connectors

Conjunctions versus Connectors

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Concept Photo of Linking

Conjunctions and connectors express similar meanings but follow different rules of grammar and punctuation

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MAIN DEFINING FEATURES OF CONJUNCTIONS AND CONNECTORS

Conjunctions and connectors both feature in other posts (25: Conjunction Positioning, 30: When to Write a Full Stop, 37: Subordination, 64. Double Conjunctions, 18: Cross-Sentence Meanings, and 20: Problem Connectors), but their importance in professional writing and the confusions that they cause make it useful to compare them more directly.

The main characteristic of both of these word kinds is, of course, that they join or link. However, this a rather vague idea that needs to be considerably clarified. Prepositions too can be thought of as linking words (see 84. Seven Things to Know About Prepositions). What makes conjunctions and connectors different is the fact that they link statements containing subjects and verbs – prepositions can only introduce nouns by themselves or verbs with -ing. The difference between conjunctions and connectors is in the kind of link that they make between verbs. Consider these examples:

(a) CONJUNCTION: Mount Kilimanjaro is on the Equator, but it has a covering of snow.

(b) CONNECTOR : Mount Kilimanjaro is on the Equator. However, it has a covering of snow

In (a), the conjunction but is “joining” in two different ways. Firstly, it physically joins the two verbs (is and has) into the same sentence – a new verb with no physical link must be in a new sentence (see 30. When to Write a Full Stop). Conjunctions are not the only kinds of words that allow extra verbs into a sentence (others include relative pronouns, participles and question words), but they are an especially frequent type of physical joining device.

The second way in which conjunctions join verbs is mentally. In sentence (a) but says that there is something surprising about the statement made after it. Linguists would call physical joining “grammatical” and the mental kind “semantic”.

In sentence (b), on the other hand, there is only one kind of joining: the mental/semantic kind (the same mental link as the one shown by but). There is no physical joining in (b): the connector however is in a new sentence.

Thus, the main similarity between conjunctions and connectors is that they both show a mental link between two statements containing a verb. The main difference is that only conjunctions also create a physical, grammatical link. It is probably because of this difference that some people call connectors “logical connectors”.

Knowing this difference is, of course, not enough to ensure that connectors and conjunctions are used correctly; one must also know which words or phrases are conjunctions and which are connectors. Unfortunately, there is no rule on this: when you come across one of these expressions, you just have to remember whether it is a conjunction or a connector. The meaning is no guide because, as shown above, both types of expression can have the same meaning.

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OTHER DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CONJUNCTIONS AND CONNECTORS

The main other differences concern punctuation and sentence positions. They are:

(i) A conjunction does not usually have a following comma but a connector does (see 50. Right & Wrong Comma Places).

(ii) A conjunction always comes before the subject of its verb, but a connector may come later. In example (b), however can be placed after any of the other words in its sentence.

(iii) Most conjunctions may go either before or between the two verbs that they join, but connectors must go between them. In sentence (a) above, but is actually exceptional in that it cannot go before the two verbs, just like a connector. The conjunction although is more typical in its possibilities:

(c) Although chickens have wings, they cannot fly.

(d) Chickens cannot fly although they have wings.

Lists of conjunctions like but (called “coordinating”) and conjunctions like although (called “subordinating”) can be found under 36. Words Left out to Avoid Repetition. See also 37. Subordination: Grammar for Good Repetition.

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MEANINGS EXPRESSED BY CONJUNCTIONS AND CONNECTORS

In the above examples, the mental link, or meaning, of the conjunctions and the connector was the same: surprise about the statement made with the second verb. This meaning is one of very many that different conjunctions and connectors express. I do not propose to present all of these meanings (they can be discovered with a dictionary), but a few more examples may be helpful:

(e) CONJUNCTION: After evening falls, mosquitoes become active.

(f) CONNECTOR : Evening falls. Then/Afterwards mosquitoes become active.

The mental link here is that the event expressed by the second verb has a later time than the event expressed by the first verb.

(g) CONJUNCTION: If it rains, the visit will be cancelled.

If it rains …

(h) CONNECTOR : It might rain. In that case the visit will be cancelled.

In each of these, the first verb helps to show a hypothetical future event and the second one indicates a consequence of that.

Two points can be made about the variety of meanings that are possible with conjunctions and connectors. Firstly, most conjunctions seem to have many connectors of similar meaning. Here are some more examples:
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Lists of Connectors Corresponding to Individual Conjunctions

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AND

also, in addition, additionally, moreover, furthermore, besides (this), then, next, subsequently, afterwards, as a result.

BUT

however, even so, nevertheless, nonetheless, still, yet, all the same, by contrast, in contrast, on the other hand, on the contrary.

SO, SO THAT (also BECAUSE/SINCE at the start)

therefore, thus, consequently, hence, for this reason, as a result, that is why (for more please see 32. Expressing Consequences and 20. Problem Connectors).

SO (following “JUST AS …)

similarly, likewise, in a similar way, in the same way (see 82. Pitfalls in Making Comparisons)

OR

alternatively, if not, otherwise.

BECAUSE (between the linked verbs)

this is because, the reason is that.

BEFORE (before the linked verbs)

beforehand, before this, first.

BEFORE (between the linked verbs)

then, next, subsequently, afterwards.

WHILE

meanwhile, at this time, at that moment.

The second point to be made about the meaning variety of conjunctions and connectors is that connectors are more numerous, and hence express more meanings, than conjunctions. This is evidenced not just by the fact that there are many connectors for each single conjunction, but also because many additional connectors exist that have no corresponding conjunction at all.

The reason why there are many connectors for each conjunction is that conjunctions, like most small words, have many different meanings (see 3. Multi-Use Words), while connectors tend to express just a single meaning. The post 20. Problem Connectors attempts to explain some of the more problematic of these more subtle meanings. Examples of connectors with no apparent partner conjunction are for example, for instance, in particular, in fact, indeed, instead, in short, at least and at last. For more about the first two of these, please see 33. Complex Example-Giving. Readers seeking a comprehensive list of English connectors with their meanings might find satisfaction in the book Cambridge Grammar of English.

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CHOOSING WHETHER TO USE A CONJUNCTION OR A CONNECTOR

There seem to be a number of considerations in choosing between a conjunction and a connector. The first is to do with whether or not the next words say something already known to the reader. In sentence (e) above, the conjunction after suggests that evening falls is already known to the reader, and the main message is about mosquitoes becoming active; while in (f) the connector afterwards indicates that evening falling is something the reader is being told here because it has not already been mentioned. The ability of conjunctions to introduce already-known ideas seems to belong particularly to the subordinating kind (see 37. Subordination), but only when they are used at the start of the sentence before both of the joined verbs.

The second main consideration in choosing between a conjunction and a connector could be the degree of separateness that we might wish to give to the two joined verbs. Putting them into the same sentence with a conjunction suggests that they are somehow part of the same idea, while putting them into two different sentences suggests that they are two different points. Compare these examples:

(i) Cars are dangerous and they pollute.

(j) Cars are dangerous. Moreover, they pollute.

Sentence (i) seems to be saying one thing by means of two points, that cars are bad; while (j) appears to be emphasising that there are two separate disadvantages.

A third possible reason for choosing to say something in a new sentence by means of a connector could be the fact that connectors tend to have a more precise meaning than conjunctions. Being precise is especially important in academic and professional writing, and that might explain why connectors are especially common in those fields.
https://guinlist.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/40-conjunctions-versus-connectors/