Share this page

Close

THIS EMPTY H2 IS TO CORRECT AN ERROR FOR THE H3 IN THE POPUP WINDOW

Share this page

If you wish to recommend or share this page by e-mail*, social bookmarking or social networking, click on the icon of your choice:

E-mail

AOL Mail

Gmail

Hotmail

Yahoo! Mail

Blogger

Google Buzz

Twitter

Bebo

Facebook

LinkedIn

MySpace

Delicious

Digg

Diigo

Google Bookmarks

Reddit

Access to the proposed sites is free, but you must have a user account. Access to these sites may vary depending on your browser (for example, Internet Explorer 6 does not support all the sites). You must make sure that your browser is up to date. In addition, depending on which sharing method you have chosen, some characters (accented letters, apostrophes or other symbols) in the title of the page you are recommending may be displayed incorrectly or missing. You will need to make these corrections yourself before recommending the page to your contacts.

*No e-mail or personal information will be retained. For more information on privacy policies and practices that apply to the Language Portal of Canada, see the Government of Canada Privacy Statement.

Social bookmarking

Social bookmarking allows you to save your favourite links on the Internet through social bookmarking sites such as Google Bookmarks or Reddit. These sites offer many advantages. You can:

• access your favourite links from any computer or mobile device connected to the Internet;
• search your favourite links easily using the keywords (commonly called "tags") you assign to each link;
• share your favourite links with an Internet community;
• discover the favourite links of other Web users who share your interests.

Social bookmarking sites are usually free, but you must subscribe to use them. Social bookmarking is also known as collaborative tagging, social classification and social indexing.

Social networking

Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Linkedln, are Internet platforms that allow you to interact online and create interconnected Web communities. You can create personal profiles, establish lists of users with whom you have a common connection or establish new relationships.

To exchange ideas with other members, you can post messages to your personal page, send e-mails and instant messages or share files.

Comments

Please do not hesitate to contact us at noslangues.ourlanguages@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca if you have any comments or suggestions about this feature.

Close

Parts of Speech: Conjunctive Adverbs

We think of adverbs as modifiers, but conjunctive adverbs are a special breed. Their function is not to modify, but to connect.

How do we use conjunctive adverbs?

We place conjunctive adverbs between sentences to create a smooth connection between ideas. Conjunctive adverbs help a reader to see the logical relationship between one sentence and another.

What kinds of relationships do conjunctive adverbs show?

Below are a few of the most common conjunctive adverbs, grouped according to the relationships they show:

• Addition: also, besides, furthermore, likewise, moreover, similarly
• Contrast: however, instead, rather, still, yet
• Emphasis: certainly, indeed, surely, truly
• Result: accordingly, consequently, otherwise, therefore
• Sequence: first, second, third; afterward, finally, lastly, later, next, then

For example, when you want to connect two opposite ideas, you can use a conjunctive adverb that shows contrast:

• Debra was sure she had hidden her jewelry in a safe place. Still, thieves broke in and stole it during the night.

When you want to show a cause-effect connection, you can use a conjunctive adverb showing result:

• March was unusually warm, with temperatures in the teens; therefore, the snow was entirely gone by month's end.

What punctuation should I use with a conjunctive adverb?

Depending on where you place the conjunctive adverb in the sentence, you can choose one of the following punctuation patterns:

At the beginning of a clause, period or semicolon before the adverb, comma after it:

• My daughter's ringette team won the game. Afterward, the girls celebrated with pizza and ice cream.
• You'd better fill up the tank; otherwise, we might run out of gas.

In the middle of a clause, comma before and after the adverb:

• The porch was beginning to sag. The paint, moreover, was flaking.

At the end of a clause, comma before the adverb, period after it:

• Critics gave the film consistently poor reviews; movie-goers loved it, however.

Note: There are some exceptions to these punctuation rules. Commas are not always necessary when a conjunctive adverb is in the middle of a clause; let your ear guide you:

Omit commas if the adverb fits smoothly into the sentence:

• It soon became too dark to go on. Jeff therefore beached the canoe and set up camp for the night.

Use commas if the adverb interrupts the flow of the sentence:

• It soon became too dark to go on. Jeff beached the canoe, therefore, and set up camp for the night.

What error do I need to avoid when using conjunctive adverbs?

The most common error that occurs with conjunctive adverbs is a punctuation error called a comma splice (a kind of run-on). This error occurs when the writer joins two sentences with a comma and a conjunctive adverb.

• Run-ons: The game was almost lost, however our team scored a goal.
     The game was almost lost, however, our team scored a goal.

Remember, a conjunctive adverb is not a conjunction. An adverb creates a weaker connection, and it must have a semicolon before it when it is connecting two sentences.

• Correct: The game was almost lost; however, our team scored a goal.