Reading
strategies for proficiency tests:
Linking
words
Hint for
proficiency tests
When you
have reading comprehension in your proficiency test, remember that your goal is
to answer the questions right and not to translate each and every word.
So basically,
you have to ignore the words you don´t know.
One
strategy is to underline all the linking words in the text. The linking words
are important for comprehension because if you know for example, that the
meaning of “but” is to connect contrary ideas, you´ll conclude that the idea
that comes before “but” is opposite to the idea in the clause that comes after
it.
Conjunctions
and Prepositions are linking words.
Conjunctions
connect clauses and Prepositions connect words.
Examples of
conjunctions:
Coordinating conjunctions:
And
Or
But
Nor
Showing opposition
(conjunções adversativas)
But, however, nonetheless, nevertheless, yet (mas, porém,
contudo, entretanto, todavia) = (no entanto, ainda que) =
Although =
embora
Though
Even though
Despite of
In spite of
Whereas
While
On the
other hand
instead of
Showing Cause and effect relationships (Reason)
Because
For = pois
(after a comma)
Once
Since
As
As (so)
long as
So
So that
therefore
as a result
whereby
Condition:
If
Unless
In case
that (of)
Only if
Even if
Whether or
not
Provided
(that)
In the
event (that)(of)
Locuções
conjuntivas:
Even if/
though
Considering
that
As long as
Provided
that
In order
that
(just) in
case
Only … if
According
to
Due to
Now that
Inasmuch as
Paired conjunctions:
Both … and
Neither … nor
Either … or
Whether …
or
Not only …
but also
List of PREPOSITIONS:
About
above
Across
After
along
Around
At
Because of
before
Behind
below
beside
between
By
Down
Due to
During
For
From
From …. to
In
In front of
Into
like
Near
Next to
Of
off
On
onto
opposite
Out of
over
since
than
through
Till/until
To
towards
under
up
with
within
without
while
Exercise: Sort the prepositions by time, place and
directions
Adverbs:
After
Before
still
thus,
when
whenever
whatever
whatsoever
whichever
however
Transitions:
Therefore
Consequently
Otherwise
On the
other hand
