连词用到位，写作才能好。

连词很重要。写文章时，连词用到位了，句子与句子相连才会顺畅。精准的阅读理解也离不开小小的连词。

学习连词，就要从连词的本质开始学，开始教，才行。

这句话可不是绕口令。连词的本质，就是把两个或者多个ideas连接起来。

所以，要学好连词，要从被连接的ideas到底是什么入手，找到ideas之间的关系，才能用对连词。

比如 You and I.  

你和我，分别代表了两个ideas.  用and链接，表示你和我要一起干点啥。咱们俩是一起的。

再比如：coffee or tea,  

or 这个连词，表达的含义就变成了 - - - 或者是咖啡，或者是茶。选了咖啡，就排除掉了茶。

学习连词，千万不能只停留在‘背’意思。小小的and/or, 谁不知道意思呢。但是会写会用会理解，光知道连词的意思还远不够呢。

在学习连词的时候，我喜欢让孩子们做一个小练习。

1. 一个人给出两个句子，但是故意不说连词。

2. 另一个人分析句子的含义和它们之间的逻辑关系，匹配一个合适的连词把两个句子链接起来。

3. 然后，请出句子的同学来对‘思路‘（不是答案）。如果大家对句子的意思的理解不同，有可能就会选出来不同的连词。

4. 然后我们会一起讨论，如何让句子更加清晰，减少歧义。

沿着链接‘ideas'的方向，我们会发现有些连词挺难也挺容易混的。下一个帖子我会聊一个连词钉子户 - 'unless'.  

小娃读的小说里有这样一句话：

'Unless Grandma plans to walk, I will not be seeing much of her in the future.'

这句话里的I 是主人公Margaret.  她很喜欢奶奶。但是搬家后离奶奶家远了。奶奶不会开车，也不喜欢坐公交。小娃就发出这样的感慨 - 除非奶奶打算走路来看她，否则未来见到奶奶的机会将少之又少。

“Unless” 是一个连词，用来引导表示条件的从句。

'unless' 之所以不好理解 - 是因为它自带‘否定’色彩。 对应的中文翻译是“除非……否则……”的意思。

You won't pass the exam unless you study.  

除非你学习，否则你就不会通过考试。

这句话的从句是unless you study.  隐含的含义，是你现在没有在学习。根据从句表达的这个隐含的否定含义，主句You won't pass the exam 才能成立。

所以，在书里，小娃说 ‘Unless Grandma plans to walk' - 她其实是说，我奶奶都这么一把年纪了，她是不会走那么远的路的。

这就是自带否定色彩的从句。

在“unless”引导的从句中通常不使用否定词，因为“unless”本身已经具有否定意义。

和unless 引导的从句配对的主句：主句可以是肯定的或否定的，这取决于句子的具体意思。

主句为否定句示例：

You won't succeed unless you try.

如果你不尝试的话，你就不会成功。

这里的“unless you try”是条件，表示“除非你尝试”，否则结果是“你不会成功”。自带的否定色彩，是指你现在还木有开始努力呢！

主句为肯定句示例：

Unless it rains, we will go hiking tomorrow.

如果不下雨的话，我们明天去徒步。

（也可以翻译成除非明天下雨，否则我们就去徒步）。

“unless it rains”表示条件，说明在不下雨的情况下，“我们明天去徒步”。这样说的时候，隐含的意思是预计明天下雨的机会不大。

和unless 类似的词和短语：

If not

与“unless”类似，可以用来引导条件从句，表示“如果不……就……”。把unless的隐藏的否定含义拿出来直说了。

例子： If you don't study hard, you won't pass the exam.

如果你不努力学习的话，考试就不会通过。

Except if

表示“除非……”，用于强调在某个例外情况下发生的情况。except if 也自带否定色彩，但是从意思上更加强调的是特例，特殊性。

例子： You can't enter the building except if you have an ID card.

除非你有身份证，否则不能进入这栋楼。

Without

常用于表达没有某物或某事的情况下，通常用在名词或动名词前。

例子： Without studying, you won't pass the exam.

不学习的话，你就不会通过考试。

Title: The Case of the Missing Sapphire

Detective Clara Roberts was known for her sharp mind and unwavering determination. She had solved countless cases in her career, but none intrigued her as much as the recent theft of the Blue Sapphire. The gem had been stolen from the city's most secure museum, and there were no signs of forced entry.

Clara arrived at the museum early in the morning, ready to investigate. As she walked through the grand entrance, she was greeted by the museum's curator, Mr. Thompson, who looked visibly shaken. "Thank you for coming so quickly, Detective Roberts," he said. "The sapphire is priceless, and we have no leads."

"Don't worry, Mr. Thompson," Clara reassured him. "I'll find the thief. Let's start with the security footage."

They headed to the security room, where the guard showed Clara the footage from the night of the theft. "As you can see, no one entered the room during the time the gem was stolen," the guard explained. "It's as if the sapphire just vanished."

Clara frowned. "That's impossible. Unless there's a secret passage or someone tampered with the cameras, the thief must have had access to the museum without being detected."

She reviewed the footage carefully, noticing that the camera feed briefly flickered at exactly 2:03 AM. "There! Something happened at this moment," Clara pointed out. "Let's go to the gallery and inspect the area."

In the gallery, Clara examined the glass case where the sapphire had been displayed. "This glass is reinforced, nearly impossible to break without heavy machinery," she observed. "But look here." She pointed to a small, almost invisible scratch on the glass. "Someone used a laser to cut this glass carefully."

"But how did they avoid setting off the alarms?" Mr. Thompson asked, bewildered.

"Good question. Since the cameras were briefly disrupted, I suspect the thief used a device to jam the security system," Clara replied. "However, we need more evidence. Did anyone have access to the museum after hours?"

Mr. Thompson hesitated. "Well, only the security team and the janitorial staff. Except if someone managed to steal a key card, it would be impossible to enter."

"Let's interview the staff," Clara suggested. They questioned the security guards and the cleaning crew, but no one seemed suspicious—except for one janitor named Mike. He was unusually nervous and kept avoiding eye contact.

"If not for his nervousness, I would think he's innocent," Clara thought. "Mike, where were you at 2:00 AM last night?" she asked.

"I-I was cleaning the west wing," Mike stammered. "But I swear I didn't do anything wrong!"

Clara noticed a small bulge in Mike's pocket. "What's that in your pocket?" she asked sharply. Mike's face turned pale as he pulled out a small device.

"It's just a gadget I found in the hallway," he mumbled. "I was going to report it, I swear!"

Clara examined the device. "This is a signal jammer, exactly what we were looking for. Without a doubt, this was used to interfere with the cameras. Mike, tell me the truth. Were you involved in the theft?"

Mike broke down. "No, I didn't steal the sapphire! I found this device after I saw someone in a dark coat leaving the gallery. I panicked and picked it up, hoping no one would suspect me."

"Who was this person? Did you recognize them?" Clara pressed.

Mike shook his head. "I didn't see their face, but they dropped this card." He handed Clara a key card with the museum's logo.

"This card belongs to someone on the inside," Clara concluded. "Someone with access to the security system. Let's check the logs to see who used this card last night."

They returned to the security room, where the guard pulled up the log. The card had been used at 1:58 AM, just before the cameras were disrupted. And it belonged to none other than the head of security, Mr. Johnson.

Clara wasted no time confronting Mr. Johnson, who confessed immediately. "I needed the money," he admitted. "I thought I could sell the sapphire and disappear. If not for that meddling janitor, I would have gotten away with it!"

Clara arrested Mr. Johnson and recovered the Blue Sapphire, returning it safely to the museum. As she left, Mr. Thompson thanked her profusely. "You've saved the museum, Detective Roberts. I don't know how you do it."

Clara smiled. "It's all about paying attention to the details. Except if you consider every possibility, you might miss the truth. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a report to write."

And so, Detective Clara Roberts solved yet another case, proving once again that nothing could escape her keen eye for detail.