The development of the cohesive use of adversative conjunctions in discourse

Abstract

But and although are both adversative conjunctions. However, but is a coordinator, although a subordinator. It was therefore hypothesized that the choice between them relates to focus. This hypothesis was tested in two studies. The results indicate that most, but not all, adult subjects select but to introduce foreground information and although to introduce background information and also use these conjunctions to determine which proposition in a conjoint sentence is being focused upon in text. Children's acquisition of these uses of but and although was also investigated in a series of studies. The results demonstrate that by grade 4 children have mastered the basic intrasentential use of both but and although. However, not even by grade 8 do children display knowledge of the intersentential rule of focus governing adult use of these conjunctions. Hence they are unable to make use of this cohesive device in composition or in comprehension.