The use and misuse of additive, adversative and causal conjunctions in first-year students’ academic arguments at two state universities in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study investigated first-year undergraduate students’ use, misuse, and non-use of additive, adversative and causal conjunctions in academic writing at two state universities in Zimbabwe. The inquiry was informed by Halliday and Hasan’s taxonomy of cohesive devices. The qualitative study adopted a case study design. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with seven purposively sampled Communication Skills lecturers, as well as document analysis of 100 conveniently sampled written essays, fifty essays from each of the two universities. Data were analysed using the thematic approach. The study established that students made use of the three selected conjunctives with varying degrees of frequency, with some of the students employing the cohesive devices accurately. However, the study also found out that some students faced challenges in their use of additives, adversatives and causatives, such as confusing the three, overusing some, and failure to make use of the conjunctives, thereby impacting negatively on the smooth flow of ideas in the students’ arguments. The study recommends increased focus on the teaching of the use of conjunctives not just in the Communication Skills module but through an integrated approach across the university curriculum. The study also recommends that students adopt the process approach to academic writing that would ensure that their academic pieces are thoroughly edited for, among other aspects, cohesive devices.