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Playbook

Grammar — Discourse markers and connectors

20 q. Pick the right because/although/however/moreover/so. Same skill the Cloze chapter rewards — drill them together.

questions in the bank
20
tagged HARD
0%
subtopic(s) covered
1
worked examples
1

When you’ll see it

Pick the right connector (however / moreover / so / therefore / although / because) for the gap.

How this question type works

20 q. The same skill that Cloze rewards — both test 'which discourse-relation does this slot need?'. The Grammar version is sentence-scoped, the Cloze version is passage-scoped, but the toolkit is identical.

Top 8 connectors to master: however (contrast), moreover (addition), therefore (cause→effect), so (cause→effect, informal), although (contrast within sentence), because (effect→cause), nevertheless (concession), instead (substitution). These cover ~90% of the bank.

The trap is mistaking 'and' (mere addition) for 'therefore' (causal). Both link clauses, but the second-clause meaning differs. Read the second clause asking 'does this RESULT from the first, or just ADD to it?' to pick the right connector.

The sub-skills

The rules and habits that decide whether you get this question right.

  • Map each connector to a logic-relation

    however/but/yet/although = contrast. moreover/furthermore = addition. so/therefore/thus/hence = cause→effect. because/since/as = effect→cause.

  • Distinguish 'and' from 'therefore'

    'and' is neutral linking; 'therefore' adds causality. 'It rained, and we got wet' vs 'It rained, therefore we got wet' — only the second claims causation.

1 worked example from the bank

Real past-year questions tagged to this playbook. Click to reveal options + solution.

Example 1GrammarEASY
Directions : Given below are sentences that use discourse markers/expressions to make them complete. Identify the most appropriate discourse marker and mark your answer accordingly on the Answer Sheet.
I can't be bothered to tell him what I think; __________ he would not listen to me.

[Q26 · Sep · 2025]

Traps to expect

Distractor shapes specific to this playbook. The page-wide Traps section covers the bank-level patterns.

  • Polarity-flip connector

    Using 'however' where 'moreover' is needed (or vice versa). Always re-read the two clauses asking 'do they agree or disagree?'.

Drill every grammar — discourse markers and connectors question

20 questions from the bank, scoped to the named subtopic.

Drill the 20 questions

Related playbooks

Often paired with this one — drill these next if you found the worked examples above tractable.