Linking Words

Linking words work like glue. They connect words, phrases, sentences, or even whole paragraphs so that ideas flow logically and smoothly. Without linking words, communication would sound choppy, unclear, and confusing.

Today, we'll learn about different types of linking words, their purposes, and how to use them effectively.

1. Conjunctions: The Primary Connectors

Conjunctions are linking words used to join parts of a sentence. These parts can be words, phrases, or clauses. There are three main types of conjunctions:

a) Coordinating Conjunctions – Joining Equals

Coordinating conjunctions join words, phrases, or independent clauses of equal importance. Use the acronym FANBOYS to remember them:

Conjunction	Function	Example
For	Reason	I stayed home, *for* I was feeling sick.
And	Addition	She sings and plays the guitar.
Nor	Negative Alternative	He doesn’t drink coffee, *nor* does he like tea.
But	Contrast	I tried hard, but I couldn’t solve the puzzle.
Or	Choice	Would you prefer juice or soda?
Yet	Unexpected Contrast	He is rich, yet he lives simply.
So	Result	It was cold, so we wore jackets.

✅ Tip: Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction when connecting two independent clauses.

b) Subordinating Conjunctions – Joining Unequals

A subordinating conjunction links a dependent (subordinate) clause to an independent clause and shows relationships like time, cause, condition, or contrast. The dependent clause cannot stand alone.

🔹 Time

• after, before, when, while, since, until, as soon as

Example: I’ll call you after I arrive.

🔹 Cause and Effect

• because, since, as, so that

Example: We stayed inside because it was raining.

🔹 Condition

• if, unless, in case, provided that

Example: You can go out if you finish your homework.

🔹 Contrast

• although, though, even though, whereas

Example: Although she was tired, she kept working.

✅ Tip: When the dependent clause comes first, use a comma. No comma is needed when it comes second.

c) Correlative Conjunctions – Linking in Pairs

These conjunctions work in pairs to join balanced sentence parts. They emphasize the relationship between the paired elements.

Pair	Example
either...or	You can have either pizza or pasta.
neither...nor	Neither John nor Mary came to the party.
both...and	Both the teacher and the students were excited.
not only...but also	He is not only a great singer but also a skilled dancer.

✅ Tip: Keep sentence structure parallel (balanced) after each part of the pair.

2. Conjunctive Adverbs: Connecting Clauses Smoothly

Conjunctive adverbs are linking words that connect two independent clauses. They often show relationships like contrast, cause and effect, or addition.

💡 Structure:

Independent clause; conjunctive adverb, independent clause.

🔹 Contrast

• however, nevertheless, on the other hand, still

Example: She studied hard; however, she didn’t pass the exam.

🔹 Addition

• moreover, furthermore, besides, in addition

Example: The hotel is cheap; moreover, it’s very clean.

🔹 Cause and Effect

• therefore, thus, consequently, as a result

Example: He missed the bus; therefore, he was late.

🔹 Sequence/Order

• then, next, finally, afterwards, subsequently

Example: We visited the museum; then, we went to lunch.

✅ Tip: Conjunctive adverbs are often set off by commas when they appear in the middle of a sentence.

3. Transitional Phrases: Connecting Ideas Between Paragraphs

Transitional phrases (also called sentence connectors) are groups of words that link ideas, often between sentences or paragraphs. They help guide readers through the structure of your writing.

🔹 Giving Examples

• for example, for instance, to illustrate

Example: Some animals are nocturnal. For example, owls and bats are active at night.

🔹 Summarizing

• in conclusion, in summary, to sum up, in short

Example: To sum up, regular exercise benefits both the body and the mind.

🔹 Adding Emphasis

• in fact, indeed, certainly, without doubt

Example: He is very talented. In fact, he can play five instruments.

🔹 Showing Comparison

• similarly, likewise, in the same way

Example: Dogs are loyal animals. Similarly, cats can be affectionate companions.

🔹 Showing Contrast

• on the contrary, in contrast, even so

Example: Many think city life is better. In contrast, country life offers peace and space.

✅ Tip: Transitional phrases usually appear at the beginning of a sentence and are followed by a comma.

4. Relative Pronouns and Relative Adverbs

While relative pronouns and relative adverbs are not traditionally classified as “linking words” in the same way as conjunctions and transitional phrases, they also function as connectors—specifically, they link clauses together by introducing relative clauses.

🔹 What They Do:

Relative pronouns and relative adverbs introduce relative clauses, which give extra information about a noun (a person, thing, place, or time). These linking words help combine two sentences into one by connecting the main clause with a dependent clause.

A. Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns connect a noun to more information about it.

Relative Pronoun	Used For	Example
who	people (subject)	The boy who won the race is my cousin.
whom	people (object)	The woman whom we met was very kind.
whose	possession	I know a man whose dog can dance.
which	things/animals	The book which you lent me is great.
that	people or things	She likes the cake that I baked.

✅ Note: “That” can replace “who” or “which” in restrictive clauses (essential to the meaning).

B. Relative Adverbs

Relative adverbs link a noun (usually referring to time or place) to a clause that tells when, where, or why something happened.

Relative Adverb	Refers To	Example
where	place	This is the house where I was born.
when	time	I remember the day when we met.
why	reason	Do you know the reason why she left?

✅ Tip: Relative adverbs are often used after nouns referring to time, place, or reason.

💡 Combining Sentences with Relative Pronouns/Adverbs

Without relative word	With relative pronoun:
I met a girl. She speaks five languages.	I met a girl who speaks five languages.
That’s the park. We had a picnic there.	That’s the park where we had a picnic.

📝 Summary Table

Type Linking Word Function Example

Relative Pronoun who, whom, whose, which, that Adds information about a noun The man who helped me is a doctor.

Relative Adverb where, when, why Shows place, time, or reason I remember the time when we played in the rain.

5. Prepositional Connectors (less common category)

• Prepositions or prepositional phrases used to show logical relationships.

• Examples: because of, due to, in spite of, instead of, in addition to, in comparison with

🔹 Example: In spite of the rain, the match continued.