Grammar: Conjunctions [PDF]

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CONJUNCTIONS Grammar 1. And, or, and but And, or, and but join two or more words, phrases, or parts of the sentence. E.g. Mr. Chertok's key points and summary were well presented. E.g. Wouldn't it have been better to postpone the presentation or send someone out to buy some whiteboard markers? E.g. He arrived with his presentation on his computer but our projector wouldn't work. And The most common way to add to a sentence or a phrase is and. E.g I gave the presentation and my colleague answered questions. We often use and with both. E.g. We have both a schedule and a program. As well as, too, and also. E.g. There are mistakes in the letter as well as in the report. E.g. Susan has a laptop on her desk. She's got a PC too. E.g. I want to talk to you about your report. I also need to ask you a question. Or We use or to connect two or more options. We can use or with either. The negative of either…or is neither…nor. E.g. We could book a flight or take the train. = We could either book a flight or take the train. But We use but when the parts of the sentence show a contrast. E.g. Lucy ran to the supply room to get new ones, but she discovered that we only had permanent markers. But can be used with not only and also. E.g. I not only have experience in research but also in sales.

2. So, such, as, and such as We use some prepositions to show where something is. So and such We use both so and such for emphasis. E.g. The movie was so funny.

It is such a beautiful day.

We also use so and such to show a cause and a result. E.g. I was tired so I left the office party early. (I was tired= cause; I left= result) E.g. It was such a successful presentation (that) everyone stood up and cheered. So We use so before adverbs, adjectives, and some quantifiers (many, much, little, few). E.g. I was so happy about the sale (that) I brought a cake to the office to celebrate. E.g. We walked so slowly (that) we missed the bus. E.g. We had so many customers (that) we had to hire an extra salesperson 1

We also use so when speaking to introduce a new idea, question, or comment. E.g. So, Mr. Chertok didn't have any transparencies. So, what happened next? As We can use as to connect two sentences. E.g. As I understood the contract, we have to pay those fees. (As = The way that) E.g. The alarm went off as I was approaching the door. (as= at the same time) E.g. As it is my responsibility to protect our security systems, I check the alarms daily. (As = Because, Since) Such as We use such as to introduce examples. E.g. We sell home textiles, such as linens, curtains, and blankets.

3. Still and yet Still We use still when a situation hasn't changed. E.g. We are still looking into our market possibilities. E.g. By the way, we still need to replace the light bulb. Yet = despite that: used to add something that seems surprising because of what you have just said E.g. The weather was cold, yet bright and sunny. E.g. Harry was depressed after being fired, yet he smiled when Wendy walked in the room.

4. Giving reasons Because / As / Since + Clause E.g. We will be closed tomorrow because it is a national holiday. E.g. Our meeting was longer than usual since we had to discuss the preparation tor the trade show. E.g. We have lowered the prices as the production costs have dropped. Because of / Due to / On account of + Noun E.g. We will be closed because of / due to a national holiday. E.g. The launch didn't go well because of our lack of organization.

5. Giving results Therefore / Consequently / So / As a result E.g. We have to take inventory. Therefore / Consequently, we will be closed on Saturday. E.g. At first the stand was too large, so we had to rebuild it once we got to the show. E.g. Conference sales were down by 60 percent, and as a result the event was canceled.

6. Making contrasts Although / Even though / Though / Whereas / While 2

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join two contrasting sentences can be at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence Though can also go at the end of the sentence

E.g. Although we have discussed opening a new branch, we haven't made a decision. E.g. I'll try to be there even though I'm busy. E.g. We specialize in soft furnishings for the home, whereas our partner company specializes in hard furnishings. However / In contrast / On the other hand / Nevertheless - contrast two sentences E.g. The Hotel Lyon is the cheapest. However, it is much further from the conference center than the Ferris Hotel. E.g. We could carpool. On the other hand, there is a good bus service. In contrast to / Unlike / Instead of + Noun E.g. Unlike our competitors, we offer a 24-hour service. E.g. In contrast to last year's poor performance, this year we have done very well. Despite / In spite of + Noun / V-ing E.g. In spite of / Despite the heavy snow, the shipment arrived on time. E.g. The shipment arrived on time in spite of / despite the heavy snow. E.g. Rafael hasn't been promoted for five years, in spite of / despite being one of our most successful salespeople.

7. Adding information Additionally / In addition / Furthermore / Moreover E.g. We have decided to adopt this new strategy because we think it will increase our sales. Furthermore, it will give us tax advantages. Moreover, the costs of implementing the strategy won't be very high

C Grammar exercises Task 1. Correct the mistake in each sentence 1. The customer wanted to return the dress or buy a suit. and 2. Was the conference postponed but canceled? or 3. Mr. Lee wanted to have the meeting today, or several people were out of the office. so 4. He but wanted a new mouse for his computer. 5. Sue is going to the trade show but will give a product presentation there. and 6. You could go to lunch early and wait until after the meeting for lunch. or 7. Our profits are up, or the outlook is still uncertain. but 8. Could you bring me some paper clips or as a box of staples? 9. Andrea wanted to invest in the company or. Task 2. Underline the correct word to complete the sentences 1. The service in that restaurant was so / as / such unpleasant that we can't recommend it. 2. It was hard to hear the talk because the presenter spoke so / such / such as quietly. 3

3. I've never attended so / such / such as a motivating conference before. 4. It was so / as / such late when I left work that the buses were no longer running. 5. So / As / Such as before, you start by opening a new document. 6. Our company has outlets in several cities, as / such / such as Paris, Tokyo, and New York. Task 3. Match the beginnings and endings of these sentences 1. As a result of the ongoing price war, _____ 2. Although all our products are of high quality, ____ 3. On account of the Internet being down, ____ 4. Despite the candidate's lack of experience, ____ 5. In spite of the large discount we offered, ____ 6. Unlike our competitors' products,____

a. we really think he's the right person for the job. b. our profits are down. c. the customer continued to complain. d. they are reasonably priced. e. ours are biodegradable. f. we didn't finish the report.

1-b; 2-d; 3-f; 4-a; 5- c ;6-e Task 4. Underline the correct word to complete the letter Dear Mr. Tyson, I regret to inform you that our production has been interrupted 1 due to /despite a large earthquake that has temporarily closed down our factory. 2 Consequently / Whereas, we cannot promise to fill your order by June 2nd, the date we had previously agreed to. 3 Not surprisingly / Fortunately, no one was injured. 4 However / Finally, there was considerable damage done to the building 5 because / despite the roof collapsed. But, 6 unlike / since the roof was made of a light material, it did not damage our equipment. We have already moved to a temporary building. 7 After / However, we cannot yet work to full capacity. 8 Therefore / Furthermore, some major rail lines were damaged, affecting the transportation of goods. We will be able to fulfill part of your order by the requested date, 9 so /although not all ofit. We will let you know 10 most importantly /personally, when your final order will be ready. We appreciate your understanding of our situation. Best regards, Alfred Horowitz Task 5. Fill in the blanks with the linking expressions in the box because

consequently

due to

first

on the other hand

unlike

1. FlyFast Air has increased the number of advantages it offers, _ unlike_ its rival airlines. 2. There has been a drop in the housing market. __ consequently ______ , there has also been a reduction in property taxes. 3. We haven't met today's targets ___ because _____ a faulty machine slowed down production. 4. Our products are selling better than last year _____ due to _______ the successful ad campaign that we launched in July. 5. We could replace this old machine. ___ on the other hand _____ , we could repair it again. 6. To operate this machine, _____ first _______ push down on this button until you hear the control lever click into place. Task 6. Complete these sentences using your own ideas 4

1. I was late for the meeting because of ____traffic jam___________________ 2. The employees at the suppliers' factory are on strike. Therefore,_____a number of important goods are in insufficient state__________ 3. It will be necessary to postpone the meeting, as _______the director is ill today____________________________________ 4. Customer satisfaction is extremely important, so _____first we need to conduct research to determine customer’s requirement_______________ 5. James Walsh has excellent references from his previous employer. In my opinion,_____we should listen to him first___________ 6. We are going to renovate the offices on the ground floor. Furthermore, _____there’re also some equipments will be installed___________________

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