Page 122 - IELTS Preparation Grammar and Vocab

17 Conjunctions and connectors

Grammar

Ila Sentence connectors and conjunctions: general

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My mum used to come and collect me from college in the car and I'd drive home. What's more, she'd let me
drive when we went shopping.
A sentence connector (e.g. what's more) links one sentence with another.
My mum taught me to drive because I couldn't afford to pay for driving lessons.
A conjunction (e.g. because) links clauses within a single sentence.

To link two clauses, we use only one conjunction, not two:
Although its expensive having driving lessons, I'd really recommend it. (not Although iö eemiit having driving
lessons, but I'd really rccommcnd it.)
We usually put a comma between clauses linked by a conjunction:
As long as I didn't do anything stupid, she stayed pretty calm.
However, when because or while (referring to time) begin the second clause in a sentence, we don't need
a comma.
Sentence connectors usually come at the beginning of a sentence and less often at the end or in another
position. The only ones that can't come at the beginning are too and as well:
You can spend a lot more time practising as welt
We usually put a comma after a sentence connector at the beginning or end of a sentence
My mum thought I was ready to take my driving test. However, I failed first time.
When a sentence connector comes elsewhere in a sentence, punctuation is more variable.
There are lots of advantages in having your parents teach you. There's the cost, for instance ...
Sentence connectors can be used to link clauses in a sentence if the clauses are joined with and, but, or, so, or
a semi-colon (;), colon (:) or dash (—):
My instructor was very experienced and, as a result, he had lots of useful tips to pass on.
Having a professional teach you to drive is best; however, it can be very expensive.

In Conjunctions: before, until
Sometimes we can use either before or until with little difference in meaning
She wouldn't let me drive on busy roads before/until I could control the car well.
We use until, not before, when an action continues to a particular time and then stops:
I just carried on having lessons until my instructor said I was ready to take the driving test

gin Conjunctions: hardly, no sooner, scarcely
After hardly and scarcely the second clause usually begins with when or before; after no sooner it begins with
than or when:
We'd hardly driven out of our road before we were shouting at each other.
I'd no sooner passed my test than/when my friends started asking me for lifts.
We often use the past perfect in a clause with hardly, no sooner or scarcely and a past simple in the other clause.
(See Unit 21, 2.3 for word order in sentences with hardly, no sooner and scarcely.)

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