Connectives

As the word clearly ‘connective’ signifies, they link one word, phrase, or sentence to another. It helps form continuity in expression and avoids repetitive smaller sentences. There are several words we use in our daily life which serve the purpose without our realisation. On exploring the types of connectives and their correct application further, not only one’s writing but also their speech will improve drastically, since these form part of our spoken communication and help us sound more refined.

What are Connectives?

As discussed above, connectives link one part to another, like a bridge over a gap. Connectives are however a wide umbrella, which encompass conjunctions, prepositions and adverbs.

Conjunctions

Conjunctions are linking words. They link either sentences, clauses, or words. One of the most common conjunctions is a word you use in almost every other sentence – the word ‘and’. Hence, conjunctions can be easily explained with the help of ‘and’.

Examples:

1.  I like dancing. I also like singing.

     I like dancing and singing.

2.  Ram is friends with Lakhan.

       Ram and Lakhan are friends.

In the first sentence above, there were two sentences interlinked with each other. Hence they were joined together using the conjunction ‘and’, which gave the sentence more structure, clarity and compactness. That was an example of a conjunction being used to join two sentences.

In the second example, the conjunction ‘and’ was used within a sentence to provide a linkage between two words. It helps understand the relation between Ram and Lakhan in a better manner. It is a better way to express and gives a better understanding than the first sentence in the second example. That was an example of a conjunction being used to join two sentences.

Based on this basic understanding of how conjunctions work, we can dive into what are the types of conjunctions:

• Coordinating Conjunctions: Coordinating conjunctions join independent clauses or sentences which are of equal importance. The coordinating conjunctions are for, and, but, or, yet, so and nor. These are usually placed in the middle of the two statements being connected. Punctuation marks should be included wherever necessary while connecting the two statements, especially commas.

Example: I knew the truth, but I didn’t say anything.

Here, two independent sentences are linked.

• Subordinating Conjunctions: This connects two clauses or sentences, one of which is dependent or subordinate upon the other. The subordinating conjunctions are after, because, if, that, though, although, till, before, unless, as, when, where, while. It is usually placed in the first part of a sentence.

Example: Before she leaves, give this to her.

Here, ‘give this to her’ is the independent part, and the rest of the sentence is dependent on such part.

Prepositions

On breaking down the word, preposition literally means placed before. Prepositions are positioning words. They are placed before nouns and help with the positioning of such nouns. To understand with an example, take the sentence – The cat is hiding inside the box. In this sentence, the word ‘inside’ gives us a physical relation of cat (noun) with the box (noun). Hence, it is a connective, by the means of linking two nouns with each other, and establishing the relation between those nouns.

Prepositions, with respect to the aspect in which they connect nouns together, can be classified into the following:

• Time: This type of preposition gives reference to the time when something happened or will happen. Some prepositions are until, after, before, for, since, etc.

Examples: I have been waiting here for three hours.

                   I have been waiting here since 3 o’clock.

• Place: This type of preposition gives the physical location of a noun. Some place prepositions are off, under, below, beside, on, across, onto, between, etc.

Examples: The boy jumped off the bed and onto the floor.

                   Her apartment is across the road.

• Direction: This type of preposition gives the movement of a noun. Some direction prepositions are to, towards, away, from, into, etc.

Examples: They drove into the tunnel.

                  She has gone to the washroom.

• Space: This type of prepositions gives the location of an object in relation with another object. Some space prepositions are under, above, against, over, among, between, etc.

Examples: The boy was leaning against the wall.

                 He added the cheese slice in between the two bread slices.

Adverbs

An adverb is used with a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In the manner an adjective is a describing word for a noun, an adverb is a describing word for a verb, adjective or another adverb.

An example of an adverb being used with an adjective – She swims swiftly.

Here, ‘swims’ is the verb, and ‘swiftly’ is used to describe how she swims, Hence, swiftly is an adverb.

An example of an adverb being used with an adjective – She swims very fast.

Here, we are told she swims fast, with ‘fast’ being the adjective. ‘Very’ describes how fast she swims, hence, ‘very’ is an adverb.

An example of an adverb being used with another adverb – She swims quite swiftly.

Here, ‘swims’ is the verb and ‘swiftly’ describes how she swims, hence is the first adverb. The word ‘quite’ describes how swiftly she swims, hence ‘quite’ is also an adverb.

Adverbs can be a very effective story-telling tool, helping a reader paint a clearer and imaginative picture.

Conclusion

While reading a deep study on connectives and their types may seem a tedious and unnecessary task, these basic rules on how and where to use certain words go a long way in improving our diction and making a composition more structured with a better flow of language. It is important to understand the function of each of the connecting words and where they should be placed, using the correct punctuation in the process.