We explain what temporary connectors are, their types, characteristics and examples. Also, other types of connectors.
What are temporary connectors?
It is called temporary connectors to a certain type of discursive connectors or textual markers, that is, of the linguistic units that allow linking two parts of a text, thus providing logical cohesion.
These connectors are essential to achieve a fluid and understandable text, and can be classified into various types, depending on the meaning they introduce to the text. In this way, connectors work in a similar way to sentence links, but instead of linking parts of a sentence, link parts of a text.
Now, temporary connectors differ from the rest of the connectors in that, as their name indicates, their appearance always introduce a temporal, chronological sense, in the text. That is, they indicate that something happens before something else, or after, or simultaneously, or even make it clear to the reader at what point in history it happened, if necessary.
In that way, temporary connectors are subclassified into three types:
- In advance, that is, they establish that something happened before something else. For example: previously, before, there was a time, initially, long ago, previously, first, and so on.
- Of simultaneity, that is, they establish that something happens at the same time as something else, that is, in parallel. For example: at the same time, simultaneously, alongside it, parallel, currently, at the same time, at the same time, was then when, and so on.
- Afterwards, that is, they establish that something happens after or after something else. For example: later, later, then, later, later, over time, finally, and so on.
Examples of temporary connectors
As an example, the following are sentences that use temporary connectors:
- British Airways Flight 590 took off from Glasgow at 9pm. Simultaneously, your destination airport was shut down due to a storm.
- Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928. A compound that, subsequently, it would save millions of lives.
- The vote in this country has not always been universal and secret. Formerly it was reserved for older white men.
- The experiments were repeated without success throughout the 1960s. Finally, the funds that allowed it were withdrawn.
- The company completed the liquidation of its shares yesterday, something that long ago it was intended as a malicious rumor.
- Vaccination efforts continue in Europe, at par of the high rates of contagion of the disease.
Other types of connectors
In addition to the comparative ones, there are other types of connectors, such as:
- Additive or summing connectors. Those who incorporate or add ideas, in the manner of an enumeration or a recount. For example: also, also, now well, in addition, etc.
- Contrast or adversative connectors. Those that establish an oppositional relationship between the linked ideas, in such a way that the new elements are opposed to the previous ones in the text. For example: although, however, nevertheless, in contrast to, on the other hand, etc.
- Cause-effect connectors. Those that establish a causal relationship, that is, of origin, with respect to what is said in the text. For example: therefore, then, therefore, consequently, because, etc.
- Comparative connectors. Those that allow introducing a contrast or a comparison between two or more references or situations. For example: as well as, in the same way as, as opposed to, on the contrary, etc.
- Conclusive connectors. Those that allow a conclusion to be introduced, or to synthesize what has already been said, or to summarize the previous thing in some way. For example: in this way, in conclusion, summarizing, to finish, etc.
- Conditional connectors. Those that establish a conditional relationship, that is, of probability or possibility, with respect to the parts of the text. For example: if so, assuming, unless, as long as, etc.
- Explanatory connectors. Those that, when introduced into a text, allow us to introduce an example, or carry out a reiteration, clarification or some kind of explanatory turn. For example: that is, this is, for example, put another way, etc.
- Emphatic connectors. Those that serve to emphasize what has been said, that is, to highlight it or draw special attention to it. For example: certainly, without a doubt, as if that were not enough, what is worse, etc.