Conjunction

By
Chukwuemerie Anyene
 Lesson Objectives
1. Define conjunction.
2. Differentiate coordinating
conjunction from subordinating
conjunction.
3. Identify the types of
conjunctions
 Starter
• Choose the correct option.
1. Neither the mother nor the father ______
arrived. (have, has)
2. Either the students or their teacher ______ in
the class. (are, is)
3. Either she herself or her daughters ______
around. (are, is)
 Teacher’s Take
1. has
2. is
3. are
Note
• The type of conjunction that comes in pair is correlative. They
include ‘either or,’ ‘neither nor,’ etc.
• Two singular subjects joined with 'either or' or 'neither nor,' must go
with a singular verb e.g. Either Adaobi or Nnenna is to be sent.
• When two subjects joined with correlative conjunction are given, one
singular, one plural, the subject closer to the verb determines the
verb e.g. Neither you nor I am to be blamed.
Task 1
•Define conjunctions.
 Teacher’s Take
• Conjunctions are words that are used to join
or link up words, phrases, clauses and
sentences. Examples:
1. The headmaster came in and sat down.
2. The headmaster and two teachers came in
and sat down.
3. We come to school on Fridays but not on
Sundays.


Task 2


• Differentiate coordinating
conjunction from subordinating
conjunction.
Teacher’s Take
• Coordinating conjunction is used to join two words, clauses or sentences
of equal grammatical rank. Two words joined with coordinating
conjunctions take a plural verb; while two main clauses (simple sentences)
joined with coordinating conjunctions are compound sentences.
Coordinating conjunctions include for, and, neither, but, or, yet, so
(FANBOYS). Examples:
1. I like coffee and Mary likes tea.
2. I’ll have a week in Rome, or I’ll go to Paris for three days.
3. He doesn’t like the car, yet he bought it.
4. It’s gone 10pm, and he still hasn’t arrived.
5. I cannot criticize him, for he is my brother.
6. I have never visited Enugu, nor have I been to Lagos.
• The above sentences are compound sentences because coordinating
conjunctions joined two independent clauses.
Teacher’s Take contd.
• Subordinating conjunction, on the other hand, is used to join to
words or sentences of unequal grammatical rank. Two words
joined with subordinating conjunctions take a singular verb;
while the main clause and the subordinate clause joined with
subordinating conjunction become complex sentence.
Coordinating conjunctions include ‘that,’ ‘as well as,’ ‘though,’
‘alongside,’ etc. Examples:
• i. As soon as Adam leaves the class, I will start reading loud.
• ii. Though we were rich, we drive antique cars.
• iii. Let me know if you are interested in my offer.
• iv. She needs to come home because her baby is feeling sick.
• v. He has to work hard because he has to feed his four children.
Task 3
• Identify the types of conjunctions based on their
functions in these sentences.
1. Danladi and Sanni went to the stadium.
2. Ngozi is quite intelligent but she is lazy.
3. The students studied very hard, consequently
they did very well in their examinations.
4. Either you or the boy is to be held responsible.
5. The student came late because it rained.
6. The wife was cooking in the kitchen while the
husband was reading.
Teacher’s Take
• 1. Conjunctions that indicate close relationship or similarity: Danladi and
Sanni went to the stadium.
• 2. Conjunctions that indicate contrast: Ngozi is quite intelligent but she
is lazy.
• 3. Conjunctions that show the result of an action: The students studied
very hard, consequently they did very well in their examinations.
• 4. Conjunctions that show choice: Either you or the boy is to be held
responsible.
• 5. Conjunctions that indicate: The student came late because it rained.
• 6. Conjunctions that links two actions or events going on simultaneously:
The wife was cooking in the kitchen while the husband was reading.
Plenary
Relate conjunctions to the rules of
concord.
 Teacher’s Take
If two singular subjects are joined with any
of the five coordinating conjunctions, plural
verb should be use; but if two singular
subjects are joined with subordinating
conjunction, singular verbs should be used.
In words joined with correlative conjunction,
the subject that is closer to the verb
determines that verb in the sentence.
 Assignment
1. Obi, Ada, Chike, and Obinna ______ here. (is, are)
2. Love and wisdom _______ of inverse notion. (are, is)
3. Every boy and every girl in the class _____ to be punished.
(are, is)
4. Each mango and each orange ______ sweet. (is, are)
5. Each bag and baggage ______ stolen. (were, was)
6. Bread and butter ______ what I like for breakfast. (are, is)
7. Rice and beans ______ what I ate yesterday for my lunch. (is,
are)
8. Two and two ___ four. (is, are)
9. The boy as well as his sister ______ industrious. (are, is)
10. The woman with her child ______ taken her meal. (have, has)
Teacher’s Take
1. are
2. are
3. is
4. is
5. is
6. was
7. is
8. is or are
9. is
10. has