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English Quiz - Sentences (Connectives) 02 (Questions)

English students are taught that connectives (joining words) such as "because" and "if" are used in complex sentences to show that one clause depends on another, e.g. "He missed the bus because he overslept".

In the sentence above, the basic piece of information conveyed is that "He missed the bus". Connectives are helpful because they allow us to make logical connections between different pieces of information. So here, there is a reason why he missed the bus, which is that "he overslept". Rather than writing two unconnected sentences, "He missed the bus. He overslept", using the word "because" elegantly expresses the reason the two pieces of information are related. Clever, eh?

It's important to choose the correct connective, however. If we replace "because" with "so", the sentence no longer works: "He missed the bus so he overslept". "So" would work in another sentence: "He missed the bus so he walked instead". Think carefully about the logical link you are trying to express through the use of a connective.

See if you can get full marks in this quiz about connectives.

1. Find the correct connective in the following.
The show had started ....... he arrived at the theatre.
[ ] and
[ ] because
[ ] if
[ ] when
2. Find the correct connective in the following.
Will the hike still take place ....... it rains tomorrow?
[ ] and
[ ] but
[ ] if
[ ] or
3. Find the correct connective in the following.
Is there computer club ....... school finishes today?
[ ] after
[ ] although
[ ] and
[ ] since
4. Find the correct connective in the following.
I will go shopping ....... you will come and help me.
[ ] although
[ ] but
[ ] if
[ ] or
5. Find the correct connective in the following.
He arrived at the pool ....... it opened.
[ ] although
[ ] before
[ ] but
[ ] or
6. Find the correct connective in the following.
He was born here ....... his family moved abroad.
[ ] before
[ ] during
[ ] if
[ ] until
7. Find the correct connective in the following.
He asked his mum ....... he could go to the party.
[ ] and
[ ] if
[ ] since
[ ] while
8. Find the correct connective in the following.
I twisted my ankle ....... I was playing tennis.
[ ] although
[ ] during
[ ] if
[ ] while
9. Find the correct connective in the following.
Go straight on ....... you see a supermarket on the right.
[ ] before
[ ] since
[ ] until
[ ] whereas
10. Find the correct connective in the following.
School will shut early ....... heavy snow is expected tonight.
[ ] although
[ ] because
[ ] if
[ ] while

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - What is grammar?

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English Quiz - Sentences (Connectives) 02 (Answers)
1. Find the correct connective in the following.
The show had started ....... he arrived at the theatre.
[ ] and
[ ] because
[ ] if
[x] when
"When he arrived at the theatre" makes no sense by itself, although it would be possible to swap the order of the sentence around to say "When he arrived at the theatre, the show had started"
2. Find the correct connective in the following.
Will the hike still take place ....... it rains tomorrow?
[ ] and
[ ] but
[x] if
[ ] or
"If" acknowledges that whether or not it will rain tomorrow is currently unknown. The hike may or may not be conditional on the weather
3. Find the correct connective in the following.
Is there computer club ....... school finishes today?
[x] after
[ ] although
[ ] and
[ ] since
"Before" would also make sense, although it might imply that school is finishing for a holiday, rather than just for the day
4. Find the correct connective in the following.
I will go shopping ....... you will come and help me.
[ ] although
[ ] but
[x] if
[ ] or
"If" introduces the idea of one event being conditional upon another
5. Find the correct connective in the following.
He arrived at the pool ....... it opened.
[ ] although
[x] before
[ ] but
[ ] or
It is possible to begin sentences with connectives, but make sure they are complete. It would be correct, for example, to write a sentence such as this: "Before the pool opened, he was waiting at the door"
6. Find the correct connective in the following.
He was born here ....... his family moved abroad.
[x] before
[ ] during
[ ] if
[ ] until
"But" and "although" would also make sense here. "Until" would not work, although it would make sense in a revised sentence: "He lived here until his family moved abroad"
7. Find the correct connective in the following.
He asked his mum ....... he could go to the party.
[ ] and
[x] if
[ ] since
[ ] while
"Whether" would also work, although it is somewhat formal for this context
8. Find the correct connective in the following.
I twisted my ankle ....... I was playing tennis.
[ ] although
[ ] during
[ ] if
[x] while
"During" would work as part of an adverbial phrase: "I twisted my ankle during tennis practice"
9. Find the correct connective in the following.
Go straight on ....... you see a supermarket on the right.
[ ] before
[ ] since
[x] until
[ ] whereas
How many connectives do you know?
10. Find the correct connective in the following.
School will shut early ....... heavy snow is expected tonight.
[ ] although
[x] because
[ ] if
[ ] while
"Because" introduces the reason for the early closure
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