Advanced cohesion
Contrast, consequence, addition and qualification — and why the connectors within each group are not swappable.
By B2 the sentences are no longer the problem. What separates a B2 text from a B1 one is whether the reader can see how each sentence relates to the one before it.
Before choosing a connector, name the relation: contrast, consequence, addition, or qualification. The word follows from the relation, not the other way round.
| Relation | Connectors | Shade of meaning |
|---|---|---|
| contrast | hingegen | sets two things side by side |
| contrast | im Gegensatz dazu | explicit opposition |
| contrast | dennoch | despite what was just said |
| consequence | folglich | logically it follows |
| consequence | demnach | according to that evidence |
| consequence | dementsprechend | and behaviour matched it |
| consequence | aus diesem Grund | for that reason |
| addition | darüber hinaus | and beyond that |
| qualification | insofern | true to that extent |
| qualification | dabei | although / at the same time |
| balance | einerseits … andererseits | two sides held together |
Die Zahl der Nutzer ist gestiegen. Demnach besteht ein größerer Bedarf.
User numbers have risen. Going by that, demand is greater.
a conclusion drawn *from the figure just given*
Die Maßnahme ist teuer. Sie könnte langfristig jedoch Kosten sparen.
The measure is expensive. In the long term, however, it could save money.
jedoch can sit inside the sentence, unlike aber at the front
Im Norden sank die Zahl, im Süden stieg sie hingegen deutlich.
In the north the number fell; in the south, by contrast, it rose sharply.
two cases side by side — neither contradicts the other
Die Kosten steigen. Dennoch hält die Stadt an dem Plan fest.
Costs are rising. Nevertheless the city is sticking to the plan.
this one *does* go against the previous sentence
Darüber hinaus fehlt bislang eine verlässliche Finanzierung.
Beyond that, reliable funding is so far lacking.
Insofern ist die Kritik berechtigt.
To that extent the criticism is justified.
conceding partly — not fully
Der Plan klingt gut. Dabei ist völlig offen, wer ihn bezahlt.
The plan sounds good — though it is entirely unclear who pays for it.
dabei introduces an inconvenient fact alongside
Three distinctions repay learning properly, because getting them wrong changes the argument.
| Pair | Difference |
|---|---|
| hingegen vs dennoch | hingegen compares two cases; dennoch overrides the previous sentence |
| demnach vs folglich | demnach reads a conclusion off evidence; folglich claims logical necessity |
| insofern vs deshalb | insofern limits agreement; deshalb states a cause |
These connectors fill position 1, so the verb follows immediately: Dennoch hält die Stadt … — not "Dennoch die Stadt hält".
Using dennoch and hingegen as if they were the same word.dennoch = despite that; hingegen = by contrast, in the other case.
Both get translated "however" in a dictionary, and they do different jobs. One concedes, the other compares.
Words from this topic
- hingegenby contrast, on the other hand
- demnachaccording to that, going by that
- folglichconsequently
- insofernto that extent, in that respect
- darüber hinausbeyond that, moreover
- dementsprechendcorrespondingly, accordingly
- bislangso far, to date
- der der Bedarfthe demand, the need