Writing is an art. A talent that is linked not only to the content transmitted in the form of words, but to the way in which it is done. Part artistic, part mechanical, the act of writing is so rich that it involves different strategies and elements, such as the connectives.
The Portuguese language accompanies several linguistic tools that have been adapted to the places where it is used, originating in Portugal and expanding to its colonies, with emphasis on the largest one, Brazil.
Even with different accents and linguistic styles, the written language has always had a uniform structure, which was formalized by the Orthographic Agreement of 1990, carried out between Brazil and Portugal, in order to level the grammatical rules of the Portuguese language.
The adaptation period lasted until 2015, when countries started to adopt the same writing style.
Although there are still cultural differences between the use of language, as in the word surveillance camera – in Portugal referred to as chamber – the rules of grammar act in a common way, as in the necessary structure for a text.
The ingredients needed for a good text
A good text is made both for its content, as well as for the way in which its interior is presented to the public.
And the case is similar to that of a classic story, because as much as the romance and tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is known by most of the public, its constant contemporaneity is due to the way in which the tale is narrated.
Remaining current both for the update of the story, in some versions, but mainly for the way in which Shakespeare's novel is told, whether as a book, as a play or as a film. Or even as a podcast, using the latest technologies.
It's the same with certain jokes and humor chronicles, where the comic appeal is conquered more by the way in which the anecdote is told, than its content, which can use popular contexts or specific cases, such as noises coming from the exhaust ducts.
This is because the construction of humor, suspense or drama depends on several issues that go beyond the language required for each literary genre.
The construction of paragraphs, the interruption of the text by a sudden dialogue, indicating urgency are some examples, in which the sentences are organized in a way in which the tone of the story is presented to the reader along with the content related therein.
The connection between the points of the story is also important so that the tale does not lose rhythm, and flows clearly in the reader's head, without him getting confused in the story and having to go back two paragraphs to understand what is happening.
This type of organization, however, is not exclusive to fiction texts, as a newspaper article, a cake recipe or even an essay on the correct use of connectives needs a certain arrangement, so that information does not get loose .
One of these elements are the connectives, words whose function is to act as a bridge between the paragraphs made available in the text, thus serving as a connection component between the ideas present there.
This is the case of content focused on the need for repair elements for industrial machines, such as connecting parts and sinks, responsible for controlling the energy discharge between the parts of this instrument.
This article needs to talk about the parts, the importance and function of each one and how an environment with a lot of salt air can suffer from further deterioration in its electronic devices.
By joining these different topics in the same text, dealing with the industrial sector and the climate of an environment, the author needs to know how to link these issues so that the reader does not feel confused about such topics, recognizing their connection.
One of the elements necessary for this fluid reading process to occur, in which the content is understood in a simple and effective way, is through the aforementioned connectives.
These connectives are organized in different groups, for an easy understanding of the action of each one, and how they work within a text.
The main types of connectives
Connectives are found in a diverse number of groups, bringing different possibilities of connection to the ideas presented in a text, and to how its paragraphs were organized.
These are terms responsible for controlling the meaning of their textual content, acting as a flow counter installed at the entrance of a store. With the difference that its action is not just of control, but of relocation, not of people, but of ideas.
After all this exposition on the importance of connectives for a good text, it is time to continue this composition, connecting the presentation on connectives to the deepening of its most known aspects.
Relevant Connectors
Relevance connectives have the function of highlighting an element, idea or event that deserves the reader's attention, as an important factor to understand the content that will follow.
Some examples are:
- First;
- Before everything;
- In principle;
- First of all.
These connectives are often used at the beginning of the sentence, as in a paragraph about the need for a home automation for a modern home, which first needs to explain how this service works.
time connectives
This type of connective is related to the successive relationship between episodes, events and ideas, exploring issues such as frequency, duration and order of these events.
- Soon;
- Anyway;
- Sometimes;
- Immediately.
These are essential terms when thinking about a narrative text, in which the order of events is important for its understanding, unless it is a deliberately disconnected work, like a mystery book.
Comparison Connectors
This connective indicates the relationship between different parts of the text, recalling previously presented ideas or comparing them. Some examples are:
- In the same way;
- This way too;
- Such as;
- Equally.
As in a paragraph that talks about the importance of a level sensor for your factory, as well as a tuning piece for the engine of your machines.
Addition Connectors
The addition or addition connectives have the function of adding information to the text, bringing some data or curiosity about the topic or statement discussed above.
Among these connectives, the following stand out:
- Furthermore;
- Also;
- But also;
- As well as.
In a sentence, its application is found in an example such as: “Maria studies in the morning and practices sports in the afternoon, from Monday to Friday. In addition, the young woman participates in a theater club on Saturdays”.
Doubt Connectors
Doubt or probability connectives do the job of reporting an uncertainty or insecurity about some specific activity or action.
Some of these connectives are:
- Perhaps;
- Possibly;
- Perhaps
- Probably.
In addition to being the dialogue companions of a shy or insecure person, these connectives can be used in situations that deal with something right. Example: Maybe I'll go to the party tomorrow.
Connectives for sure
On the other hand, certainty connectives deal with a conviction about an activity or idea, in addition to wanting to emphasize some kind of concept.
- Certainly;
- For sure;
- No doubt.
It is the type of connector that a client wants to hear about a service being performed, indicating the professional's confidence in what should be done to solve their problem. As a mechanic, when informing you that your car certainly needs a inductive loop.
Surprise Connectors
These terms symbolize an element of surprise or unpredictability about the events narrated in a story.
- Suddenly;
- Surprisingly;
- Suddenly;
- Unexpectedly.
They are common in fictional narratives, which need a turn in the story to build their climax.
Completion Connectors
To conclude the list of the most common connectives, it is time to talk about the terms of completion. They are intended to summarize the ideas presented in the text, such as:
- Therefore;
- In this way;
- Soon;
- Because.
However, these are not the only types of connection, as in the term that opens this sentence, being a connective of contrast or opposition.
Other types of common connectives are: Cause and consequence (therefore, such that), Place (there, there), Purpose (so that, for the purpose of), Condition (if any), among others available in the Portuguese language.
Why use connectives in my texts?
As it should have become clear over the course of this text, the function of connectives is precisely to help the understanding of a text, with its content being presented in a simplified and practical way for the reader.
Connectives help make this written content more palatable to the audience, which is of great importance. Especially when talking about a text with more elaborate or technical content, such as a dissertation in the health area.
These connecting elements are intended to connect one idea to the next presented, as well as someone searching the internet for "price roll-up door” and ends up being taken to a website that works with the sale of these products.
Therefore, just as links connect the user between different sites and content, connectives play a similar role in the construction of text.
This text was originally developed by the blog team Investment Guide, where you can find hundreds of informative content on different segments.
