Connectives
Words for joining ideas/expressing contrasts/expressing cause and effect

Connectives for adding similar information
e.g: furthermore, what's more, in addition 

・それに・そして・

  • それに - in addition; furthermore 
それに links ideas in a new sentence/clause, building on what has just been mentioned and/or adding supporting information. それに comes at the beginning of the sentence or in front of the new clause. 
​あの レストラン は おいしい です。それに やすい です。
  • ​​​(The food at) that restaurant is nice. And what's more, it's cheap.

​東京 は とても ひろくて、それに 人 が おおい です。
  • Tokyo is very big and what's more, there are a lot of people.
  • そして - and; and then 
そして is used to add new information.そして adds variety to your writing when there is a series of sentences with a similar structure. そして comes at the beginning of the sentence.
​おとうと は９さいです。そして おねえさん は１９さい です。
  • My younger brother is nine, and my sister is nineteen
Connectives for adding contrasting information / offering alternative points of view
e.g: however, but 

・しかし・でも・けど・だけど・が・

  • しかし - however 
しかし is used to add contrasting information. しかし comes at the beginning of the sentence. ​しかし is somewhat formal, and is used in writing or polite speech.
​おすし は ほんとう に おいしい です。しかし とても たかい です。
  • Sushi is really delicious. However, it's expensive.​
  • でも - however 
でも is just the same as しかし (above), but is informal. Use でも in speaking, rather than in formal writing. 
​あのすしや は とても たかい です。でも、たべ に いきたい です。
  • That sushi restaurant is very expensive. However, I want to go and eat there.​
  • けど・が - but 
けど is used to join two sentences or clauses to show a contrast. けど  is not used in formal language
​(use が), but is suitable for informal speech. Use けど  after a verb or i-adjective. けど cannot stand by itself at the beginning of a sentence. (けど is the shortened, informal version of けれども. ​)
​Informal language
おかし は おいしい けど、あまり　へルシー じゃない です。
  • Snacks are delicious, but not very healthy.​

Formal language
​おかし は おいしい です が、あまり　へルシー では ありません。
  • Snacks are delicious, but not very healthy.​
  • だけど - but , however
だけど is used after a noun or a na-adjective. It joins two sentences or clauses to show a contrast in the same way as けど (above), Similarly, だけど is also not used in formal writing, but is suitable for informal speech. In addition, だけど can be used at the beginning of a sentence, in the same way as しかし.
​ しんかんせん は べんり だけど、とても たかい です。
  • The bullet train is convenient, but very expensive.​
Connectives for expressing reasons / cause and consequence
e.g: therefore; so; but 

・から・だから・

You'll find explanations and examples for から・だから here