Time Connectives

Time Connectives

Today we will look at time connectives and:

1. find out what they are

2. learn how to use them

Time Connectives

Time connectives are words that join phrases or sentences together to help us understand when something is happening.

Words such as before, after, next, just then, shortly, afterwards, last, eventually, firstly, secondly, and thirdly, are all-time connectives.

A connective is an umbrella term used to include adverbs, conjunctions and prepositions.

Communicating when something has happened or is going to happen is an important step in writing. It introduces the reader to the writer's concept of a time frame, and also gives the writer tools to describe events more accurately.

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​Time Connectives

Time connectives are not only used in descriptive writing, they are also important when relaying a report of past events, writing newspaper articles, diaries or giving instructions.

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​Where do we use them?

Time connectives can be powerful at both the beginning of a sentence and when they're used to bring phrases together; there is always more than one way to write a sentence!

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Where do we put them in a sentence?

​After a long winter’s sleep the tiny hedgehog scurried out of her woodland home.

The tiny hedgehog scurried out of her woodland home after a long winter’s sleep.

Before dinner, Trincy helped Mum to set the table.

Trincy helped Mum to set the table before dinner.

Eventually, the whistle blew to mark the end of the match!

To mark the end of the match, eventually, the whistle blew

​It’s important when using time connectives you learn how to put events in order. A great way to learn this is with instructions. Let's consider instructions for simple tasks such as brushing your teeth. Where would you put these words?

FIRST/SECONDLY/NEXT/AFTER THAT/WHEN/THEN/FINALLY

​Ordering time connectives

Multiple Choice

Last Friday, we didn’t have school but I had a great day with my friends. ______________ I woke up and I went to the kitchen.

• Then,

• Finally,

• At half past nine,

• Meanwhile,

Multiple Choice

_____________ I had breakfast.

• Finally,

• First

• Meanwhile,

• Before,

Multiple Select

___________ I brushed my teeth. .

• Meanwhile,

• Before breakfast,

• At the end,

• After breakfast,

Multiple Choice

___________ I got dressed.

• Then

• When

• Meanwhile,

• Because

Multiple Choice

_____ she had finished her sandwich, she opened her bag of potato chips.

• While

• When

Multiple Choice

______ the rain had stopped, the sun came out.

• After

• Until

Multiple Choice

_____ the rain fell, the rainbow glistened.

• While

• Therefore

Multiple Choice

She couldn’t leave _____________ the movie had finished.

• until

• so

• while

Multiple Choice

_______________, I messaged my friends, Mustafa and Ali and asked them to meet me at Reyhan.

• At 10:30

• At the end,

• Meanwhile,

• When

Multiple Choice

He had just sat down _____________ the doorbell rang.

• until

• when

• since

Multiple Choice

______________, we met and drank hot chocolate.

• One hour later,

• Finally,

• Before

• While,

Multiple Choice

______________, we went shopping. We went to to the Under Amour shop. There were different kinds of clothes, clothes for hiking, clothes for skiing and casual clothes.

• After that

• First of all

• Finally

• Suddenly

Multiple Choice

There were also sports shoes. One naughty little boy threw a shoe out the door. _______________, an alarm went off. We were scared.

• At first,

• When

• Suddendly

• Before

Multiple Choice

___________________, a shop assistant ran out and brought the shoe back into the shop. The alarm stopped. Whew!

• Straight away

• Before

• When

• Meanwhile

Multiple Choice

The little boy said he was sorry and that it was an accident. Everyone started laughing but the little boy was embarrassed. _________________, we decided to leave. I hope the manager didn't call the police!

• After a few minutes,

• Before

• When

• At first

Open Ended

Write a sentences of your own using after as time conjunctions.

Open Ended

Write a sentences of your own using before as time conjunctions.

Open Ended

Write a sentences of your own using when as time conjunctions.