CHAPTER 3

Coordinate Connectors & Adverb Clause

Connectors Reading : References and Vocabularies

A. STRUCTURE

I. COORDINATE CONNECTORS

Many sentences in English have more than one clause. A clause is a group of words containing a
subject and a verb. When you have two clauses in an English sentence, you must connect the two
clauses correctly. One way to connect two clauses is to use and, but, or, or, so between the clauses.

EXAMPLES:

1. The sun was shining, and the sky was blue.

2. The sky was blue, but it was very cold.
3. It may rain tonight, or it may be clear.
4. It was raining outside, so I took my umbrella.

In each of these examples, there are two clauses that are correctly joined with a
coordinate connector ‘and, but, or, or, so’ and a comma (,).

The following example shows how this sentence pattern could be tested in structure
questions on the TOEFL test.

5. I forgot my coat, I got very cold.

(A) then (B) so (C) later (D) as a result

In this example you should notice quickly that there are two clauses, I forgot my coat and I got
very cold. This sentence needs a connector to join the two clauses. Then, later, and as a result are
not connectors, so answers (A), (C), and (D) are not correct. The best answer is answer (B)
because so can connect two clauses in this manner.

The following chart lists the coordinate connectors and the sentence pattern used with them .

COORDINATE CONNECTORS

and, but, or, so

S V, Coordinate S V
connector

It was raining, but Bill went out to play

16
PRACTICE 1

Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause. Underline the subjects once and the
verbs twice. Circle the connectors. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. C The lawn needs water every day, or it will turn brown.

2. The book was not long, but it difficult to read.
3. It was raining, so decided not to go camping.
4. The material has been cut, and the pieces have been sewn together.
5. The patient took all the medicine, he did not feel much better.
6. The bill must be paid immediately, or the electricity will turned off.
7. The furnace broke so the house got quite cold.
8. The dress did not cost too much, but the quality it seemed excellent.
9. The leaves kept falling off the trees, arid the boys kept raking them up, but
the yard was still covered.
10. The postman has already delivered the mail, so the letter is not going to
arrive today, it probably will arrive tomorrow.

II. ADVERB CLAUSE CONNECTORS

Sentences with adverb clauses have two basic patterns in English. Study the clauses and
connectors in the following sentences:

- He is tired because he has been working hard.

- Because he has been working hard, he is tired

In each of these examples, there are two clauses:

1. he is tired
2. he has been working hard.

The clause he has been working hard is an adverb clause that is introduced with the connector
because. In the first example , the connector ‘because’ comes in the middle of the sentence, and
no comma (,) is used. In the second example, the connector ‘because’ comes at the beginning of
the sentence. In this pattern, when the connector comes at the beginning of the sentence, a com-
ma (,) is required in the middle of the sentence.

Example:

arrived at the library, he started to work immediately.

(A) The student

(B) When
(C) He
(D) After the student

17
In this example you should recognize easily that the verb ‘arrived’ needs a subject. There is an-
other clause, he started to work immediately. If you choose an answer (A) or answer (C), have a
subject for the verb ‘arrived’, but you will not have a connector to join the two clauses. Because
you need a connector to join two clauses, answers (A) and (C) are incorrect. Answer (B) is incor-
rect because there is no subject for the verb ‘arrived’. Answer (D) is the best answer because there
is a subject, student, for the verb ‘arrived’ and there is a connector ‘after’, to join the two clauses.

The following chart lists common adverb connectors and the sentence patterns used with them.

ADVERB CLAUSE CONNECTORS

TIME CAUSE CONDITION CONTRAST

after, as, before, because, since if, whether even though,

since, until, though, while
when,while
S V Adverb S V
Connector

Matt felt good because he passed.

Adverb
S V comma S V
Connector
Because he passed , Matt felt good.

PRACTICE 2
Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause. Underline the subjects once and the
verbs twice. Circle the connectors. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. CAfter the plane circled the airport, it landed on the main runway
2. IThe registration process took many hours since the lines so long.
3. This type of medicine can be helpful, it can also have some bad side effects.
4. The waves were amazingly high when the storm hit the coastal town.
5. We need to get a new car whether is on sale or not.
6. Just as the bread came out of the oven, while a wonderful aroma filled the kitchen.
7. Everyone has spent time unpacking boxes since the family moved into the
new house.
8. Although the area is a desert many plants bloom there in the springtime.
9. The drivers on the freeway drove slowly and carefully while the rain was
fallingheavily because they did not want to have an accident.
10. If you plan carefully before you take a trip, will have a much better time because
the small details will not cause problems.

18
The following example shows how this sentence pattern could be tested in structure
questions on the TOEFL Tests

PRACTICE 3
Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best complete the sentence.

1. A spacecraft is freed from friction launched into space.

A. it B. it is C. after is D. after it is

2. with their surroundings, or they hide in crevices for protection.

A. Lobsters B. Lobsters blend
C. Lobsters blending D. Because lobsters blend

3. a ball-and-socket joint, the elbow is a simple hinge joint.

A. While the shoulder B. While the shoulder is
C. The shoulder is D. The shoulder

4. A car has several sections with moving parts, of those parts is essential.
A. good lubrication B. well lubricated
C. and good lubrication D. and well lubricated

5. Bears cannot see well small eyes.

A. bears have B. because having
C. because they have D. because of bears

6. at the Isthmus of Panama, so animals were able to migrate between North and South
America.
A. A land bridge existed B. a land bridge existed
C. A land bridge D. With a land bridge

7. mostly made of granite, it also contains some human-made materials.

A. The Empire State Building B. The Empire State Building is
C. Although the Empire State Building is D. Although the Empire State Build-
ing is built

8. Pressure differences make the eardrum vibrate the ear.

A. enters the sound waves B. as sound waves
C. sound waves enter D. as sound waves enter

9. An optical microscope magnifies as much as 2,000 times, but art electron microscope
____ ______ as much as a million times.
A. magnifying B. it magnifies
C. can magnify D. magnify it

10. If scientific estimates are accurate, with the Earth about 20,000 years ago.
A. the Canon Diablo meteorite collided
B. the collision of the Canon Diablo meteorite
C. the Canon Diablo meteorite colliding
D. colliding the Canon Diablo meteorite

19
 B. READING FOR REFERENCE AND VOCABULARY

Reference questions ask what certain reference words, such as “they” or “this,” refer to. The in-
correct answers are other nouns that are mentioned in the passage. To answer a reference
question, substitute the four choices given to you for the reference word. The one that is the best
substitute for it is the correct answer.

QUESTIONS USUALLY APPEAR ON READING FOR DETAILS AND VOCABULARY

 The word ‘it/they’ in line refers to?
 What does “it/they” in line refer to?
 In line , the word “ ” could be best replaced with?

HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION

 When answering reference questions be aware that the noun closest to the reference
word may not always be the correct answer. 
 Reference words may refer to a noun or to a noun phrase made up of several words. 
 If you do not know which of the four choices is the correct answer to a reference
question, substitute the choices for the reference word. 
 If you are unable to answer a vocabulary-in-context question, try to guess the
meaning from the context by looking for clues.
 Sometimes the meaning of the word is given near the word in the form of a
synonym or paraphrase.
 Sometimes clues are not given but are implied. You can guess the meaning after you
have read the whole passage.
 The answer choices for the vocabulary-in-context questions may appear correct
because they share the literal meaning of the word, but not the meaning as used in the
passage. Look for the meaning as it is used in the passage.

Example:

The Passage

Although “lie detectors” are being used by governments, police departments, and busi-
nesses that all want guaranteed ways of detecting the truth, the results are not always
accurate. Lie detectors are properly called emotion detectors, for their aim is to meas-ure
bodily changes that contradict what a person says. The polygraph machine records
5 changes in heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and the electrical activity of the skin
(galvanic skin response, or GSR). In the first part of the polygraph test, you are elec-
tronically connected to the machine and asked a few neutral questions (“What is your
name?” “Where do you live?”). Your physical reactions serve as the standard
(baseline) for neutral questions (“What is your name?” “Where do you live?”). Your
physical reactions serve as the standard (baseline) for evaluating what comes next.
10 Then you are asked a few critical questions among the neutral ones (“When did you
rob the bank?”). The assumption is that if you are guilty, your body will reveal the
truth, even if you try to deny it. Your heart rate, respiration, and GSR will change ab-
ruptly as you respond to the incriminating questions.

The question

1. In line 11, the word “ones” refers to

A. reactions B. evaluations C. questions D. standards

DISCUSSION
The best answer is (C); in the context of the passage, “ones” replaces the word “questions.”

20
2. The word “it” in line 13 refers to
A. the question B. the assumption C. the truth D. your body

DISCUSSION
The best answer is (C); it refers to the truth.

3. In line 9, the word “assumption” could be best replaced with

A. statement B. belief C. faith D. imagining

DISCUSSION
The best answer is (B); Answer (A) is not correct because if it were a statement we do not know
who made it. The three other choices are synonyms for “assumption” but in the context of the
passage only the word “belief” can be logically used.

PRACTICE 4

George Lucas’s Star Wars changed the direction of American film with some of the
most ingenious special effects contrived for movies of its time. Twenty-two months
were spent on the special effects, including the six months needed to design the
equipment and the more than 1,000 story boards for the effects sequences.
5 A special computerized camera, called a Dykstraflex, was designed to give the illu-sion
of real screen movement. This system, controlled by the camera operator, ena-bled
him or her to pan, tilt, and track around the model, always keeping it in focus.
The breakthrough was the camera’s ability to repeat the identical movements from
shot to shot; thus the effects sequences could be built like a music track; layer upon
layer. The illusion was complete: none of the spaceships in Star Wars ever moved
10 only the cameradid.

The star-field backdrop in space was made by punching holes inblack plexiglass.
More than 75 models were constructed, with astonishing detail work. On the rebel
blockade runner artists built a tiny cockpit, all done to scale. The miniaturized la-ser
canons werefully motorized to swivel and tilt by remote control. The light sabers
15 were four-sided blades coated with reflective aluminum, attached to a small motor. When
rotated, they created a flashing light later enhanced by animation.

1. The word “some” in line 1 refers to

A. American film B. direction C. movies D. special effects

2. In line 2, the word “contrived” could be best replaced with which of the following?
A. Discovered B. Created C. Performed D. Utilized

3. In line 6, “this system” refers to

A. the creation of an illusion B. screen movement
C. panninggrid tilting around a model D. a special computerized camera

4. The word “it” in line 7 refers to the

A. Model B. camera C. focus D. system

5. The word “they” in line 17 refers to the

A.miniaturized laser cannons B. artists
C. four-sided blades D. severity-five models

21