1.

Understanding Conjunctions: The Glue of Language

Definition Conjunctions are words that link words, phrases, or clauses within a sentence
to create complex and cohesive ideas.

Purpose: Conjunctions enhance sentence flow, creating clearer, more connected

communication.

2. Types of Conjunctions

There are three different kinds of conjunctions : coordinating, subordinating, and

correlative.

2.1 What Is a Coordinating Conjunction?

Coordinating conjunctions are what come to most people's minds when they hear the
word "conjunction."

There are seven of them, and they're easy to remember if you can just think of the
acronym "FANBOYS."

For - Provides a reason or purpose, similar to 'because

Ex: I stayed in bed, for I was feeling unwell

And - Adds one thing to another

Ex: She enjoys reading and writing

Nor - Used to present an alternative negative idea to an already stated negative idea
Ex: He doesn’t like broccoli, nor does he eat spinach

But - Shows contrast

Ex: She wanted to go to the beach, but it started raining

Or - Presents an alternative or a choice

Ex: Would you prefer coffee or tea
Yet - Introduces a contrasting idea that follows the preceding idea logically
Ex: He was tired, yet he continued working late

So - Indicates effect, result or consequence

Ex: It rained, so we stayed indoors.

2.2 What Is a Subordinating Conjunction?

A subordinating conjunction connects an independent clause to a dependent clause,

indicating relationships like place, time, concession, purpose, result, and condition.

Place:
Conjunctions: Where, wherever
Examples:
+ You can sit wherever you feel comfortable.
+ She is deciding where to stay for the night.

Time:
· Conjunctions: When, wherever, as soon as, as, while, till, until, before, after, since,
…
Examples:
+ I’ll call you as soon as I arrive.”

+ They went to bed after finishing their homework

Reason or Cause
Conjunctions: because, since, as, seeing that, for fear that
Examples:
+ I have to bring my raincoat for fear that it may rain.
+ She stayed home because she wasn’t feeling well

Concession
Conjunctions: though, although, even if, even though
Examples:
+ Although it was raining, they went hiking.”
+ She agreed, even though she had doubts

Purpose
Conjunctions: in order that, so that, that, lest
Example:
+ He works overtime so that he can earn more money
+ They left early in order to avoid traffic.
 Result
Conjunctions: so…that, such…that, that
Examples:
+ It was so cold that we couldn’t go out.
+ The movie was so interesting that I watched it twice.”

Condition :
Conjunctions: if, unless, provided (that). Supposing (that), on condition that
Examples
+ You will be well again soon if you take this medicine three times a day.

+ I won’t go unless you come with me

Conjunction: That – If – Whether.

Examples:
+ I don’t know whether he will come or not.
+ I am not certain if he will be at home this afternoon.
+ The reason was that he didn’t want to do it himself.

2.3 Correlative conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are paired words that work together to connect two balanced
parts of a sentence. So, if a noun follows "both," then a noun should also follow "and"

To best understand how to use correlative conjunctions correctly, we have these

examples:
+ Both/And: “She is both smart and hardworking.”

+ Either/Or: “You can have either the salad or the soup.”

+ Neither/Nor: “He is neither rich nor famous.”

+ Not only/But also: “She is not only talented but also disciplined.”

+ Whether/Or: “I’m not sure whether we should drive or take the train.

3. Common Errors with Conjunctions

Some common errors with Conjunction

Faulty Parallelism:
Error: Correlative conjunctions like both/and, either/or, neither/nor, not only/but also
require parallel structure on both sides.
He is not only smart but also works hard
Solution: Ensure both elements have the same grammatical structure.
Correction: He is not only smart but also hardworking.

Overusing "And" or "But" in a Sentence

 Error: Overusing conjunctions like "and" or "but" can make sentences sound repetitive.
Example: She bought a book, and a pen, and a notebook, and a bag.
Solution: Use commas or restructure the sentence.
Correct: She bought a book, a pen, a notebook, and a bag.

Using "Although" and "But" Together

Ÿ Error: "Although" implies contrast, making "but" redundant.

Ÿ Example: Although it was late, but he continued working.

Ÿ Solution: Remove "but" for a clearer sentence.

Ÿ Corrected: Although it was late, he continued working.

Conjunction Repetition ( Because and But )

Conjunction repetition in writing sentences is another frequently committed mistake that

could happen to Vietnamese students due to interference from the structures of
Vietnamese sentences. In Vietnamese, cause-effect pairs like 'Vì-nên' are commonly
used. However, in English, using both 'because' and 'so' is redundant
- Incorrect: "Because I was late, so I missed the bus."

(In English, you only need one of the two conjunctions "because" or "so'.)

- Correct: "Because I was late, I missed the bus."

Or: "I was late, so I missed the bus."

Detailed Analysis:

1. Mistake of Repeating Conjunctions

Within the sentence "Because I was late, so I missed the bus," the presence of two
conjunctions is repeated: "because" and " so." Out of these, both provide the same
relationship of cause and effect:

- Because: This introduces the reason or cause of an action.

- So: It provides the result of a previous action.

=>There is no need to use both because and so in one sentence because only one
conjunction is needed to complete the meaning fully.
2. Equivalent Example in Vietnamese

In Vietnamese, we have: "Vì tôi đến trễ, nên tôi bị lỡ xe buýt."

Here, "Vì-nên" is a standard way of linking cause and effect in Vietnamese.

Yet, if we translate this structure into English, the sentence will no longer be
grammatically appropriate, and confusion will result in the natural flow of the language.
We have translated it into a sentence that is not smooth in English.

3. How to Correct It in English

In the English language when giving a cause-and-effect relationship, we need to use only
one of the two conjunctions.

Namely:
- Use "because" to emphasize the reason:
- Correct: "Because I was late, I missed the bus."
(Here, "because" clearly states the reason for missing the bus, which is being late.)

- Use "so" to emphasize the result":

- Correct: "I was late, so I missed the bus."
Here "so" emphasizes the result of being late; one misses the bus.