A connector tells the reader how two ideas relate: one is the reason for the other, or the result, or a contrast, or a purpose. Choosing the wrong one changes your meaning without any grammar error to warn you.
This lesson is part of the grammar, morphology and sentence accuracy module. It follows active and passive expression and prepares you for longer written answers where ideas must flow.
Which connector does which job?
| Relationship | Connectors | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Reason | kerana, sebab, oleh sebab | Kami berteduh kerana hujan lebat. |
| Result | oleh itu, maka, jadi | Hujan lebat. Oleh itu, kami berteduh. |
| Contrast | tetapi, namun, walaupun | Walaupun hujan lebat, kami tetap pergi. |
| Comparison of two sides | manakala, sementara | Ali suka sukan, manakala Aini suka muzik. |
| Purpose | supaya, agar, untuk | Dia berjimat supaya dapat membeli komputer. |
| Condition | jika, kalau, sekiranya | Jika hujan, kami tinggal di rumah. |
| Time | apabila, setelah, sebelum | Setelah makan, kami belajar. |
How do I choose step by step?
- Write the two ideas as plain sentences.
- Ask what the second does for the first: explains it, results from it, opposes it, or aims at it.
- Pick the connector from that row, then check where it sits in the sentence.
- Read the joined sentence aloud and check that it says what you meant.
Worked example
(Invented sentences for practice.)
Two ideas: Cuaca sangat panas. Pertandingan bola sepak ditangguhkan.
Step 2. The heat is the reason and the delay is the result.
Step 3. Two correct versions are possible.
- Start from the reason: Pertandingan bola sepak ditangguhkan kerana cuaca sangat panas.
- Start from the result: Cuaca sangat panas. Oleh itu, pertandingan bola sepak ditangguhkan.
Now a contrast: Dia sakit. Dia hadir ke sekolah. Contrast, not cause, so use walaupun or tetapi: Walaupun sakit, dia hadir ke sekolah. or Dia sakit, tetapi dia hadir ke sekolah.
The mistake to watch for
A frequent error is to use two connectors for one relationship.
Mistaken sentence: Walaupun cuaca buruk, tetapi kami tetap berkelah.
Both walaupun and tetapi show contrast, so one is extra.
Write Walaupun cuaca buruk, kami tetap berkelah. or Cuaca buruk, tetapi kami tetap berkelah.
A related error is choosing a cause word for a purpose. Dia belajar kerana lulus is wrong, because lulus is the goal, not the reason. Write Dia belajar supaya lulus.
Check yourself
1. Choose the most suitable connector: Adik rajin berlatih, ___ dia menang pertandingan itu.
Show answer
The second part is a result, so use oleh itu or maka: Adik rajin berlatih, maka dia menang pertandingan itu.
2. Choose the most suitable connector: Kakak suka membaca novel, ___ abang lebih suka menonton filem.
Show answer
Two people are set against each other, so use manakala.
3. Correct the sentence: Dia berbasikal ke sekolah kerana berjimat.
Show answer
Saving money is the aim, so use supaya, with a verb that fits: Dia berbasikal ke sekolah supaya dapat berjimat. If you want kerana, give a reason: Dia berbasikal ke sekolah kerana rumahnya dekat.
Where this leads next
Move on to editing a literal translation into natural Malay, where connectors often need fixing too, then try the module practice set. The writing revision compare view lets you compare a paragraph before and after you add connectors.
A teacher in online one-to-one Malay tuition can read a paragraph of yours and show which connectors would make your reasoning visible.