Grammar Talks- Conjunctions

Conjunctions link phases and clauses together.

Examples:

1. I like creating and designing crafts, but I don’t like cleaning it up afterward.
2. Paula was tired, yet she still went out for a run.

When using conjunctions, double-check that your phases that are joined are the same structure:

Example:

Incorrect: I work more quickly than when I’m quiet

Correct: I work quickly than quietly.

Coordinating Conjunctions

This conjunction joins words, phrases, and clauses of the same subject in a sentence. The commonly used are:

1. for
2. and
3. nor
4. but
5. or
6. yet
7. so

Also known as FANBOYS

Example (from Grammarly)

“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.”

See how they use a comma when a coordinating junction is being used.

Subordinate Conjunctions

after	even if	than
although	even though	once
as	though	provided that
because	if	rather than
before	in order that	that
unless	until	when
wherever	whereas	whenever
whether	while	why

 

Subordinate conjunctions have two jobs:

First job:

• provides a transition between two ideas in a sentence
• its transition will indicate time, place, or cause and effect

 

Examples:

1. Julie prefers to eat while sitting at the dinner table with her family.
2. We wash our hands after using the bathroom because it’s good hygiene.

 

Second job:

• reduces the importance of one clause, so the reader know s which of the two to focus on
• the more important main clause comes first (independent), and the less important clause (dependent is introduced by the subordinate conjunction

Examples:

(first is from Chompchomp.com)

2. Dana likes to read her book until she feels tired.

Dana likes to read her book > feeling tried

 

1. As Samson blew out the birthday candles atop the cake, he burned the tip of his nose on a stubborn flame.

Burning his nose > blowing out candles.

 

The dependent clause can come before the independent clause; therefore, the conjunction can be at the beginning of the sentence.

 

Examples:

(Grammarly and ChompChomp.com)

1. Before he leaves, make sure his room is clean.
2. When the doorbell rang, Nicky slammed shut her textbook and rose to pay for her pizza.

 

Correlative Conjunctions

 

Rules:

1. they come in pairs
2. must use them in different places within a sentence

 

The tag-teams:

 

both/and

either/or

not/but

not only/but also

neither/nor

 

Examples:

1. (both/and) I like both dogs and cats.
2. (either/or) I would have either dogs or cats.
3. (not/but) Some do not like dogs but love cats.
4. (not only/also) I’ll adopt both of them- not only the dog but also the cat.
5. (neither/nor) Do you want neither the dog nor the cat?

Other possible tag-teams:

 

as/as

no sooner/than

as many/as

rather/than

Examples:

1. (as/as) Chocolate ice cream isn’t as good as strawberry ice cream.
2. (no sooner/than) I’ll be there no sooner at the party than 4 o’clock.
3. (as many/as) There are as many girls as there are boys
4. (rather/than) Sally would rather play outside than do her homework

 

Sources:

 

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/conjunctions/

https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/conjunctions/correlative-conjunctions.html

http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/subordinateconjunction.htm