what is it?
Discourse connectors are words and short phrases that link clauses and sentences, signalling the logical relationship between them — contrast, consequence, cause, or concession. This page covers five connectors that appear frequently at B1: the adversative sin embargo (however); the resumptive connectors o sea que and así (es) que (so / in other words); fronted causal como (since / as); the causal structure por + infinitivo (because of doing / for doing); and concessive aunque + indicative (even though, for a known fact). Each connector imposes specific word-order or mood requirements that distinguish it from its near-synonyms.
when to use it
sin embargo — use it to introduce a clause that contradicts or limits what was just said. It is the direct equivalent of English «however» and sits at the start of the second clause, followed by a comma.
o sea que / así (es) que — use these to draw a conclusion or restate a consequence from what was just said. They correspond to «so» or «in other words» in English. Both introduce the result clause, not the cause.
causal como — use it when the cause is already known to both speaker and listener, equivalent to «since» or «as» (not «because»). It must appear at the front of the sentence, before the main clause. It takes the indicative.
por + infinitivo — use it to express the reason for an action when the subject of both verbs is the same. The infinitive refers to an action (or its avoidance) that motivated the main verb.
aunque + indicative — use the indicative after aunque when the conceded fact is real and known at the moment of speaking (equivalent to «even though»). Reserve the subjunctive for hypothetical or unknown concessions («even if»).
formation
The table below shows the structural pattern for each connector. «Clause A» is the first proposition; «Clause B» is the one introduced by the connector.
| connector | position | mood / form after connector | pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| sin embargo | start of Clause B | indicative | Clause A; sin embargo, Clause B. |
| o sea que / así (es) que | start of Clause B | indicative | Clause A; o sea que / así que, Clause B. |
| causal como | start of sentence (before Clause A) | indicative | Como + Clause B, Clause A. |
| por + infinitivo | inside Clause A | infinitive (no conjugation) | Subject + verb + por + infinitivo… |
| aunque + indicative | start of concessive clause | indicative (known fact) | Aunque + Clause B (indicative), Clause A. |
With causal como, a comma after the subordinate clause is standard and helps the reader identify the boundary with the main clause. With sin embargo, a semicolon before and a comma after are the most common punctuation pattern in writing, though a full stop before is also acceptable.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Causal como must be fronted. Placing it after the main clause produces an ungrammatical or misleading sentence. *Empecé a cenar como no venías is wrong; the correct order is Como no venías, empecé a cenar sin ti. When the causal clause follows the main clause, use porque instead.
aunque + indicative vs. subjunctive. When the conceded fact is real and present, use the indicative: aunque llueve, salimos. Using the subjunctive here — *aunque llueva, salimos — shifts the meaning to a hypothetical («even if it rains») and is incorrect when the rain is already happening.
o sea que is not porque. O sea que and así que introduce the consequence (the result), not the cause. Confusing them reverses the logic: No tengo dinero, o sea que no puedo ir (correct) vs. *No puedo ir, o sea que no tengo dinero (wrong — this claims the inability to go is the cause of having no money). Use porque when you want to state the cause after the consequence.
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
El árbitro expulsó al jugador del partido por ___ las reglas repetidamente. (romper)
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.