition; Det –Determiner.
Phrasal Categories: NP – Noun Phrase; VP – Verb Phrase; AdjP – Adjective Phrase; AdvP – Adverb Phrase; PP – Prepositional Phrase; DP – Determinative Phrase.
Clausal Categories: Cls – clause; F – finite clause; NF – nonfinite clause (Ger – gerund; Inf – infinitive; PPart – past participle).
Word Functions: Subj – subject; Pred – predicate/predicator; Comp – complement: elements required by an expression to complete its meaning (DO – direct object; IO – indirect object); Adjunct – adjunct: elements not required by an expression to complete its meaning (Subord – subordinator; Coord – coordinator); Supl – supplement: a clause or phrase added onto a clause that is not closely related to the central thought or structure of the main clause.
Works Cited
- Aarts, Bas. Oxford Modern English Grammar. Oxford UP, 2011.
- Azar, Betty Schrampfer, and Stacy A. Hagen. Understanding and Using English Grammar. 4th ed., Pearson Education, 2009.
- Biber, Douglas, and Stig Johansson, et al. Longman Grammar Of Spoken And Written English. Pearson Education, 1999.
- Huddleston, Rodney D., and Geoffrey K. Pullum. The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge UP, 2002.
- Kroeger, Paul R. Analyzing Grammar: An Introduction. Cambridge UP, 2005.
- Payne, Thomas Edward. Understanding English Grammar: A Linguistic Introduction. Cambridge UP, 2011.
- Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage. 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2005.
- Quirk, Randolph and Sidney Greenbaum. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. 7th ed., Longman Group, 1989.
Practice 1
A Windy Walk
Read the Context
Mid-day we walk along the Embarcadero in San Francisco though a cold wind whips our hair across our faces. Clouds move across the sky and at times hide the bridge towers. We talk while we walk. We try to let go of our thoughts about work yet they creep into our conversation. We have just an hour to walk before returning to our offices. This is why we live here, isn't it? Because we love the view of the bay and the smell of the saltwater, we endure the traffic and the crowds.
As we count our steps and watch the time, we pass by sculptures and artwork along the walkway. In the distance, barking sea lions on the boat docks are begging for fish, but nobody is paying attention to them. We turn back and quicken our pace in order to return to work on time.
Sitting back down in our offices, we are bothered by neither co-workers nor bosses; our minds are still filled with views of the bay and the smell of the sea air.
GLOSSARY
bark (V) — the sound a dog makes
beg (V) — ask for something as a gift, free, charity
creep (V) — move in a quiet, careful way, especially to avoid attracting attention
embarcadero (N) — a roadway or walkway along the waterfront
endure (V) — be in a difficult or painful situation for a long time without complaining
contrary (Adj) — when the idea in one clause is opposite in expectation, opinion, or action to that in the second clause
dock (N) — wooden walkway where boats are tied up; a boat landing pier
pace (V) — rate or speed of walking
sculpture (N) — three-dimensional (3-D) art; an object made out of stone, wood, clay, or some other material by an artist
view (N) — sight
whips (V) — strike with a lash or rod, usually as punishment
Identify the connector.
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check" or "Check 1-10" button.
Practice 2
A Day on the Bay
Complete the sentence with a logical connector.
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" button.
Practice 3
"The Spirit of the Sea"
(Advanced)
Read the Context
Six "vaka moana" canoes arrived in San Francisco this morning _____ sailing across the Pacific from New Zealand to the Hawaiian Islands and to mainland U.S. _____ the 15,00 mile ocean journey, the canoes arrived safely.
They are participating in the voyage "Te Mana o Te Moana" which translates to "The Spirit of the Sea". This voyage was made _____ they wanted to raise awareness about the state of the ocean and to share the wisdom of the Polynesian ancestors who loved and respected the sea. "We are all in one canoe," they said.
The canoes, each about 70 feet long, carry a crew of 16 sailors from_____ Tonga _____ the Cook Islands, Kiribati and Vanuatu. More than 150 crew members are participating in the voyage, which began in April in Auckland, New Zealand.
_____ the canoes were built as the traditional vaka moana canoes used by the Pacific Islander ancestors, these have some modern changes. _____ the hulls (canoe bottoms) used to be made of wood, these are made of fiberglass. _____ , they have solar panels to power equipment on board.
_____ the ancient Polynesians navigated by the stars, these modern sailors have Internet, Facebook and Twitter as well. They even have a website where you can track their progress.
The six-canoe flotilla came in through the Golden Gate a week ago and were surprised _____ the strong winds and fog in the bay. Fortunately, the fog lifted and the winds calmed down _____ the sailors could hold an open house and give rides to visitors.
"The Pacific is our home, our breath, our future. We can only survive _____ we come together as cultures, as crew-mates, to preserve the health of our ocean planet – Our Blue Canoe."
The flotilla will continue to Monterey, Los Angeles, and San Diego. In January of 2012, the journey will continue to the Galapagos Islands, Marquesas _____ Tahiti _____ .
— SFGate news story 8 Aug 2011 pacificvoyagers.org
ancestors (N) — family members who came before us (parents, grand-parents, etc.)
awareness (N) — know about the existence of something; know generally what it is
breath (N) — the air that we take into our lungs; life-giving, basic to life
crew (N) — the people who assist with sailing a boat or flying a plane
fiberglass (N) — a man-made, light weight material used in making boats and cars
flotilla (N) — a group of boats that sail together
Golden Gate Bridge (N) — a landmark bridge in San Francisco, California, USA
mainland (N) — land that is part of a continent (not an island)
navigate (V) — find which way you need to go while traveling
open house — a reception or party in which you can go in and look around
participate (V) — do an activity (with others)
sail (V) — move across the water
solar panels (N) — collectors which change the energy to the sun to battery power
track progress (expr.) — see or follow where someone is located on a travel route
Vaka Moana canoe — a traditional (old-style) Polynesian boat
voyage (N) — a long trip; a journey
Add a connector to the sentence.
- Edit the sentence in the text area.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" or "check 16-27" button.