Connecting Sentences
March 20, 2008 | Tutor
Tips
Conjunction
Junction, What’s Your (Other) Function?
…Hookin’ up words, and phrases and clauses…and sentences. Now that I’ve gotten that song stuck in your head, (my apologies), here’s a fact about those conjunctions, such as and, but, or, that you may not have known: they are just as important for connecting sentences as well. Now, you might be thinking, “Hey, wait, you’re not supposed to start sentences with ‘and’, ‘but’ or ‘or’!” However, according to Patricia T. O’Conner, author of the writing guide Words Fail Me, those teachers who told you never to begin a sentence with “and” were incorrect. “Conjunctions are used to connect words, phrases, and sentences,” she writes, “Look it up.” (This is not to say that you should go crazy and use ‘and’ to start your sentences every chance you get. Just don’t think you have to count out those conjunctions when you begin a sentence.)
Thus, along with the other transition words, conjunctions can be used to show the relationship between sentences, add one idea to another, clarify a previous idea, or show your reader why two sentences should follow each other. Once you properly connect your ideas (and sentences) together, your paper will flow better as a whole.
Finally, if you’re hitting a wall because you think you’ve used every transition word imaginable in that 10-page research paper, here’s a list of some transition words (of course, all the conjunctions are here as well).
Therefore
In the meantime
Yet
However
At any rate
Thus
Nevertheless
In other words
On the other hand
That is
Furthermore
For this reason
Besides
Truly
And
Moreover
But
Also
Or
Consequently
So
In addition
Then
For instance
*based on a passage from Words Fail Me, written by Patricia T. O’Conner (1999).
posted by: Melissa
…Hookin’ up words, and phrases and clauses…and sentences. Now that I’ve gotten that song stuck in your head, (my apologies), here’s a fact about those conjunctions, such as and, but, or, that you may not have known: they are just as important for connecting sentences as well. Now, you might be thinking, “Hey, wait, you’re not supposed to start sentences with ‘and’, ‘but’ or ‘or’!” However, according to Patricia T. O’Conner, author of the writing guide Words Fail Me, those teachers who told you never to begin a sentence with “and” were incorrect. “Conjunctions are used to connect words, phrases, and sentences,” she writes, “Look it up.” (This is not to say that you should go crazy and use ‘and’ to start your sentences every chance you get. Just don’t think you have to count out those conjunctions when you begin a sentence.)
Thus, along with the other transition words, conjunctions can be used to show the relationship between sentences, add one idea to another, clarify a previous idea, or show your reader why two sentences should follow each other. Once you properly connect your ideas (and sentences) together, your paper will flow better as a whole.
Finally, if you’re hitting a wall because you think you’ve used every transition word imaginable in that 10-page research paper, here’s a list of some transition words (of course, all the conjunctions are here as well).
Therefore
In the meantime
Yet
However
At any rate
Thus
Nevertheless
In other words
On the other hand
That is
Furthermore
For this reason
Besides
Truly
And
Moreover
But
Also
Or
Consequently
So
In addition
Then
For instance
*based on a passage from Words Fail Me, written by Patricia T. O’Conner (1999).
posted by: Melissa
