2.4. Connectors: Addition Markers

Connectors create coherence in a paragraph making words, phrases, and sentences logically interweave among each other. If sentences are unified, they will have a logical order and they will be easy for listeners and readers to grasp meanings.There are different kinds of connectors.Some of the connectors are contrasts; others show cause and effect, and still others indicate addition. There are also connectors that show comparison, time order, examples, generalization, summary, etc. Connectors serve as transition words and connect ideas of a sentence to another and even paragraphs. In this Unit you will learn about addition and time order connectors. The addition connectors (markers) include and, also, besides, further, furthermore, too, moreover, in addition, then, of equal importance, equally important, and another; while the time order (sequence) connectors include words like at first, eventually, finally, first, firstly, in the end, in the first place, in the second place, lastly, later, next, second, secondly, to begin with. Which one (s) of these are you familiar with?

How are and, also, besides, further, furthermore, too, moreover, etc.

used in sentences?

Examples

1. Reading books helps to learn new information; furthermore, it helps one to keep his or her brain fresh.
2. A: We went a lot of sightseeing at Bahir Dar. B: We also went shopping.

Activity 2.4.2. Fill in the blank Spaces with the Appropriate Words.

Yesterday, it was my birthday and it didn’t start well. I went to the park to meet my friends, but they weren’t there. I decided to look for them. 1.               , I went to the shopping centre opposite the park, but they weren’t there. 2.               , I looked for them at the library, but they weren’t there. 3.                                        , I tried the sports centre and the restaurant near the park, but my friends weren’t there. 4.         , I went home, and my friends there 5.            with a birthday cake, ice cream, music and games. It was a surprise party for me! In the end, I got a great birthday

2.4.3.Adverbs of frequency

Do you know words like always, often, usually, sometimes, rarely, etc.? People usually use them in their speaking and writing. You need to lean them very well because you will use them when you speak and write in English. We hope you remember that we mentioned the ‘adverbs of frequency’ that they will be used with simple present tenses in indicating habitual actions.

Dialogue 1

Tesfaye: What kind of person are you?

Shemsu: Well, I’m friendly and outgoing, and I’m usually very happy. I don’t often complain, and I never shout or get really angry. How about you?

Tesfaye: I’m friendly too, and I’m a little shy.

Shemsu:   I’m always happy, but sometimes I’m very busy. I always try to have a happy face.

Tesfaye: Me too!

Dialogue 2

Tinsae:   What are some customs in your country, Ethiopia?

Kassahun: We always bow to people we meet, and we never joke about people’s names.

Tinsae:       That’s good. Here we never ask about people’s salary, it’s rude. Also we usually aren’t late for meetings.

Kassahun: That’s good too!

The words always, usually, often, occasionally, seldom, sometimes, rarely and never which are written in bold in the dialogues above are called ‘frequency adverbs’. They describe how often an action happens.

Examples

1. Helen always goes out on Sundays.
2. Aster usually drives into the city centre with her brother.
3. Beyene and Dawit often go for lunch together.

2.4.4.Simple Past and Past Continuous Tense

See the forms of words those written in bold forms

It was just before midnight on October 31st last year. Susan Lee was driving home after visiting her sister. The road was clear and she was driving carefully. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a young man stepped out in front of her. He was wearing a dark coloured raincoat and carrying a backpack. Susan stepped hard on the brake pedal but it was too late. She got out of the car but, to her surprise, there was nobody there. While she was looking under the car, she felt a cold wind on her face and a strange presence that sent shivers down her spine. She was still looking under her car when a lorry behind her. The lorry driver, a middle-aged man, walked up to her and asked her if she needed help to start her car so she told him what had happened. He seems surprised when Susan told him about and the young man In 1978 there was a car accident in this road a hitchhiker was fatally run over. You’re not the first to have seen his ghost here, he said in a mysterious tone.

The verbs in bold are written either in simple past or past continuous tenses. The simple past verbs are:

Simple Past Verb	Origin Verbs	Simple Past Verb	Origin Verbs
steeped	step	stopped	stop
got	get	walked	walk
was	is,am,	said	say
sent	send	didn’t	did

A. The Simple Past Tense

The simple past tense shows an action which was completed in the past. Examples are given to you in the box below which indicate the positive, negative and question forms of the verbs in simple past tense.

Examples

Positive

1. I woke up early in the morning.
2. Silenat played volleyball when she was in a high school.
3. My sister invited me a cup of coffee yesterday

Question

1. Did (Didn’t) I wake up early in the morning?
2. Did (Didn’t) Silenat play volleyball when she was in a high school?
3. Did (Didn’t) my sister invite me a cup of coffee yesterday?

Below, we have given you the simple past forms of few verbs. As you see, some of them, add –d or –ed (travelled, turned), while others have different forms (broke, knew). Those verbs that add

–d or –ed are called regular verbs, while the others are called irregular verbs.

1. cry	cried	8. chat	chatted
2. travel	travelled	9. turn	turned
3. send	sent	10. cut	cut
4. enjoy	enjoyed	11. try	tried
5. stop	stopped	12. know	knew
6. break	broke	13. say	said
7. fall	fell	14. happen	happened

Regular Verbs and Irregular Verbs

Regular Verbs

Definition: Regular verbs are verbs that form their past tense and past participle by adding the suffix “-ed” (or just “-d” if the verb already ends in “e”) to the base form of the verb. This is the most common pattern in English and is often taught as the default rule for verb conjugation.

Detailed Explanation: Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern when conjugating into the past tense. This consistency makes them easier to learn and use. The rule is simple: for most verbs, you just add “-ed” to the base form to get the past tense and the past participle. For verbs that end in “e,” you only add “-d.”

For verbs that end in a consonant + “y,” the “y” is changed to “i” before adding “-ed.” For example, “carry” becomes “carried.”

Examples:

1. Walk (base form)
   • Past tense: Walked
   • Past participle: Walked
2. Play (base form)
   • Past tense: Played
   • Past participle: Played
3. Bake (base form)
   • Past tense: Baked
   • Past participle: Baked
4. Cry (base form)
   • Past tense: Cried
   • Past participle: Cried

Irregular Verbs

Definition: Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the standard rule of adding “-ed” to form the past tense and past participle. Instead, these verbs undergo changes that may involve alterations in vowels, consonants, or other parts of the verb. Because there is no consistent pattern, irregular verbs must be memorized.

Detailed Explanation: Irregular verbs can have completely different forms for their base, past, and past participle forms. Some irregular verbs have similar past and past participle forms, while others are entirely different. The changes can involve vowel shifts, consonant changes, or even the entire word being altered. The irregularities often date back to older forms of English and other Germanic languages from which English evolved.

Examples:

1. Go (base form)
   • Past tense: Went
   • Past participle: Gone
2. Eat (base form)
   • Past tense: Ate
   • Past participle: Eaten
3. See (base form)
   • Past tense: Saw
   • Past participle: Seen
4. Begin (base form)
   • Past tense: Began
   • Past participle: Begun

Summary

• Regular Verbs: Follow a consistent pattern by adding “-ed” or “-d” to the base form. Examples include “walked,” “played,” and “baked.”
• Irregular Verbs: Do not follow the “-ed” pattern and must be memorized as they have unique forms. Examples include “went” (from “go”), “ate” (from “eat”), and “saw” (from “see”).

Understanding the difference between regular and irregular verbs is crucial for mastering English verb conjugation and ensuring correct usage in both spoken and written forms