Difference between transitional adverbs and conjunctions

Besides transitional adverbs, conjunctions and prepositions are used to indicate the rhetorical structure of a piece of writing. The grammatical properties of conjunctions and prepositions are different from those of transitional adverbs. Although transitional adverbs indicate relationships between sentences and paragraphs, they do not connect them grammatically.

In other words, transitional adverbs are not required grammatically. Even if you remove them, there would be no ungrammaticality. Of course, some meaning would be lost and the reader will have to infer some of the ideas.

Read the following pairs of sentences.

Now consider removing the transitional adverb 'therefore'.

The sentence still makes sense, doesn't it?

Conjunctions, on the other hand, are used to join words or clauses together. They become a part of the sentence and cannot be removed without causing ungrammaticality.

The various subordinate conjunctions that form adverb clauses are listed below.

When, while, since, as, once

The conjunctions when, while, since, as and once are used to introduce adverb clauses of time.

Where

Where is used to introduce adverb clauses of place.

Because and since

The conjunctions because and since are used to introduce adverb clauses of reason or cause.

While, even though, though

These conjunctions are used to introduce adverb clauses showing contrast or concession.

Just as, like, in that

The conjunctions just as and like are used to show similarity.

Note that this use of like as a conjunction is not considered correct in formal or academic English. Instead, structures with as are used.

In that is used to give an explanation.

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