When Bad Grammar Happens to Good People

CHAPTER 6

Confused Connections

In this chapter we’ll look at words we use to link parts of sentences together, words such as “and” and “because.” They’re called connectors or conjunctions in the grammar trade, and most of them aren’t too hard to handle. You can use connectors such as “and” and “or” to establish a simple link, such as, I cleaned out the bathroom and threw out the trash this afternoon. Here “and” is just a time-saver: It allows you to list everything you did this afternoon without having to stop and say two different sentences. But other connectors such as “because” and “therefore” have a more excitingjob: They make a logical link between two thoughts: I deserve an extra slice of pie because I cleaned out the bathroom and threw ...