LIFE017 · Cause and Effect: Connectors That Build Arguments

🔗 Cause and Effect: Connectors That Think

Level: B2  |  Time: 5 min  |  Focus: Linking language — cause/effect, contrast, concession

📖 From Sourov’s world: I moved to Réunion because my wife is French and the island offered something the mainland didn’t. However, starting over in a new country means rebuilding from zero. As a result, the first year was the hardest — and the most instructive. Cause and effect: the grammar of how one thing leads to another. It’s how life works, and it’s how English explains life.

🔑 Linking Words

Function	Connectors	Example
Cause	because · since · as · due to	I left because I wanted a change.
Effect	so · therefore · as a result · consequently	As a result, my French improved rapidly.
Contrast	however · nevertheless · yet · while	It was hard. However, I stayed.
Concession	although · even though · despite · in spite of	Although I was exhausted, I continued.

💡 due to and despite are followed by a noun/noun phrase, not a clause:
“Due to the weather…” ✓   “Due to it rained…” ✗

✏️ Quick Activity

Choose the most appropriate connector:

1. She passed the exam _______ she studied for months. (because / however)
2. He was ill. _______, he came to work. (Consequently / Nevertheless)
3. _______ the rain, we enjoyed the trip. (Despite / Although)
4. The flight was delayed; _______, we missed the meeting. (as a result / even though)

👀 Show Answers

1. because   2. Nevertheless   3. Despite   4. as a result

⭐ Takeaway: “However” goes after a full stop or semicolon. “Although” goes at the start of a clause. Mixing these up is the single most common B2 writing error. Place them correctly and your writing immediately reads more sophisticated.