LINKING WORDS

Linking Words

1. Link words expressing cause/effect, reason.


SENTENCE CONJUNCTS

Consequently

So
Thus
Therefore
As a result
That's why

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

since

as

because

for

PREPOSITIONS

owing to

due to

because of

as a result of

on account of



2. Link words expressing contrast

SENTENCE CONJUNCTIONS

However

Yet

Nevertheless

Nonetheless

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTS

although

(even) though

………..

while

whereas

PREPOSITIONS
in spite of
despite
for all






3. Link words expressing addition


SENTENCE CONJUNCTS

Besides

Moreover

Furthermore

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

PREPOSITIONS
besides
apart from
in addition to

SYNTACTIC CONTEXTS

SENTENCE CONJUNCTS: They are typically the first word in the sentence although some are mobile. They establish a link with the previous sentence:

He was ill. However he went to work


SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS: They establish a link within a sentence, they must introduce a subordinate clause [S.V.(O).(A)]:

Although he was ill, he went to work
He went to work although he was ill


PREPOSITIONS: They establish a link within a sentence; they can only introduce a noun or a gerund:

Despite his illness he went to work
He went to work despite his illness

Despite being ill he went to work
He went to work despite being ill

They can be followed by the noun "the fact" and a “1that” clause subordinated to the noun:

He went to work despite the fact that he was ill

4. Other important linking devices:

a. TIME:

The word after is a preposition or a subordinating conjunction (it is not a sentence conjunct, we must use the expressions Afterwards or After this/that as sentence conjuncts). The word before is a preposition, subordinating conjunction or sentence conjunct. We cannot use the expression the fact that with these words.

b. COMPARISON:
The word like is used only with nouns. The word as is used with other groups of words. The words Similarly and Likewise are sentence conjuncts indicating similarity.

c. CONDITON:
Apart from the conditional subordinators already studied, there is one other important conditional linking device: otherwise, which is a sentence conjunct expressing negative condition (If this is not the case).