Speaking: Fluency & Coherence A2
Connecting Ideas with "and," "but," "so," "because"
Listen to the examples here.
Building Better Sentences 🔗
To express more complex ideas, we connect short sentences together using special words called conjunctions. Each conjunction has a different job. Click 🔊 to hear the example sentence.
Fluency Tips for Conjunctions
🗣️ Pausing with Conjunctions
To make your long sentences clear, it is important to pause correctly. The rule is simple: when you use "and," "but," or "so" to connect two full sentences (ideas that could stand alone), make a short pause / before the conjunction.
- I like the market, / but it's very crowded on weekends.
- He was very tired, / so he went to bed early.
We usually don't pause before "because" when it comes at the end of a sentence.
💡 Choosing the Right Connector
Think about the relationship between your two ideas.
- Adding Info (+): Use and.
He is a student, and he works at a restaurant. - Opposite Info (↔️): Use but.
Siem Reap is beautiful, but it is very hot in April. - Showing a Result (➡️): Use so.
I wanted to pass my exam, so I studied very hard. - Giving a Reason (⬅️): Use because.
I studied very hard because I wanted to pass my exam.
Practice Connecting Ideas 🎯
Activity 1: Choose the Conjunction
Read the sentence and click the best connecting word.
- I want to buy a new phone, ____ I don't have enough money.
- It was very sunny, ____ I wore a hat.
- She speaks English well ____ she watches a lot of English movies.
- He is friendly ____ helpful.
Activity 2: Combine the Sentences
Combine the two simple sentences into one longer sentence using the conjunction in parentheses. Click "Show Answer" to check.
-
I like to read books. I like to listen to music.(Use: and)
Show Answer
I like to read books and listen to music.
-
He is tired. He worked for 10 hours.(Use: because)
Show Answer
He is tired because he worked for 10 hours.
-
She wanted to visit her family. She bought a bus ticket.(Use: so)
Show Answer
She wanted to visit her family, so she bought a bus ticket.
-
The coffee is hot. The ice cream is cold.(Use: but)
Show Answer
The coffee is hot, but the ice cream is cold.
Your Fluency Toolkit
- Conjunction A word that connects phrases or sentences.
- and Use to add more similar information.
- but Use to show an opposite or different idea.
- so Use to show the result of something.
- because Use to show the reason for something.
- Fluent Able to speak or write a language easily and smoothly.
- Logical Reasonable; making sense.
Your Fluency Mission ⭐
This week, your mission is to connect your ideas when you speak.
Try to make four longer sentences in your conversations. Make one sentence using and, one using but, one using so, and one using because. This will help make your speaking much more interesting and fluent!