Speaking: Fluency & Coherence B1 - Lesson 2
Using a Wider Range of Connectors (although, while, as well as)
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use more advanced connectors like "although," "while," and "as well as" to express more complex relationships between ideas.
Upgrading Your Connecting Words
At A2 level, you learned to use basic connectors1 like "and" and "but". At B1, you can upgrade these words to show more complex relationships and sound more academic or formal.
| Simple Connector (A2) | Upgraded Connector (B1) | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| but | although2 / even though | Although it was raining, we still went to the park. |
| but | while3 | My brother likes watching football, while I prefer reading. |
| and | as well as4 | She speaks Khmer and English, as well as a little French. |
Your Fluency Toolkit
- Connector: A word or phrase that joins ideas, phrases, or sentences together: ឈ្នាប់ ↩
- although / even though: Used to show a surprising contrast, like "but": ទោះបីជា / ថ្វីបើ ↩
- while: Used to directly contrast two different people or situations: ខណៈពេលដែល ↩
- as well as: A more formal way to say "and" or "also": ក៏ដូចជា ↩
Pronunciation Focus: Pausing with Clauses
When you start a sentence with a connector like "Although" or "While", you create an introductory clause. It is very important to make a short pause after this clause, before you say the main part of the sentence.
- Although I was very tired, [pause] I finished all of my homework.
- While my sister loves pop music, [pause] I prefer rock music.
This pause acts like a comma and makes your long, complex sentence much easier for the listener to understand.
Sentence Position of Connectors
"Although" / "Even though"
These can start a sentence or be in the middle. Starting the sentence with "Although" puts more emphasis on the surprising contrast.
- Although it was expensive, I bought the phone. (More emphatic)
- I bought the phone although it was expensive. (Also correct)
"While"
This is usually used in the middle of a sentence to directly compare two things.
- He is very tall, while his brother is quite short.
"as well as"
This phrase is used to add another item to a list, often for emphasis.
- For our trip to Kep, we packed snacks and drinks, as well as our swimming clothes.
Practice Your Connectors
Activity 1: Choose the Best Connector
Read the sentence and choose the best connecting word.
- ______ he is very rich, he is not very happy. (As well as / Although / While)
(Answer: Although) - My father likes to wake up early, ______ my mother prefers to sleep in. (while / as well as / although)
(Answer: while) - The restaurant serves delicious noodles ______ fantastic coffee. (while / although / as well as)
(Answer: as well as)
Activity 2: Rewrite the Sentence
Combine the two simple sentences into one longer, more fluent sentence using the B1 connector in parentheses.
- I like living in Siem Reap. It is sometimes too quiet for me. (Although) -> Although I like living in Siem Reap, it is sometimes too quiet for me.
- The university has a great library. It has a modern sports center. (as well as) -> The university has a great library as well as a modern sports center.
Your Fluency Mission
This week in Siem Reap, your mission is to upgrade your connectors.
Try to use ONE of the B1 connectors from this lesson in a real conversation or in your writing. For example, instead of saying "I like coffee, but my friend likes tea," try saying, "I like coffee, while my friend likes tea."