Grammar 23 - Connectors - Adding Information

‘That dog is too big for us, and MOREOVER, it’s too expensive.’

Here the word in capitals is the connector, and it tells us that additional information is being given - how expensive the dog is - besides the size of the dog. Here's another example:

‘Vegetables contain lots of vitamins. IN ADDITION, they are rich sources of iron.’

Again, the word in capitals connects the two sentences and tells us that additional information on the properties of vegetables is being given. We also notice in the above example that the connector is linking two sentences of equal position and the role of such connectors is to either provide additional information or add to the information already provided. There are other words that can also be used as connectors for providing additional information and they are:

Too
Also
Besides that
And
As well
Not only… but also

However, we must remember that each of these connectors can be used in a special position and it is not sacrosanct that its position is always fixed. For instance, in the vegetable example above the sentence could read as:

‘Vegetables contain lots of vitamins. They are rich sources of iron AS WELL.’

Sometimes the sentences can be combined into a single sentence. The same vegetable example could read as:

‘Vegetables NOT ONLY contain lots of vitamins, BUT ALSO they are rich sources of iron.’

In the quiz that follows we shall see how connectors that add information are used properly in English grammar.