For New Law College BALLB and BBALLB (Sem 2) Subject: General English II

1. Cohesive Devices
BALLB/BBALLAB – SEM 2

2. Why Cohesive Devices?
Look at the following sentences:
1. It is important that you prepare the case well.
2. The court procedure can happen swiftly if you do that.
3. You can get your client justice more quickly.
4. Cases go on for several years in our courts.
4. As they say, justice delayed might be justice denied.
These sentences make perfect sense the way they are. Why do need to
combine them?

3. Look at these sentences:
1. It is important that you prepare the case well so that court procedure
can happen swiftly and you can get your clients justice more quickly.
2. Otherwise, cases go on for several years in our court and as they say,
justice delayed might be justice denied.
There is qualitative difference in the way the words are put now.
Sentence no. 1 creates a cause and effect relationship with so that and
it with and it combines two things that are consequence of the same
previous thing.
Sentence no. 2, creates an adversative effect with otherwise. You now
establish a relation between Sentence no. 1 and 2. If things said in
Sentence no.1 do not happen, things said in Sentence no. 2 will.

4. Functions of Cohesive Devices
The first part of the functions is simple. These are the same functions
that conjunctions perform:
1. Joining two words or sentences
2. Making a sentence shorter and precise
The second part is a more functional part regarding the meaning you
want to convey:
3. To establish relationship between two sentences
4. To convey a point, a specific meaning through this relation

5. What kinds of relationships you
establish between sentences?
1. Cumulative – One that adds one thing to another to create a
combined effect
- Mr. X, the owner of the property has died and Mr. Y, the son of Mr. X,
has succeeded the complete property as his heir.
- However, Ms. Z, the daughter of Mr. X and the step sister of Mr. Y, has
claimed share in the property.
2. Adversative
Ms. Z has sent several letters to Mr. Y, but Mr. Y has not replied.
Ms. Z has also produced a legal document affirming her claim, yet Mr. Y
hasn’t paid heed.

6. Defense:
It is clear from Mr. X’s will that the whole property should be inherited
by Mr. Y, still Ms. Z claims share in the property.
This is a open and shut case; only Ms. Z is misleading the court.

7. But, Yet, Still and Only
Can we understand these in terms of their Hindi parallels?
1. But – लेकीन
I want to go to the party but my mom is not allowing.
2. Yet – बावजूद
I have warned you several times not to hangout with those boys, yet you
defy me.
3. Still – फिर भी
I have told you those boys are harmless, still you keep repeating the same
thing. You just don’t want me to go out.
4. Only – बस
I have no problem with you going out, only stay away from those boys.

8. 3. Disjunctive/ Alternative – Create choices between two alternatives
Mr. Y must consider Ms. Z’s rights or Ms. Z will have to press charges
against him.
4. Illative – Expressing and inference
Mr. Y is being plain arrogant, for he is the son.
Beware! These are NOT conjunctions:
1. He can die for his country.
2. He has still not arrived.
3. Am I the only one to feel awkward at a party.

9. Co-ordinating Conjunctions
1. Cumulative
2. Adversative
3. Disjunctive
4. Illative

10. What are the other relationships
conjunctions can establish?
1. Cause and Effect
An informal notice has been sent to the BSNL consumer because of non-
payment of bills. The consumer shall reply within 7 days or a legal
notice will be served.
Since there was no reply to the informal notice, a legal notice has been
served.
The consumer has been summoned to appear in court, as there was no
reply to the legal notice as well.

11. 2. Conditional
Defense:
My client got connection but he has never received any services from
BSNL. He would have paid the bills if the service was provided.
Also, my client will not agree on a compromise unless the case against
him is withdrawn.
We shall need an official letter from BSNL withdrawing the case so that
we can talk about a compromise.
We will pay the compromise amount provided it is fair.

12. 3. Temporal (Related to Time)
BSNL would like to confirm the consumer’s claims before we agree to
the defense’s conditions.
The defendant should not leave the city until this process is completed.
The process is followed whenever such cases happen.
We will be able to comment on the issue after the process has been
completed.

13. NOT Conjunctions!
No one is supposed to enter the class after the teacher.
I’ll wait for the assignments till Monday.
I’ve been waiting for the assignments since Monday.
No one is supposed to leave the class before the teacher.
*A simple trick to identify prepositions is that they’ll be placed before a
noun. Prepositions define the noun in some way, indicating their place,
position or time. Conjunctions will not act on a noun.

14. 4. Adversative
1. Though my client is not at fault, we will wait till the process is
completed.
2. Although it might cost my client a loss of business, we also accept the
condition barring my client from leaving the city.

15. Subordinating Conjunctions
1. Cause and Effect
2. Conditional
3. Temporal
4. Adversative

16. Relationship when only two
things exist
1. Disjunctive/Alternative – Positive
A) Either…or
Either you should pay the fine or serve time in jail.
- WRONG!
You should either pay the fine or serve time in jail.
- CORRECT
*Detect in which two the things the choices are to be given. Place these
words exactly before these two things.

17. More Examples…
You can be either an engineer or a doctor.
I will either come to the class or make a video call.
I have to either bear this situation or stand up to it and fight back.
Either give me the assignment on the said date or do not give it at all.
-- WRONG!
-Give me the assignment either on the said date or not at all.
- CORRECT
-Either give me the assignment on the said date or forget about the
marks.

18. B) Whether…or
I cannot say whether I’ll come or not.
I don’t know whether I’ll succeed or fail.
Students have to learn all the lessons whether they are easy or difficult.
*Comparison
The lessons are not only long but also difficult.
*The second subject follows ‘whether’ in this construction.
*This construction is not correct –
An experienced architect can tell you whether or not the blueprint is
practical.

19. 2. Disjunctive/Alternative – Negative
Neither…nor
The fancy bag you bought is neither useful nor ornamental.
The defense has neither been able to produce evidences nor witnesses.
- WRONG!
The defense has been able to produce neither evidences nor witnesses.
- CORRECT
The defense has been unable to produce either evidences or witnesses.
The act of killing is neither legal nor moral.

20. 3. Both the things exist
A) Not only…but also
Research not only helps in understanding the case but also in fighting it.
- WRONG!
Research helps not only in understanding a case but also in fighting it.
- CORRECT
You’re not only stubborn but also arrogant.
Not only are you stubborn but also arrogant
You have not only lost the case but also damaged your career.

21. B) Both…and
We both love and honour our soldiers.
Both the defense and the prosecution have missed the point of the
case.
Virat is both talented and arrogant.

22. 4. Cause and Effect
So…that/Too…to
- I was so tired that could not work.
- I was too tired to work.
- I was so excited that I could not sleep.
- I was too excited to sleep.

23. Correlative Conjunctions
1. Either…or
2. Whether…or
3. Neither…nor
4. Not only…but also
5. Not just…but also
6. Both…and

24. Compound Conjunctions
1. Cause and Effect
So that
I have given you liberal deadlines so that you get time to produce
quality assignments.
In order that
The assignments were given in order that your writing and speaking
skills will be developed.
The practice sessions were organised in order that you can polish your
skills.

25. 2. Conditional
On condition that
You are being granted bail on condition that you do not leave the city.
The apartment was given to you on rent on condition that it should be
maintained well.
Even if
I will not budge even if the police arrests me.
Even though
Such an act is not morally justified even though it might be legally valid.
Provided that
We will agree on a compromise provided that it is fair.

26. 3. Cumulative
As well as
The written as well as the oral assignment is to be completed within
time.
Rahul as well as Priyanka is coming to the rally.
4. Temporal
As soon as
He started scolding the students as soon as he entered the classroom.
I started studying as soon as the semester began.

27. Honourable Mentions
1. Therefore
2. As a result
3. Whereas
4. When
5. Hence
6. However
7. In Order To

28. All the Best!