A Corpus-based Descriptive Study of Adversative Connectives in High School Students’ English Writing: A Case Study of a Senior High School in Nanchong

Xuan Luo

doi:10.63313/EH.9109

Authors

Xuan Luo China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637000, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63313/EH.9109

Keywords:

Adversative Connectives, Corpus-Based Study, High School English Writing, Discourse Cohesion, EFL Learners, Discourse Competence, Examination Writing

Abstract

This study explores the use of adversative connectives in high school students’ English writing through a corpus-based descriptive approach. The data were collected from a mid-term examination conducted in a public senior high school in China, including two types of writing tasks: a practical writing task and a narrative writing task. By analyzing students’ written texts, the study examines the frequency and contextual appropriateness of adversative connectives. The analysis shows that students rely heavily on a limited number of high-frequency adversative connectives, particularly but, while other connectives such as however and although are used far less frequently. Although many instances of adversative connectives are employed appropriately to express contrast or concession, mechanical and unnecessary uses are also identified. These problems indicate that students may possess basic awareness of contrastive relations but lack sufficient control over connective variety and discourse-level appropriateness. From a pedagogical perspective, the findings suggest that English writing instruction in high school should place greater emphasis on discourse-level features, especially the functional use of connectives in context. The study aims to provide practical insights for improving writing instruction and assessment in examination-oriented classrooms.

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