Many children learn connectives as fixed pairs: 因为…所以, 虽然…但是, 不但…而且. Then a question arrives with the pairs mixed up, and they pick the pair whose first word they recognise. The fix is not more memorising. It is deciding what the two halves of the sentence are doing to each other, and only then choosing the pair.
The routine I teach has three steps: 找关系 (what is the relationship between the two halves?), 配成对 (which pair expresses that relationship?), 读通顺 (read the finished sentence aloud). Do them in this order.
Step 1 — 找关系: read BOTH halves before looking at the options
Cover the options and read the whole sentence with the blanks. Ask one question: how does the second half relate to the first? Is it a reason, a twist, an extra point, a condition, or a choice? This is the step children skip, and it is where most wrong answers begin.
| Relationship | What the sentence is doing | Common pairs |
|---|---|---|
| 因果 cause and result | gives a reason, then the result | 因为…所以 · 由于…因此 |
| 转折 turn | says one thing, then something unexpected | 虽然…但是 · 尽管…还是 |
| 递进 adding more | the second half goes a step further | 不但…而且 · 不仅…还 |
| 条件 condition | the result depends on a condition | 只要…就 · 只有…才 · 无论…都 |
| 假设 supposition | imagines a situation | 如果…就 · 即使…也 |
| 选择 / 并列 choice or contrast | picks between, or corrects | 不是…就是 · 不是…而是 · 与其…不如 |
Step 2 — 配成对: choose a complete pair, not a half
Now look at the options and choose the pair that expresses the relationship you found. Check both blanks together. An option such as 因为…但是 mixes two relationships and cannot be right, even if one half looks tempting.
Step 3 — 读通顺: read it aloud
Read the finished sentence with the pair filled in. If it sounds like two ideas pulling against each other, return to Step 1 and ask the relationship question again.
Three worked examples (original sentences)
Example 1 — a twist: 小明____生病了，____他还是坚持来上学。
Options: A. 因为…所以 B. 虽然…但是 C. 不但…而且 D. 如果…就. Step 1: being ill would normally keep a child at home, yet he came, so the second half is unexpected, a 转折. Step 2: 虽然…但是 expresses a turn. A 因为…所以 looks natural because 生病 sounds like a reason, but a reason would lead to staying home. The answer is B.
Example 2 — a supposition: ____天气再冷，我____要坚持晨跑。
Options: A. 只要…就 B. 因为…所以 C. 即使…也 D. 不但…而且. Step 1: the speaker imagines the coldest weather and says it will not change the plan. Step 2: 即使…也 means "even if … still". 只要…就 means "as long as … then" and would need a condition that makes the run happen. The answer is C.
Example 3 — a correction: 他哭____因为疼，____因为太感动了。
Options: A. 不是…而是 B. 不但…而且 C. 虽然…但是 D. 因为…所以. Step 1: the sentence rejects one reason and gives the real one. Step 2: 不是…而是 is the pair for correcting. 不但…而且 adds a second point instead of replacing the first. The answer is A.
💡 The most common slip
Choosing the pair from the first word alone. When you see 因为 you reach for 所以, or 虽然 for 但是, before reading the second half. Always read both halves first.
A 10-minute weekly routine
- Pick five connective questions, no more.
- Before looking at the options, the child writes one word for the relationship: 因果, 转折, 递进, 条件, 假设 or 选择.
- Choose the pair, then read the whole sentence aloud.
- For every miss, the child writes one sentence of their own with the same pair, about something from their own week.
Writing their own sentence matters: a child who can use 即使…也 about their own football practice will recognise it in a question, and will also use it in composition.
On psle.me, the vocabulary tool has free connective questions with a teacher-style explanation after each answer, so your child can see which relationship the sentence was signalling.
Free: practise connective questions and read why the right pair fits.
试试词汇练习 — Try it free →Two options that look alike? Read next:
How to Choose the Right Word in Chinese Vocabulary Questions →Sources
- The format and marks of the language-use sections should be confirmed on the SEAB website (seab.gov.sg); this post does not state them.
- The meanings and usage of the connective pairs should be confirmed in a standard Chinese dictionary or grammar reference (e.g. 现代汉语词典) before they are taught as rules.
- The 3-step method and the weekly routine are the author's own tutoring practice, offered as suggestions, not an MOE requirement and not a promise of any result.
- The example sentences are original and written for this post; they are not taken from any past paper.
- No exam-frequency, prediction or ranking claims are made in this post.