UNIT 3

CONNECTORS AND LINKING WORDS

ALTHOUGH :
 It joins clauses.
 It is generally used at the beginning of the sentence.
 When it is used in the middle of the sentence, it expresses an afterthought and is
usually preceded by a comma.
Examples:
(It was raining. We went on a picnic.)
Although it was raining, we went on a picnic.

DESPITE/IN SPITE OF :
 It joins nouns, noun phrases, noun clauses and gerunds (V-ing)
 It is used at the beginning (followed by a comma) or in the middle of the
sentence.
 “In spite of the fact that “ may be used to join clauses.
Examples:
(It was raining. We went on a picnic. We hate rain)
Despite/In spite of the rain, we went on a picnic.
We went on a picnic despite/in spite of the rain.
In spite of hating rain, we went on a picnic.
In spite of the fact that it was raining, we went on a picnic.
We went on a picnic in spite of the fact that it was raining.

BOTH...AND...
 It is used to avoid repetition.
 It precedes the first of the two ideas it adds or accumulates.
Examples:
(Mary went to the party. Tom went to the party.)
Both Mary and Peter went to the party.

(Alice washed the clothes. Alice ironed the clothes.)

Alice both washed and ironed the clothes.

(Alice ate the sandwich. Alice ate the cake.)

Alice ate both the sandwich and the cake.

(Alice went to the cinema with her mother. Alice went to the cinema
with her boyfriend.)
Alice went to the cinema with both her mother and her boyfriend.

NEITHER...NOR...
 The verb of the sentence is used in the affirmative form.
 It is used to avoid repetition.
 It precedes the first of the two ideas it adds or accumulates.
Examples:
(Mary didn’t go to the party. Tom didn’t go to the party.)
Neither Mary nor Peter went to the party.
 (Alice didn’t wash the clothes. Alice didn’t iron the clothes.)
Alice neither washed nor ironed the clothes.

(Alice didn’t eat the sandwich. Alice didn’t eat the cake.)
Alice ate neither the sandwich nor the cake.

(Alice didn’t go to the cinema with her mother. Alice didn’t go to the
cinema with her boyfriend.)
Alice went to the cinema with neither her mother nor her boyfriend.

NOT (VERB)...OR…EITHER
 It is used with the verb in the negative.
 It is not so common as “neither...nor...”
Examples:
(Alice didn’t eat the sandwich. Alice didn’t eat the cake.)
Alice didn’t eat either the sandwich or the cake.

EITHER...OR... :
 It is used with the verb in the affirmative to choose between two options.
 It precedes the first of the two ideas it chooses between.
Examples:
(Alice will go or Peter will go.)
Either Alice or Peter will go.

(Alice will wash the clothes or she will iron them.)

Alice will either wash or iron the clothes.

(Alice will eat the sandwich or she will eat the cake.)
Alice will eat either the sandwich or the cake.

(Alice will go to the cinema with her mother or she will go to the
cinema with her boyfriend.)
Alice will go to the cinema with either her mother or her boyfriend.

...TOO +ADJECTIVE +TO INFINITIVE

Something can’t be done because of the adjective.
Examples:
1. (I am tired. I can’t go out.)
I’m too tired to go out.

2. (She is very stupid. She can’t understand it.)

She is too stupid to understand it.

3. (It is very difficult. I can’t do it.)

It is too difficult [for me] to do. (Notice that the “it” in the second
sentence is not repeated.)

Sometimes, an alternative version is used:

1. I can´t go out, I´m too tired.
2. She cannot understand it; she is too stupid
3. I cannot do it; it is too difficult.
...SO + ADJECTIVE +THAT ...
(It is very difficult. I can’t understand it.)
It is so difficult that I can’t understand it.

(It is very easy. I can understand it.)

It is so easy that I can understand it.

...SO MANY +COUNTABLE NOUN IN THE PLURAL +THAT...

...SO MUCH +UNCOUNTABLE NOUN +THAT...
He ate so many sandwiches that he was sick.
He ate so much that he was sick
He drank so much whisky that he got drunk.

...SUCH +A COUNTABLE NOUN IN THE SINGULAR +THAT...

...SUCH + COUNTABLE NOUN IN THE PLURAL +THAT...
They had such a terrible fight that they never spoke to each other
again.
They had such fights that they decided to get a divorce.
They produced such horrible wine that they could not sell one bottle.

…ADJECTIVE + ENOUGH + TO INFINITIVE

She is old enough to understand
We are not tall enough to reach the shelf

…ENOUGH + NOUN + TO INFINITIVE

He had enough money to buy everything he needed
There are not enough people in the town to make a new school
necessary

Remember you are training to become translators or interpreters, therefore,

you must be aware not only of the structures and grammar involved, but also,
and most importantly, of the MEANINGS involved.

Notice that:

“La habitación no tiene el tamaño para…”

should be translated as either of the alternatives below:

“The room is too small to…”

“The room is not big enough to…”
“The room is so small that…”