Basics of discourse markers. 45 questions on common connectors of addition, contrast, and cause/effect in straightforward paragraphs.
What this test covers
- Connectors of Addition
- Connectors of Contrast
- Connectors of Cause and Effect
Answer the 45 questions below. Each answer is checked straight away, with an explanation. Press Submit at the end to get your score and save it to your dashboard. Answers are not kept if you leave before submitting.
All 45 questions with answers
Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.
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Q1The apartment is located near the city center. ___, it is very quiet at night.
Answer: B. However
We use 'However' to start a new sentence when the second idea is different from what we expect. Even though the apartment is in the busy center, it is surprisingly quiet.
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Q2She enjoys swimming in the pool. She ___ likes cycling on the weekends.
Answer: D. also
Use 'also' to add more information. It usually goes before the main action word (like 'also likes' or 'also plays').
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Q3The plane tickets were expensive. ___, we decided to book them anyway.
Answer: C. However
'However' is used at the start of a new sentence to show a contrast. It means that despite the high price, they still bought the tickets. 'Although' must connect two ideas in the same sentence; it cannot start a new, separate sentence like this.
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Q4The traffic was heavy. ___, I arrived late for the appointment.
Answer: D. Consequently
'Consequently' means 'as a result' or 'because of this.' It shows that the heavy traffic caused the person to be late.
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Q5The restaurant offers delicious pizza. ___, they have a wide selection of salads.
Answer: D. In addition
We use 'In addition' at the start of a sentence to add more information to a previous statement. It is like saying 'And also...'
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Q6The weather was terrible. ___ the rain, we went for a walk in the park.
Answer: A. Despite
Use 'Despite' before a noun or a thing (like 'the rain'). Words like 'Although' or 'Even though' must be followed by a full sentence with a verb, for example: 'Although it was raining...'
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Q7The film was very slow. It was ___ boring ___ I fell asleep halfway through.
Answer: B. so...that
We use 'so + adjective + that' to show a result. Here, the film was so boring that the result was the person falling asleep.
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Q8He is a talented athlete. He ___ plays tennis for the university team.
Answer: C. also
'Also' is placed before the main action word ('plays') to add another fact about someone.
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Q9The exam was difficult. ___, most students managed to pass it.
Answer: D. Nevertheless
'Nevertheless' is a formal way to say 'but' or 'however.' It shows that something happened even though there was a problem. 'Despite' does not work here because it must be followed by a noun, not a whole sentence.
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Q10The sun was shining. It was ___ a beautiful day ___ we decided to have a picnic.
Answer: A. such...that
We use 'such + a/an + adjective + noun + that' to show a result. Because we have the noun 'day,' we use 'such' instead of 'so.'
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Q11The app is free to download. ___, it is very easy to use.
Answer: A. Moreover
'Moreover' is a formal word used to add extra information. It is like saying 'And another good thing is...'
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Q12She studied very hard. ___ she was tired, she finished her homework before bed.
Answer: A. Although
Use 'Although' to join two opposite ideas in one sentence. It must be followed by a subject and a verb (like 'she was'). 'Despite' and 'In spite of' are followed by a noun or an '-ing' word.
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Q13The factory closed down unexpectedly. ___, many people lost their jobs.
Answer: B. As a result
'As a result' shows that the second sentence is the effect of the first sentence. The job losses happened because the factory closed.
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Q14The museum has a collection of ancient coins. ___, it houses rare paintings.
Answer: C. Besides
'Besides' is used at the beginning of a sentence to add more information. It means 'as well as that' or 'also.'
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Q15The new car is fast. ___, it consumes a lot of fuel.
Answer: B. On the other hand
We use 'On the other hand' to show a different or opposite side of a situation. Speed is a good thing, but using a lot of fuel is a bad thing.
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Q16The power went out last night. It happened ___ the storm.
Answer: A. because of
Use 'because of' before a noun (like 'the storm'). Words like 'because,' 'since,' and 'as' need a full sentence with a verb after them (for example: 'because there was a storm').
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Q17The students are well-prepared for the exam. ___, they have attended all the extra classes.
Answer: B. Furthermore
'Furthermore' is used to add more facts to support a previous statement. It usually starts a new sentence.
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Q18She is a talented musician. She plays the piano ___ the guitar.
Answer: B. as well as
'As well as' is used to join two things in one list, similar to 'and.' For example: 'I like coffee as well as tea.'
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Q19The movie was long. ___, it was very entertaining.
Answer: A. However
'However' is used at the start of a sentence to show a contrast. Even though the movie was long (which can be bad), it was entertaining (which is good).
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Q20The team practiced every day. ___, they won the championship.
Answer: C. Therefore
'Therefore' starts a new sentence to show the result of something. They won the championship because they practiced every day.
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Q21The hotel provides free breakfast. ___, it offers a complimentary shuttle service.
Answer: B. In addition
'In addition' is a formal way to add another piece of information or another service to a list.
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Q22We were stuck in traffic. ___ the heavy traffic, we arrived on time.
Answer: C. In spite of
'In spite of' is used before a noun (like 'the heavy traffic') to show that something happened even though there was a problem. 'Even though' and 'Although' need a subject and a verb.
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Q23The water was freezing. It was ___ cold ___ we couldn't swim.
Answer: A. so...that
Use 'so + adjective + that' to show a result. It was so cold that the result was no swimming.
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Q24He speaks Spanish. He ___ speaks Italian fluently.
Answer: B. also
'Also' usually goes before the main verb (like 'speaks') to add more information about a person.
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Q25The weather was cold. ___, we enjoyed our hike.
Answer: A. Nevertheless
'Nevertheless' means 'even so.' We use it at the start of a sentence to show that something happened despite a problem like cold weather.
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Q26There was a storm. There was ___ heavy rain ___ the match was cancelled.
Answer: B. such...that
Use 'such + (adjective) + noun + that' to show a result. Since 'heavy rain' ends with a noun ('rain'), we use 'such' instead of 'so.'
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Q27The course covers grammar. ___, it teaches writing skills.
Answer: B. Moreover
'Moreover' is used to add another piece of information to what has already been mentioned. It is common in formal English.
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Q28He had a cold. ___ he was sick, he went to work.
Answer: C. Even though
'Even though' connects two opposite ideas. It must be followed by a subject and a verb ('he was'). 'Despite' and 'In spite of' can only be followed by a noun.
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Q29The train was cancelled. ___, we took the bus.
Answer: A. Hence
'Hence' is a formal word that means 'for this reason' or 'therefore.' It shows the result of the previous sentence.
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Q30The hotel is modern. ___, it has a great pool.
Answer: B. Besides
'Besides' is used here to add one more positive feature about the hotel. It is like saying 'also' or 'moreover.'
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Q31The book is funny. ___, it has a sad ending.
Answer: C. On the other hand
'On the other hand' is used to show a different or opposite side of something. The first part of the book is funny, but the other side is sad.
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Q32The flight was delayed for hours. It happened ___ the bad weather.
Answer: A. due to
Use 'due to' before a noun (like 'the bad weather'). Words like 'as,' 'because,' and 'since' must be followed by a full sentence with a verb.
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Q33The laptop is expensive. ___, it is worth the price.
Answer: A. However
'However' is used at the start of a sentence to show that the next idea is different. Even though the price is high, the laptop is good enough to buy.
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Q34He is a great cook. He makes pasta ___ salads.
Answer: D. as well as
'As well as' is used to add another item to a sentence. It works like the word 'and.' For example: 'He makes pasta and salads.'
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Q35The job is demanding. ___, the pay is excellent.
Answer: D. However
'However' is used to contrast two ideas in separate sentences. The work is hard, but the money is good.
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Q36The team played exceptionally well. ___, they won the game.
Answer: C. As a result
'As a result' introduces the effect or consequence. They won because they played well.
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Q37The storm was severe. ___, the basement was flooded.
Answer: D. Therefore
'Therefore' is used to show the result of the previous sentence. The flooding was the result of the storm.
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Q38The doctor was busy. ___ the long wait, the doctor was very kind.
Answer: D. Despite
'Despite' is followed by a noun phrase (like 'the long wait'). 'Even though' and 'Although' require a subject and a verb (like 'the wait was long').
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Q39The coffee was boiling. It was ___ hot ___ I couldn't drink it.
Answer: A. so...that
We use 'so + adjective + that' to show a result. Here, the coffee was so hot that the result was not being able to drink it.
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Q40She likes jazz music. She ___ enjoys classical music.
Answer: C. also
'Also' is used to add information and is usually placed before the main action word ('enjoys').
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Q41The city is crowded. ___, it is very vibrant.
Answer: C. Nevertheless
'Nevertheless' means 'despite that.' It is used to show that something is true even though there is a negative point (like the city being crowded).
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Q42The alarm went off. It was ___ a loud noise ___ everyone woke up.
Answer: C. such...that
Use 'such + a + adjective + noun + that' to show a result. Because 'a loud noise' has a noun ('noise'), we use 'such' instead of 'so.'
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Q43The cafe serves coffee. ___, it offers fresh pastries.
Answer: D. Moreover
'Moreover' is a formal way to add more information at the start of a new sentence.
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Q44She had a busy schedule. ___ the busy schedule, she found time to exercise.
Answer: B. In spite of
'In spite of' is followed by a noun phrase (like 'the busy schedule'). 'Although' and 'Even though' need a subject and a verb (for example: 'Although she was busy').
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Q45The roads were closed all morning. This was ___ the heavy snow.
Answer: A. owing to
'Owing to' means 'because of.' We use it before a noun or a thing (like 'the heavy snow'). 'Because,' 'since,' and 'as' need a subject and a verb after them.
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