Essential English Connectors: Cause, Contrast, Purpose
Mastering English Connectors for Clear Communication
English connectors, also known as linking words or transition words, are crucial for creating coherent and well-structured sentences and paragraphs. They help express relationships between ideas, making your communication clearer and more effective. This document provides examples of common connectors used to express cause, contrast, purpose, result, and addition.
Expressing Cause and Reason
These connectors explain why something happened or the reason behind an action.
- She couldn’t buy the new car because of its high price.
- Since he thinks he knows it all, I don’t like talking to him.
- As a result of forgetting the chicken in the oven, it got burnt.
- I failed the exam owing to its difficulty.
- As they didn’t have a street map, they got lost in London.
- Because she lost her purse, she went to the police station.
- He broke his left hand due to a skiing accident.
- As the weather was bad, they lost the match.
- Because of not being hungry, she ate only a few biscuits.
- Since she missed the bus, she had to take a taxi.
Showing Contrast and Concession
These words introduce an idea that is opposite to or different from a previous one, or acknowledge a point that might seem to contradict the main statement.
- Even though he had an accident, he still wants to ride his motorbike.
- In spite of the danger, he has decided to take the job.
- He had excellent qualifications, yet he didn’t get the job.
- Despite being very tired, she kept on working.
- In contrast to my liking of Harry Potter’s books, my brother does not.
- Contrary to my liking of Harry Potter’s books, my brother does not.
- She was very intelligent, yet she pretended not to understand.
Indicating Purpose and Result
These connectors show the aim of an action or the consequence of a situation.
- I trained very hard so as to win the race.
- It was such an extremely hot day that we decided to stay at home.
- She didn’t have John’s number, so she didn’t telephone him.
Adding Information
This connector introduces additional information or an extra point.
- Besides buying a new coat for his wife, he bought himself a cardigan.
Enhance Your English Communication
By effectively using these linking words, you can significantly improve the flow and clarity of your English sentences, making your writing and speaking more sophisticated and easier to understand.