Connectors

How to connect ideas

Learning connectors will change the way you speak and write English! You’ll feel smarter after this lesson. Let’s go!

Connectors are words or phrases that are used to connect ideas in a sentence or paragraph. They help to create coherence and flow in writing, and can be used to show relationships between ideas, such as cause, effect and contrast:

Contrast:
Connectors of contrast are used to indicate a contrast or a relationship of opposition between the two clauses they connect. They are used to show that two clauses or ideas are different or contradictory in some way.

👉 We are going to learn: but, although however, even though, despite, in spite of

See these examples:

I’m tired, but I’ll keep working. Estoy cansado, pero seguiré trabajando.
I wanted to go to the concert, but it was sold out. Quería ir al concierto, pero las entradas estaban agotadas.
Although it was raining, I went for a walk. Aunque llovía, fui a dar un paseo.
Although I was sick, I went to the meeting. Aunque estaba enfermo, fui a la reunión.
The instructions were confusing. However, I managed to assemble the chair. Las instrucciones eran confusas. Sin embargo, conseguí montar la silla.
The cake looked delicious, however, it had too much sugar and I couldn’t eat it. La tarta tenía un aspecto delicioso, sin embargo, tenía demasiado azúcar y no pude comerla.
Even though I was tired, I stayed up late to finish the project. Aunque estaba cansado, me quedé hasta tarde para terminar el proyecto.
Even though I got lost several times, I had a great time exploring. Aunque me perdí varias veces, me lo pasé muy bien explorando.
Despite the bad weather, the event was a success. A pesar del mal tiempo, el evento fue un éxito.
He was able to finish the marathon, despite the injury he had. Pudo terminar la maratón, a pesar de la lesión que tenía.
In spite of the fact that it was cold outside, I went for a walk. A pesar del frío que hacía fuera, salí a pasear.
In spite of the poor reviews, we enjoyed the film. A pesar de las malas críticas, disfrutamos de la película.

Cause:

Connectors of cause are used to link two clauses or sentences together and indicate that one event or situation is the cause of another.

👉 Typical connectors of cause are: because, due to, because of, as a result of

For example:

I’m going to bed early because I’m tired. Me voy pronto a la cama porque estoy cansado.
He missed his flight because he overslept. Perdió el vuelo porque se quedó dormido
The concert was cancelled due to the pandemic. El concierto se canceló debido a la pandemia.
The game started late due to the bad weather. El partido empezó tarde debido al mal tiempo.
She stayed home from work because of her illness. Se quedó en casa por enfermedad.
He was unable to play because of his broken arm. No pudo jugar debido a su brazo roto
As a result of the accident, the road was closed for hours. Como consecuencia del accidente, la carretera permaneció cerrada durante horas.
As a result of the new policy, the company saw an increase in productivity. Gracias a la nueva política, la empresa experimentó un aumento de la productividad.

Effect:

We use connectors of effect to link two clauses or sentences together and indicate that one event or situation is the result or effect of another.

👉 Some connectors of effect are: so, as a result, thus, consequently, therefore

For example:

I didn’t eat breakfast, so I’m hungry now. No he desayunado, así que ahora tengo hambre.
He was tired, so he went to bed early. Estaba cansado, así que se acostó pronto.
She worked hard, thus she got a good grade. Trabajó duro, por eso sacó una buena nota.
It was cold outside, thus, he put on a coat before leaving the house. Hacía frío fuera, por lo tanto, se puso un abrigo antes de salir de casa.
I’m tired, consequently I’m going to bed early. Estoy cansado, en consecuencia me voy a la cama temprano.
He didn’t eat breakfast, consequently, he felt weak during the workout. No desayunó, por lo que se sintió débil durante el entrenamiento.
They didn’t finish the project on time, therefore they didn’t get paid. No terminaron el proyecto a tiempo, por lo que no cobraron.
It was getting dark, therefore, they decided to set up camp. Estaba oscureciendo, así que decidieron acampar.
It’s raining, as a result we’ll have to stay inside. Está lloviendo, en consecuencia, tendremos que quedarnos dentro.
The experiment failed, as a result, the researchers had to try again. El experimento fracasó, por lo que los investigadores tuvieron que intentarlo de nuevo.

Hungry for more? See a bigger list of connectors here.