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Study in the app →English · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 45
It was late, so I went home
Dialogue
Why are you tired?
- Emma Minsu, you look tired today. Why?
- Minsu Because I studied all night, so I am sleepy.
- Emma Use just one — say "I studied all night, so I am sleepy", or "I am sleepy because I studied all night".
- Minsu Ah! I am sleepy because I studied all night. But the test was easy!
- Emma Good! So you can relax now and rest.
- Minsu Yes. I will sleep, and then I will celebrate!
Dialogue
We finished the course!
- Jack Emma, we finished the English course! Are you happy?
- Emma Yes, really happy! It was hard, but I learned a lot.
- Jack Me too. So let's celebrate together this weekend.
- Emma Great idea! We can go to the beach or watch a film.
- Jack The beach, because the weather is nice. And then we can eat dinner.
- Emma Perfect. Finally, we can relax. Well done, everyone!
Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pinyin | POS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| and | conj. | and | |
| but | conj. | but | |
| or | conj. | or | |
| so | conj. | so | |
| because | conj. | because | |
| also | adv. | also | |
| then | adv. | then | |
| again | adv. | again | |
| together | adv. | together | |
| everyone | pron. | everyone | |
| finally | adv. | finally | |
| really | adv. | really |
Grammar
Joining sentences: and, but, so, because Joining sentences: and, but, so, because
Four little words let you join two ideas into one sentence. "and" ADDS a similar idea: "I like tea and coffee", "She reads and writes". "but" shows a CONTRAST: "I like tea but not coffee", "It is small but comfortable". "or" gives a CHOICE: "Tea or coffee?", "We can walk or take the bus". "so" shows a RESULT — it goes between the cause and the result: "It was late, so I went home" (cause + so + result). "because" gives a REASON — it goes before the reason: "I went home because it was late" (result + because + cause). So "so" and "because" describe the SAME situation from opposite ends: you can say "I was tired, so I slept" OR "I slept because I was tired", and the order of cause and result flips. Two rules: (1) use only ONE connector per link — do not use "because" and "so" together; (2) in writing, we usually put a comma before "but" and "so" when they join two full sentences. Note: many learners mark both the cause and the result at once, copying their first language: "Because I was tired, so I slept" ✗. Keep just one: "I slept because I was tired" ✓ or "I was tired, so I slept" ✓.
Four little words let you join two ideas into one sentence. "and" ADDS a similar idea: "I like tea and coffee", "She reads and writes". "but" shows a CONTRAST: "I like tea but not coffee", "It is small but comfortable". "or" gives a CHOICE: "Tea or coffee?", "We can walk or take the bus". "so" shows a RESULT — it goes between the cause and the result: "It was late, so I went home" (cause + so + result). "because" gives a REASON — it goes before the reason: "I went home because it was late" (result + because + cause). So "so" and "because" describe the SAME situation from opposite ends: you can say "I was tired, so I slept" OR "I slept because I was tired", and the order of cause and result flips. Two rules: (1) use only ONE connector per link — do not use "because" and "so" together; (2) in writing, we usually put a comma before "but" and "so" when they join two full sentences. Note: many learners mark both the cause and the result at once, copying their first language: "Because I was tired, so I slept" ✗. Keep just one: "I slept because I was tired" ✓ or "I was tired, so I slept" ✓.
- I like tea and coffee. I like tea and coffee.
- I like tea but not coffee. I like tea but not coffee.
- It was late, so I went home. It was late, so I went home.
- I went home because it was late. I went home because it was late.
- Do you want tea or coffee? Do you want tea or coffee?
pronunciation
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