Connectors

Connectors

Sentence with multiple clauses

A Sentence vs A Clause

• Both sentence and clause must have subject and verb

• A sentence is a clause but a clause is not always a sentence

• A sentence can have more than one clauses or a sentence with multiple clauses

• The words that are used to join the clauses in a sentence are connectors

• Connectors are also called conjunctions

Sentences with multiple clauses -

• Compound sentence connects two independent clauses

• Complex sentence when an independent clause is combined with (a) dependent clauses

• The connectors depend on the function of the clauses that we add in a sentence

• The clauses that are joined can be in the form of an independent clause (a simple sentence), an adverbial clause, an adjective clause and a noun clause.

To join two or more independent clauses/simple sentences, we use coordinating conjunctions

• For --> I admire her for she is a witty girl.

• And --> She gave him a present and he gave one for her.

• Nor --> Bill refuses to eat peas, nor will he touch carrots.

• But --> Tom is tall, but Paul is short.

• Or --> Tom will have to tell her or she will get angry.

• Yet --> Jerry is tired, yet he isn't going to sleep

• So --> We were out of milk, so I went to the store to buy some.

Connectors for Adverbial Clauses

• To show time: After, as, as long as, before, since, until, when

• To show cause: because, since, now that

• To show place: where, wherever

• To show condition: if, in case, unless, whether

• To show contrast: although, even though, though, whereas, while

• To show manner: as, in that

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Connectors for Adjective Clauses

• WHO --> for people, the subject of the adjective clause.

• For example: I know the woman who is sitting over there.

• WHOM -->for people, the object of the adjective clause.

• For example: I know the woman whom you were talking to

• WHICH --> for things, as a subject or object

• THAT --> for things or people

Connectors for Noun Clauses

• They are formed from questions.

• The questions are converted into statements

• For example:

• Question: "Where does she live?"

• Sentence with Noun Clause : " I know where she lives"

Problems of connectors in the TOEFL

• Use the correct connectors

• The question forms in the noun clause

• Missing connectors

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Strategy

• Identify how the two clauses are joined.

• Find the meaning of the clauses

• Choose the correct connectors

• For the noun clause, the question must be changed into a statement.

• For every connector there will be another verb, it means when there is one connector, there must be two verbs in the sentence. If there are two connectors, there will be three verbs and so on.