Consecutive conjunctions connect a preceding situation with its logical result. The first part presents a cause, an intensity, or a condition, and the second part shows the consequence that derives from it. In Spanish, that relationship typically appears with a clear cause-and-effect structure, as in llovió tanto que cancelaron el partido. Here the second idea does not add any other action, but the direct effect of the first. This type of relationship is common in Oraciones Subordinadas, because one sentence depends on the other to complete its meaning.

The simplest pattern places the cause or the intensity first and then the result. The basic form is initial idea + que + consequence, with a preceding element that prepares the effect. In hacía frío, así que cerramos la ventana, the first part presents the situation and the second gives the immediate result. It can also appear a phrase with tan or tanto in front of the adjective, the adverb, or the verb, followed by que: estaba tan cansado que se durmió. The first part marks the degree; the second expresses what happened because of that degree.

Basic pattern of cause and effect

Idea
Use a cause first and then the consequence to show that one idea leads to the other.
Place tan before an adjective or adverb when you want to intensify a quality.
Place tanto before a noun to indicate a large amount that triggers a result.

Tan, tanto, tal and de tal manera announce that a consequence is coming. They do not express the result by themselves; they prepare the second part of the sentence. Tan appears with adjectives and adverbs: tan lejos que no lo vimos. Tanto appears with nouns, with verbs or with quantification: tenía tanto trabajo que no salió. Tal is used with a noun or with a very strong value of qualification: tal fue el ruido que todos miraron. De tal manera presents the degree more explicitly: habló de tal manera que convenció a todos. In these structures, the correlatives pave the way for the consequence and the final link completes it.

Correlatives that announce the consequence

Idea
Use tan with adjectives and adverbs to prepare a strong consequence.
Use tanto with nouns to express an amount that triggers a result.
Use tal to present a quality or situation that leads to a clear effect.
Use de tal manera to emphasize the way something happens and its later effect.

Así que, por eso, de modo que y tanto que are very common connectors to introduce the result. Así que presents a direct consequence: no había tren, así que tomamos un taxi. Por eso maintains a more logical and explanatory relation: se hizo tarde, por eso me fui. De modo que works similarly to así que, with a more careful tone: no respondió, de modo que llamé otra vez. Tanto que appears when the intensity of the first part produces the effect: llovió tanto que el río creció. These connectors belong to the group of Conjunciones Coordinantes and Conjunciones Subordinantes, depending on how they join the ideas.

con quepor consiguientetanto quepor esode modo quede forma queentoncesde manera queasí queluego

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Significa en tal grado que y une una intensidad con su consecuenciaSignifica de forma que en usos consecutivos y presenta un resultado inesperadoSignifica por consiguiente y aparece en una consecuencia breve y directaSignifica en consecuencia y se usa para conclusiones más formalesSignifica de una forma que y sirve para mostrar el efecto de una acciónSignifica por lo tanto y presenta una consecuencia natural y frecuenteSignifica con el resultado de que y suele sonar más elaboradoSignifica por esa razón y enlaza una causa con su resultadoSignifica con el resultado de que y mantiene un tono claro y neutroSignifica en ese caso y puede introducir una consecuencia o una conclusión

Frequently used consecutive connectors

Word	Definition
así que	Means therefore and presents a natural and frequent consequence.
por eso	Means for that reason and links a cause with its result.
de modo que	Means with the result that and usually sounds more elaborate.
tanto que	Means to such a degree that and joins an intensity with its consequence.
de manera que	Means in a way that and serves to show the effect of an action.
con que	Means so that in consecutive uses and presents an unexpected result.
de forma que	Means with the result that and maintains a clear and neutral tone.
luego	Means consequently and appears in a brief and direct consequence.
entonces	Means in that case and can introduce a consequence or a conclusion.
por consiguiente	Means as a consequence and is used for more formal conclusions.

Scramble

The consequence can stay within a single sentence or appear in a separate sentence. When it goes within the same sentence, a comma is normally used before the connector: estaba enfermo, así que no fui. When it is separated into two sentences, the relationship remains the same, but the pause is greater: Estaba enfermo. Así que no fui. With por eso the same happens: estudió poco, por eso suspendió or Estudió poco. Por eso suspendió. The choice depends on how much you want to join the ideas in writing. If the consequence is brief and very direct, it usually goes in the same sentence; if you want to give it more weight or more pause, it appears separately.

Punctuation for continuous or separated consequence

Idea
When the consequence is in the same sentence, there is usually a comma before the connector.
When the consequence is in another sentence, the relation remains clear without loss of clarity.
In a more emphatic style, the pause can make the consequence stand out as a conclusion.

The consequence expresses a real result; the purpose expresses an intention. In the consecutives, something happens first and then the effect is seen: corría tanto que llegó sudando. In the purpose clause, someone does something to achieve a goal: corría para llegar a tiempo. The key is in the temporal and logical relationship. If the second part already happened as an effect of the first, there is consequence. If the second part is still a purpose, there is purpose. This contrast also appears in sentence structure: the consequence rests on a prior fact, while the purpose is built with intention and is usually related to Conjunciones Causales and other subordinate clauses of objective.

Difference between consequence and purpose

Idea
Use consecutives when you talk about a real result that already happened or is happening.
Use purpose when you talk about an objective you want to achieve.
Do not confuse que of consequence with que of purpose, because one looks at the result and the other at the intention.

In everyday speech, sometimes the correlating word is omitted and only the result connector is left: estaba muy cansado, entonces me acosté. In some regions, entonces and por eso appear very frequently to mark the consequence in a natural and quick way. It is also common to shorten the structure when the context already makes the cause clear: había atasco, así que tarde. In colloquial registers, the union between cause and result is usually briefer than in formal writing, but the relationship remains the same. The combinations of intensity and consequence relate to Conjunciones Correlativas, because one element prepares another in a fixed way.

así queentoncespor eso

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Se usa con frecuencia para cerrar una idea con consecuencia de manera coloquialSe usa mucho para explicar un resultado directo en el habla diariaSe usa mucho para marcar una consecuencia cotidiana y suena natural en conversación

Regional variants and everyday use

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
Mexico	entonces	It is widely used to mark an everyday consequence and sounds natural in conversation.	Se hizo tarde, entonces pedimos tacos para llevar.It got late, so we ordered tacos to go.
Spain	por eso	It is widely used to explain a direct result in everyday speech.	No quedaban churros, por eso compramos bizcochos.There were no churros left, so we bought biscuits.
Argentina	así que	It is frequently used to close an idea with consequence in a colloquial way.	Se largó a llover, así que corrimos como pingüinos felices.It started to rain, so we ran like happy penguins.

Scramble