The Semantic Functions of Conjuncts
English conjuncts often have the following functions
- Listing (indicating that what follows is a list of propositions)
- To begin with, I have to tell you that I'm most displeased with your performance in the show. I also think you did a bad job painting the house. You're a lousy cook. You smell. Your hat is ... etc.
- Enumerative (indicating items on a list of propositions)
- First, we have to buy bread. Second, we need to take the car to the garage. Third, we have to call your dentist and make an appointment.
- Additive (indicating that the content of the sentence is in addition to the preceding one)
- He has no money. In addition, he has no means of getting any.
- Summative (summing up, or concluding, on the preceding sentence(s))
- A is B. A is C. To sum up, A is several things.
- Appositive (rephrasing the preceding sentence)
- The French love music. In other words, music is appreciated in France.
- Resultative/inferential (indicating that the content of the sentence is a result of the events expressed in the preceding sentence)
- Miss Gold lost her job. She, therefore, had no money.
- Antithetic (indicating that the content of the sentence is in contrast to the content of the preceding sentence)
- It is said that water flows up hill. On the contrary, it flows downhill
- Concessive (indicating that the content of the sentence "exists" despite the content in the preceding sentence)
- It is very cold. I went for my morning walk, however.
- Temporal (indicating temporal relation between the content of the sentence and the preceding sentence)
- I had lunch. Meanwhile, my wife had her hair cut.
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