CONNECTORS / LINKERS
CAUSE / REASON
Because/Since/As (como, porque)
+ clause
Due to/Because of /Owing to (a causa de, debido a)
+ NP(SN)
Because/As/Since it was raining, we didn’t go to the beach
We didn’t go to the beach because/since /as it was raining
Due to /Because of /Owing to the rain, we didn’t go to the beach
RESULT/ CONSEQUENCE
Therefore (por lo tanto)
As a result /consequence
(Como resultado/consecuencia)
Consequently (consecuentemente)
So (así que)
That’s (the reason) why…
(Por eso/esa es la razón por la que…)
At the beginning of the sentence, before a comma
It was raining. Therefore/As a consequence/
As a result/Consequently, we didn’t go to the beach
After a comma
At the beginning of the sentence.
It was raining, so we didn’t go to the beach
It was raining. That’s the reason why we didn’t go to the beach
OPPOSITION
Although/Though/Even though (aunque, a pesar de
que…)
In spite of/Despite…
(a pesar de)
However/Nevertherless/Yet/ Nonetheless
(Sin embargo/No obstante)
+ clause
+ NP
+-ing (same subject)
At the beginning of the sentence, before a
comma
Although/Though/Even though it was raining, we went to the beach.
We went to the beach although/though/even though it was raining
In spite of/Despite the rain, we went to the beach
In spite of /Despite being tired, we went to the beach
It was raining. However/Nevertheless/Yet/Nonetheless, we went to the
beach
CONTRAST
In contrast (Por el contrario)
In contrast to/Contrary to/Unlike
(Al contrario que, en contraste con…)
Whereas (mientras que…)
On the one hand /on the other (hand) (Por un
lado/por otro)
At the beginning of the sentence, before a
comma
+ NP
+ clause
At the beginning of the sentence, before a
comma.
Mary doesn’t study very hard. In contrast, Susan is an excellent student.
In contrast to/Contrary to /Unlike Mary, Susan is an excellent student
Whereas Mary doesn’t study very hard, Susan is an excellent student
On the one hand, Susan is very messy. On the other, she is an
excellent student
TIME AND SEQUENCE
When / As soon as /Once
(cuando/tan pronto como/una vez que…)
First of all /First(ly) /Second(ly)… /Next/Then /Finally
(Primero/Segundo/A continuación/Entonces/Finalmente
Later/Then/After that/Afterwards (Más tarde/Entonces
/Después de eso/Después)
While (mientras)
+ clause
I’ll phone you when/as soon as/ once I get home
At the beginning of the
sentence, before a comma
Peter gets up early because he’s got plenty of things to do. First, he has a shower.
Second, he has breakfast. Next, he walks his dog. Then, he takes his children to school
and finally, he goes to work
At the beginning of the
sentence, before a comma
+ clause (past continuous)
I went to the library. Later/Then/After that/Afterwards, I went back home
While I was having a bath, somebody knocked on the door
Before/After
(antes de que, antes de que)
+ clause
+NP
+ -ing (same subject)
Last but not least (Por ultimo, pero no por ello menos
importante
At the beginning of the
sentence, before a comma
I cooked lunch before my children came home from school
I washed up after my children had had lunch
I watch TV after/before dinner.
After/Before studying, I always watch a bit of television
ADDITION
Besides / In addition / Furthermore / Moreover /Also
(Además /También)
Also (además, también)
At the beginning of the sentence, before a comma
Before the main verb (after the verb To be)
At the end of the sentence
+ NP
+-ing (same subjects)
Too/As well (además, también)
As well as (así como, además de)
He studies at university. Besides/Furthermore/Moreover /
In addition/Also, he works as a waiter at night
He studies at university and he also works as a waiter at night
He studies at university and he is also a waiter at night
He studies at university and he works as a waiter too/as well
Please, bring some drinks as well as snack
As well as studying at university, he works as a waiter at
night
PURPOSE
To/In order (not) to/ So as (not) to
(para/para que)
In order that /so that
(para que)
For (somebody) to
When the subject of both sentences is the same
We will work all night to /in order to/ so as to finish on time
+ Clause with modal verb
We will work all night so that we can/may/will finish on time
We worked all night so that we could /might/would finish on time
We will work all night for him to have a rest
When the subject of the sentences is different
Para que (alguien)…
COMPARISON
As though/As if (Como si)
Like (como)
The same as (lo mismo que)
Similarly (Del mismo modo)
As….as(Tan…como)
+ clause (subjunctive verb)
+ NP
+Clause /NP
At the beginning of the sentence, before a comma
+ adjective/adverb
He treats me as though/as if I were as stranger
He treats me like a stranger
I told him the same as I had told you before
He often lied to me. Similarly, he promised many things that he never fulfilled
This book is as interesting as that one.
At the beginning of the sentence, before a
comma
+ NP
I like all kinds of fruit. For example /instance, I love melons, oranges, apples and
pineapples
I like all kinds of fruit such as melons, oranges, apples and pineapples.
EXAMPLE
For example /For instance (Por
ejemplo)
Such as (como por ejemplo)
CONCLUSION/SUMMING UP
In conclusion/As a conclusion (En conclusión)
To sum up/Summing up/In short (Resumiendo/En breve)
At the beginning of the sentence,
before a comma
In conclusion/As a conclusion/To sum up/Summing up/In short, it’s
important to tell young people about the risks of alcohol