Advanced linking words

Elaboration - synonym to “and”; gives more information, provide examples

Basic

• And, he / she / it is, you are, has/ have

Intermediate

• For example, such as, as well as

Advanced

• In addition, furthermore, moreover, for instance,

Let's look at some examples, shall we?

• Feke studies English and Japanese.  

• Feke studies English in addition to Japanese. (Meaning: he studies English AND Japanese)

• In addition to English, Feke studies Japanese.

Compare and contrast - synonym to “but”; compare to see if examples are similar or not

Basic

• but, but also

Intermediate

• Meanwhile, although, while

Advanced

• In contrast, however, moreover, whereas, despite, in comparison, nonetheless, similarly.

Let's look at some examples, shall we?

• Feke speaks Swedish but he does not teach it.

• Feke speaks Swedish, however, he does not teach it.

Cause and effect - synonym to because; tells us why, provide results

Basic

• Because, so, and so

Intermediate

• In order to, due to

Advanced

• Therefore, on the condition that, consequently

Let's look at some examples, shall we?

• Because I didn't wake up early, I missed the bus.

• I didn't wake up early, and consequently, I missed the bus.

Common mistakes

Using Due to vs. Because

• Rule: Due to cannot start a clause on its own as because can - it must describe a noun. On the other hand, because of can be used at the beginning of a clause to give a reason.

• Explanation: Think of due to like an adjective that describes a noun. For example, "His delay was due to traffic." Here, due to traffic describes his delay. In contrast, because of explains why something happened: "Because of traffic, he was late."

• Tip: If you're ever unsure, try replacing due to with caused by. If it makes sense, then due to is correct. For example, "His delay was caused by traffic." If this doesn't work, use because of.

For example:

• Incorrect: Due to it was raining, we stayed indoors.

• Correct: Because it was raining, we stayed indoors. OR We stayed indoors due to the rain. OR Due to the rain, we stayed indoors.

Explanation: In the incorrect sentence, due to is incorrectly used to start a clause. To fix this, use becaus" to start the clause ("Because it was raining..."). Alternatively, change the sentence structure to use due to correctly by having it describe a noun ("...due to the rain").

As well as and In addition to vs. And

• Rule: As well as and in addition to can add extra information like and, but they have different punctuation rules. They often don't require commas, unlike and, unless they are part of a dependent clause.

• Explanation: As well as and in addition to don't change the subject's number. For example, "The teacher, as well as the students, was excited." Here, the main subject is "the teacher," so we use "was." In contrast, "The teacher and the students were excited" makes "teacher and students" a plural subject.

• Tip: Imagine as well as and in addition to as extras. They add more information but don't change the main idea. This is why they don’t usually need commas unless they interrupt the main sentence.

For example:

• Incorrect: "She loves singing, as well as dancing."

• Correct: "She loves singing as well as dancing." OR "She loves singing and dancing."

Explanation: In the incorrect sentence, the comma suggests "as well as dancing" is extra, but it’s directly connected to the subject. The correct way is to remove the comma, showing that both activities are directly related to what "she loves."

• Incorrect: "The teacher, as well as the students, were excited."

• Correct: "The teacher, as well as the students, was excited."

Explanation: As well as adds extra information, but it does not change the main subject of the sentence ("the teacher"). The verb must agree with the main subject, which is singular in this case ("teacher"). Therefore, the correct verb is was, not were.

Using However, Therefore, and Nevertheless

• Rule: Conjunctive adverbs like however, therefore, and nevertheless cannot join two independent clauses without proper punctuation.

• Explanation: These words are not like simple conjunctions (and, but) that can directly connect two sentences. They need to be separated by a period or a  comma or a semicolon. For example, "I was tired. However, I went to bed late." OR "I was tired; however, I went to bed late." Simply saying "I was tired however I went to bed late" is gramatically incorrect. However, if used together with and it can be correctly used, for example: "I was tired, and therefore, I went to bed. early."

• Tip: Think of these words as needing space. They’re like pauses that need a comma (,) semicolon (;) or a period (.) before them to show a break in thought. 

For example:

• Incorrect: "I wanted to go to the park however it was raining."

• Correct: "I wanted to go to the park; however, it was raining." OR "I wanted to go to the park. However, it was raining."

Explanation: However is a conjunctive adverb that cannot directly join two independent clauses. It needs either a semicolon or a period before it to separate the clauses. To fix this, use a semicolon (;) or a period (.) before however, indicating a pause before the contrasting idea.

Common Mistake with Yet

• Rule: Yet is similar to but but is often used for contrast that introduces something unexpected. It usually doesn't require a comma when connecting short clauses.

• Explanation: Yet shows contrast, like: "He studied hard, yet he failed the exam." It tells us something unexpected happened. "He studied hard. Yet, he failed the exam," is grammatically incorrect because yet needs to connect directly to show surprise.

• Tip: If but fits, yet might be a good alternative if there's an unexpected contrast.

For example:

• Incorrect: "She didn't study much. Yet, she passed the exam."

• Correct: "She didn't study much, yet she passed the exam."

Explanation: In the incorrect sentence, yet is treated as if it's a conjunctive adverb needing a period before it. To fix this, use a comma before yet to link the two clauses directly.

Consequently, Therefore, and Thus

• Rule: These words show results or effects and usually come after a comma, semicolon or a period.

• Explanation: "I forgot my umbrella; consequently, I got wet." Here, consequently connects two ideas, showing cause and effect. It requires a pause, like a comma, semicolon or a period, before it. Saying "I forgot my umbrella consequently I got wet" is grammatically incorrect.

• Tip: Use consequently, therefore, and thus to show that one thing led to another. Always separate them with punctuation.

For example:

• Incorrect: "I didn't wake up early, consequently I missed the bus."

• Correct: "I didn't wake up early, and consequently, I missed the bus." OR "I didn't wake up early. Consequently, I missed the bus."

Explanation: Consequently is a conjunctive adverb and requires proper punctuation (an and and a comma, a semicolon or a period) before it when connecting two independent clauses. To fix this, add a proper punctuation before consequently to correctly separate the cause and effect.