ABSTRACT
Connectives are a type of conjunction (see Section 10.2); their function is to connect clauses and indicate the logico-semantic relations between clauses within complex sentences.
Connectives typically appear in complex sentences. At least they can be added to the clauses to explicate logico-semantic relations between clauses. Clauses are responsible for the propositional content, while connectives indicate the interrelationship between them. For this reason, connectives indicate the patterns of complex sentences. For example,
‘Although Meng Xia has had a physical examination, she still cannot make the fi nal decision. Since there are discrepancies, more investigations are needed. If the results are true, the previous decision can be changed’.
