Connectives — Complete Grammar Guide
What are Connectives?
Connectives are words or phrases that join words, phrases or sentences together. They help us show the relationship between ideas such as reason, contrast, result, time, condition or addition. Connectives make our writing clear, logical and smooth.
Examples of common connectives: and, but, or, so, because, although, however, therefore, despite, in spite of, if, when, while, since, unless, either...or, not only...but also.
Why Do We Use Connectives?
Connectives help us join short sentences into longer, meaningful ones. They show how ideas are related. In the SEE examination, connectives are tested in sentence joining, transformation of sentences, error correction and free writing. Good use of connectives improves the quality of essays, letters and stories.
- They join ideas logically.
- They make writing more fluent and coherent.
- They show relationships such as reason, contrast, result or condition.
- They are important for high marks in SEE writing and grammar.
Main Types of Connectives by Function
- 1Connectives of Addition
- 2Connectives of Contrast (Contradiction)
- 3Connectives of Reason / Cause
- 4Connectives of Result / Consequence
- 5Connectives of Purpose
- 6Connectives of Time
- 7Connectives of Condition
- 8Correlative Connectives
1. Connectives of Addition
These connectives add extra information.
| Connective | Example |
|---|---|
| and | She is intelligent and hardworking. |
| also | He speaks English. He also speaks Nepali. |
| moreover / furthermore | The book is interesting. Moreover, it is cheap. |
| in addition | In addition to English, she studies Science. |
| as well as | She plays the guitar as well as the piano. |
| both ... and | Both Ram and Sita are good students. |
| not only ... but also | She is not only clever but also kind. |
2. Connectives of Contrast (Contradiction)
These connectives show opposite or unexpected ideas.
| Connective | Structure / Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| but | Joins two contrasting ideas | He is rich but he is not happy. |
| although / though / even though | Although + clause | Although it was raining, we went out. |
| despite / in spite of | Despite / In spite of + noun / -ing | Despite the rain, we went out. In spite of feeling tired, she continued working. |
| however | Shows contrast between two sentences | She studied hard. However, she failed the exam. |
| yet / still | Unexpected contrast | He is poor yet he is happy. |
| nevertheless / nonetheless | Formal contrast | The weather was bad. Nevertheless, we continued the match. |
| on the other hand | Shows the opposite side | He is clever. On the other hand, he is lazy. |
Important Difference: Although vs Despite
| Although / Though / Even though | Despite / In spite of |
|---|---|
| Followed by a full clause (subject + verb) | Followed by a noun, pronoun or -ing form |
| Although she was tired, she finished the work. | Despite her tiredness, she finished the work. |
| Even though it was raining, they played. | In spite of the rain, they played. |
3. Connectives of Reason / Cause
These connectives give the reason for something.
| Connective | Structure / Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| because | because + clause | She stayed at home because she was ill. |
| as / since | as / since + clause (often at the beginning) | As it was raining, we stayed at home. Since he was busy, he could not come. |
| because of | because of + noun / -ing | She stayed at home because of illness. He was late because of the traffic. |
| due to / owing to | due to / owing to + noun | The flight was cancelled due to bad weather. |
Important Difference: Because vs Because of
| Because | Because of |
|---|---|
| Followed by a clause (subject + verb) | Followed by a noun or noun phrase |
| He was late because he missed the bus. | He was late because of the traffic. |
| She cried because she was sad. | She cried because of her failure. |
4. Connectives of Result / Consequence
These connectives show the result or effect of an action.
| Connective | Example |
|---|---|
| so | It was raining, so we stayed at home. |
| therefore | He worked hard. Therefore, he passed the exam. |
| thus | She studied regularly. Thus, she scored high marks. |
| consequently / as a result | He did not prepare well. Consequently, he failed. |
| so ... that | He was so tired that he fell asleep immediately. |
| such ... that | It was such a difficult question that nobody could answer it. |
5. Connectives of Purpose
These connectives show the purpose or intention of an action.
| Connective | Structure / Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to / in order to / so as to | to / in order to + base verb | She went to the market to buy vegetables. He studied hard in order to pass the exam. |
| so that | so that + clause (often with can / could / may / might) | She spoke slowly so that everyone could understand. |
| for | for + noun / -ing | This tool is for cutting wood. He went there for a meeting. |
6. Connectives of Time
These connectives show when something happens.
| Connective | Example |
|---|---|
| when | When the bell rang, the students stood up. |
| while | While she was cooking, he was reading. |
| before | Wash your hands before you eat. |
| after | After he finished his work, he went home. |
| until / till | Wait here until I come back. |
| as soon as | As soon as she arrived, the meeting started. |
| since | I have lived here since I was a child. |
| as | As she grew older, she became wiser. |
7. Connectives of Condition
These connectives show a condition.
| Connective | Example |
|---|---|
| if | If it rains, we will stay at home. |
| unless | Unless you work hard, you will not pass. (Unless = if not) |
| provided that / as long as | You can go out provided that you finish your homework. |
| in case | Take an umbrella in case it rains. |
8. Correlative Connectives
These connectives are used in pairs.
| Connective Pair | Example |
|---|---|
| either ... or | You can either stay here or come with us. |
| neither ... nor | Neither Ram nor Sita was present. |
| both ... and | Both the teacher and the students were happy. |
| not only ... but also | She is not only beautiful but also intelligent. |
| whether ... or | I do not know whether he will come or not. |
Important Rules
- 1Although / though / even though are followed by a clause (subject + verb).
- 2Despite / in spite of are followed by a noun, pronoun or -ing form (not a full clause).
- 3Because is followed by a clause; because of is followed by a noun.
- 4So that is used for purpose and is often followed by can / could / may / might.
- 5Unless means “if not”. Do not use another negative with unless.
- 6When joining sentences with however, therefore, moreover, use a full stop or semicolon before them.
- 7Correlative pairs must be balanced (same grammatical form after each part).
Common Mistakes
- 1Wrong: Despite he was tired, he continued. Correct: Despite being tired, he continued. / Although he was tired, he continued. Reason: Despite cannot be followed by a clause.
- 2Wrong: She failed because of she was ill. Correct: She failed because she was ill. / She failed because of illness. Reason: Because of needs a noun.
- 3Wrong: Although of the rain, we went out. Correct: Although it was raining, we went out. / Despite the rain, we went out. Reason: Although needs a clause.
- 4Wrong: Unless you do not work hard, you will fail. Correct: Unless you work hard, you will fail. Reason: Unless already means “if not”.
- 5Wrong: He is not only clever but also he is kind. Correct: He is not only clever but also kind. Reason: Keep the structure parallel.
- 6Wrong: She studied hard, however she failed. Correct: She studied hard. However, she failed. Reason: However usually starts a new sentence.
Remember (Memory Tricks)
- Although + clause ; Despite + noun / -ing
- Because + clause ; Because of + noun
- Unless = if not (no extra negative)
- So that = purpose (often with can/could)
- Not only ... but also → keep the same structure after both parts
- However / Therefore / Moreover → usually start a new sentence
SEE Exam Tips
- 1In sentence joining questions, first identify the relationship (reason, contrast, result, purpose, etc.).
- 2Choose the correct connective according to the relationship.
- 3Check whether the connective needs a clause or a noun/-ing form.
- 4Keep the meaning of the original sentences the same.
- 5For contrast, decide between although (clause) and despite (noun).
- 6For reason, decide between because (clause) and because of (noun).
- 7Practise joining pairs of sentences regularly — this is a common SEE question type.
How Connectives Appear in SEE
- Join the following pairs of sentences using suitable connectives
- Fill in the blanks with appropriate connectives
- Choose the correct connective from the options
- Rewrite the sentences using the given connective
- Correct the errors related to connectives
Quick Revision
- Addition: and, also, moreover, both...and, not only...but also
- Contrast: but, although, despite, however, yet
- Reason: because, as, since, because of
- Result: so, therefore, consequently, so...that
- Purpose: to, in order to, so that
- Time: when, while, before, after, until, as soon as
- Condition: if, unless, provided that
- Always match the connective with the correct structure (clause or noun).