Learning English

Joining things up

When we write or speak we can use linking words and phrases to connect sentences and ideas and make clear the order in which something happens.

The simplest way we do this is with the word and.

Compare these two paragraphs.

I got up. I had a shower.

I got up and had a shower.

Both are correct but the second is more natural and easier to read. Two short sentences have been joined together to make a longer one. As the subject of each sentence is the same (I) we don't have to repeat the personal pronoun. 

And is not the only link

Although using and can be better than having two short sentences, we don't want to use it too much. 

I got up and had a shower and got dressed and had breakfast and left for work.

Again, this sentence is grammatically correct but it's not good English. Too many ands. In a case like this there are a number of different linking words we can use to describe this sequence of events.

I got up then had a shower. After that I got dressed before having breakast and leaving for work.

This is a better sentence as it uses a variety of linking words and phrases. Note that in this sentence after the preposition before we can use the gerund (ing) form of the verb. 

Read the text and complete the activity

First to last

Here are some linking words and phrases that can be used to talk about the order that something happens.

To start:

To begin with, first, at first, to start with

To continue:

Next, then, afterwards, after that/this, later, and

At the same time:

While, as, during, at that moment, 

To finish:

Finally, lastly, in the end

To do

In the quiz you will need to use the best linking word to complete the sentences. The sentences are based on the events of this paragraph.

The holiday

"Before we left for our holiday there was a lot to do. We had packed the night before to save time in the morning. The alarm was set for 6 o'clock but I got up at 5.30, showered, had breakfast and loaded the car. At 8.00 we dropped the dog off at the kennel. We drove to the garage. I checked the tyre pressures, at the same time my wife filled the tank with petrol. I paid for the petrol and bought some snacks for the journey. We started on our journey at 9.00 and arrived at our holiday cottage 12 hours later."