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Conjunctions 1. List Use 1.1 (1)

Conjunctions are words that connect words, phrases, or clauses, allowing for more complex sentence structures. There are three main types of conjunctions: coordinating (FANBOYS), correlative (e.g., either/or), and subordinating (e.g., because, although). The document also provides examples and guidelines for using conjunctions effectively in writing.

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14 views

Conjunctions 1. List Use 1.1 (1)

Conjunctions are words that connect words, phrases, or clauses, allowing for more complex sentence structures. There are three main types of conjunctions: coordinating (FANBOYS), correlative (e.g., either/or), and subordinating (e.g., because, although). The document also provides examples and guidelines for using conjunctions effectively in writing.

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sksibbksk90
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Grammar Conjunctions: List of Conjunctions and Use

What Are Conjunctions?

Conjunctions are words that link other words, phrases, or clauses together.
Without conjunctions, you’d be forced to express every complex idea in a series of short, simplistic
sentences: I like cooking. I like eating. I don’t like washing dishes afterward.

Let’s take a look at this short simple example:


e.g. I like cooking and eating, but I don’t like washing dishes afterward.
Devlin is clearly exhausted, yet she insists on dancing until dawn.

Conjunctions allow you to form complex, elegant sentences and avoid separating into multiple short
sentences. Make sure that the phrases joined by conjunctions are parallel (share the same structure).

e.g. I work quickly and am careful.


I work quickly and carefully.

1. Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions allow you to join words, phrases, and clauses of equal grammatical rank in a
sentence. The most common coordinating conjunctions are:
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so; you can remember them by using the acronym FANBOYS.

e.g. I’d like pizza or a salad for lunch. We needed a place to concentrate, so we packed up our
things and went to the library. Jesse didn’t have much money, but she got by.
Notice the use of the comma when a coordinating conjunction is joining two independent clauses.

2. Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions that work together. Some examples are either/or,
neither/nor, and not only/but also.

e.g. Not only am I finished studying for English, but I’m also finished writing my history essay. I am
finished with both my English essay and my history essay.

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Grammar Conjunctions: List of Conjunctions and Use

3. Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions join independent and dependent clauses. A subordinating conjunction can
signal a cause-and-effect relationship, a contrast, or some other kind of relationship between the
clauses. Common subordinating conjunctions are because, since, as, although, though, while, and
whereas.

a) Sometimes an adverb, such as until, after, or before can function as a conjunction.

e.g. I can stay out until the clock strikes twelve.


Here, the adverb ‘until’ functions as a coordinating conjunction to connect two ideas: I can stay out
(the independent clause) and the clock strikes twelve (the dependent clause). The independent clause
could stand alone as a sentence; the dependent clause depends on the independent clause to make
sense.

b) The subordinating conjunction doesn’t need to go in the middle of the sentence. It has to be
part of the dependent clause, but the dependent clause can come before the independent
clause.

e.g. Before he leaves, make sure his room is clean.


If the dependent clause comes first, use a comma before the independent clause.

c) Starting a Sentence with a Conjunction


e.g. I drank a glass of water because I was thirsty.
Because I was thirsty, I drank a glass of water.

Many of us were taught in school that it is an error to begin a sentence with a conjunction, but that
rule is a myth. As mentioned above, a subordinating conjunction can begin a sentence if the
dependent clause comes before the independent clause. It’s also correct to begin a sentence with a
coordinating conjunction. Often, it’s a good way to add emphasis. Beginning too many sentences with
conjunctions will cause the device to lose its force, however, so use this technique sparingly.

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Grammar Conjunctions: List of Conjunctions and Use

List of Conjunctions

1. Coordinating Conjunctions
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

2. Correlative Conjunctions
both/and, either/or, neither/nor, not only/but, whether/or

3. Some Subordinating Conjunctions


after, although, as, as if, as long as, as much as, as soon as, as though, because, before, by the time,
even if, even though, if, in order that, in case, in the event that, lest , now that, once, only, only if,
provided that, since, so, supposing, that, than, though, till, unless, until, when, whenever, where,
whereas, wherever, whether or not, while

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