带关联词语的句群: sentence groups linked by connectives
【高145】句群 / sentence groups (带关联词语)
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
A 句群 (sentence group) is a small paragraph: several sentences, each closed by a full stop, developing one thought. In the 带关联词语 type ("with connectives"), adverbs and conjunctions at the head of a sentence show how it hangs on the one before: 我们在这里失败过很多次。因此，我们比谁都清楚，失败并不可怕。即使前面还有风雨，我们也不会轻易退缩。
What separates a 句群 from a complex sentence (复句, hsk3 to hsk6) is the full stop. In a 复句 the pair of connectors sits inside one sentence (因为……所以……). In a 句群 one connective is enough, at the head of the sentence that needs it: 因此 (consequence), 然而 (contrast), 此外 (addition), 与此同时 (simultaneity, hsk7-g38), 综上所述 (summing up, hsk7-g06). A sentence of the group may itself be a 复句, like 即使……也…… above. The standard (高145) quotes a passage of this kind, of which this is an extract: 因为我脑子慢、糊涂……因此，即使是十分容易解开的谜，我也从不要求自己去解. The same passage also uses 除了……之外, 假如……就 and 然而.
Register: careful writing and speeches (reports, essays, addresses). In casual speech people link with 所以, 但是, 然后 instead. With no connective at all the group rests on rhythm: see hsk7-g79. To pick the subject up with a pronoun instead of repeating it, see hsk5-g74.
Examples
图书馆下个月起延长开放时间。此外，每位同学能借的书也比以前多了。
Túshūguǎn xià ge yuè qǐ yáncháng kāifàng shíjiān. Cǐwài, měi wèi tóngxué néng jiè de shū yě bǐ yǐqián duō le.From next month the library will open for longer. In addition, each student can borrow more books than before.
他并不聪明。然而，他比谁都努力。
Tā bìng bù cōngming. Ránér, tā bǐ shéi dōu nǔlì.He isn't particularly bright. Yet he works harder than anyone.
我们没有按时交报告。因此，老师扣了我们的分数。
Wǒmen méiyǒu ànshí jiāo bàogào. Yīncǐ, lǎoshī kòule wǒmen de fēnshù.We didn't hand in the report on time. As a result, the teacher docked our marks.
公司今年的利润增长了一倍。与此同时，员工的工作时间也增加了不少。
Gōngsī jīnnián de lìrùn zēngzhǎngle yí bèi. Yǔcǐ tóngshí, yuángōng de gōngzuò shíjiān yě zēngjiāle bù shǎo.The company's profits doubled this year. At the same time, employees' working hours have gone up quite a lot too.
我不擅长表达。因此，即使有不同的想法，我也很少在会上发言。然而，这一次我决定试一试。
Wǒ bù shàncháng biǎodá. Yīncǐ, jíshǐ yǒu bù tóng de xiǎngfǎ, wǒ yě hěn shǎo zài huì shang fāyán. Ránér, zhè yí cì wǒ juédìng shì yi shì.I'm not good at expressing myself. So even when I have a different view, I seldom speak up at meetings. This time, however, I decided to give it a try.
Common mistakes
✗ 我们失败过很多次。因此，所以我们不害怕了。 → ✓ 我们失败过很多次。因此，我们不害怕了。 (one connective per relation: 因此 and 所以 say the same thing).
✗ 虽然天气很冷。但是大家都来了。 → ✓ 天气很冷。但是大家都来了。 (the full stop cuts the pair 虽然……但是……, which belongs to the complex sentence: after a full stop, 但是 or 然而 stands alone).
✗ 因此，我们今天先谈第一个问题。 → ✓ 我们今天先谈第一个问题。 (at the start of a text the first sentence has nothing to link back to: no connective at its head).