Conjunctions

Coordinating, Correlative & Subordinating Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words that link other words, phrases, or clauses together. For
example,
I like cooking and eating, but I don’t like washing dishes afterwards.
Sophie is clearly exhausted, yet she insists on dancing till dawn.
Conjunctions allow you to form complex, elegant sentences and avoid the choppiness
of multiple short sentences.
Make sure that the phrases joined by conjunctions are parallel (share the same
structure.)

Example:

Incorrect I work quickly and am careful.

Correct I work quickly and carefully.

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;
An easy way to remember these is by using the mnemonic device, “FANBOYS”.
 F OR

A ND

N OR

B UT

O R

Y ET

S O

Examples:

1. 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

2.
library.

3. Jesse didn’t have much money, but she got by.

Note: Notice the use of the comma when a coordinating conjunction is joining two
independent clauses.
Correlative Conjunctions
 Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions that work together.
Some examples are: either/or, neither/nor, and not only/but also.

Example:

Not only am I finished studying for English, but I’m also finished writing my history
1.
essay.

2. I am finished with both my English essay and my history essay.

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:

Sometimes an adverb can function as a conjunction, such as:

Until
After
Before

Example:
 1. I can stay out until the clock strikes twelve

Here, the adverb until functions as a coordinating conjunction to connect

Explanation: two ideas: I can stay out (the independent clause) and the clock strikes
twelve (the dependent clause).

Note: The independent clause could stand alone as a sentence; the dependent clause
depends on the independent clause to make sense.

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.
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.

Example:

1. Before he leaves, make sure his room is clean.

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

Example:

1. I drank a glass of water because I was thirsty. (independent clause 1st )

2. Because I was thirsty, I drank a glass of water. (dependent clause 1st )

Rules for Using a Coordinating Conjunction

Rule #1
 Put a comma before the coordinating conjunction when it is used to connect two
independent clauses.
A clause is a group of words that contain a subject and a verb.
An independent clause (or main clause) expresses a complete thought. It can
stand alone as a sentence.

Example:

1. I like apples

A dependent clause does not express a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as
a sentence.

Example:

1. “that I saw last month.”

Examples of Independent Clauses:

1. Tom walked the dog.

It is an independent clause

Explanation: Subject: Tom

Verb: walked

2. Tom grabbed the mail.

It is an independent clause

Explanation: Subject: Tom

Verb: grabbed
These two independent clauses can be combined with a coordinating conjunction.
When we combine these two sentences, the second "Tom" will be changed to "he."

Tom walked the dog, so he grabbed the mail.

Example: OR

Tom walked the dog, and he grabbed the mail.

Both parts of the sentence have a subject and verb (before and after
Explanation:
the coordinating conjunction).

Here are a few more examples of coordinating conjunctions connecting independent

clauses.

Incorrect x I want to go see a movie but my sister has my car.

Correct ✔ I want to go see a movie, but my sister has my car.

Incorrect x Lisa loves cats yet she does not want one living in her house.

Correct ✔ Lisa loves cats, yet she does not want one living in her house.

Rule #2

When using a coordinating conjunction to connect two items, do not use a comma.
In the example above with Tom and his dog, we can leave out the comma if we do
not have two independent clauses.
We do this by leaving out the subject in the second part of the sentence (he).

Example:
 1. Tom walked the dog and grabbed the mail

"Tom walked the dog" is an independent clause, but "grabbed the mail" is
Explanation:
not.

Here are a few more examples of how to use a coordinating conjunction to connect two
items that are not independent clauses.

Incorrect x She likes apples, and bananas.

Correct ✔ She likes apples and bananas.

Incorrect x My brother is young, but smart.

Correct ✔ My brother is young but smart.

Rule #3

When using a coordinating conjunction with a list of items (three or more in

number), the comma before the coordinating conjunction is optional.
You should put or leave out the comma before the coordinating conjunction based
on the style guide you are using.

Example with a comma:

She is cooking chicken, potatoes, corn, and carrot.

1. OR

She is cooking chicken, potatoes, corn and carrot.

Conjunctions List

There are only a few common conjunctions, yet these words perform many
functions.
 They present explanations, ideas, exceptions, consequences, and contrasts.
Here is a list of conjunctions commonly used in English:

How to Use Conjunctions

Lest – Should

Lest _________ should

"Not" is included in the word "lest".
It has negativity in itself so we can’t use "not" with this word in a sentence.

Examples:

Incorrect x I was afraid to open the door lest he would follow me.

Correct ✔ I was afraid to open the door lest he should follow me.

Incorrect x Work hard lest you should not fail.

Correct ✔ Work hard lest you should fail.

So – As

So ________ as
It shows negativity in a sentence.
We use these words to show negativity.
Examples:

Incorrect x She is not so intelligent as I.

Correct ✔ She is not as intelligent as I.

Incorrect x Nothing is so good as we think.

Correct ✔ Nothing is as good as we think.

As – as

As __________ as
It shows positivity in a sentence.

Example:

Incorrect x She looks so beautiful as a princess.

Correct ✔ She looks as beautiful as a princess.

Incorrect x She is so tall as her mother.

Correct ✔ She is as tall as her mother.

Other – Than

Other ________ Than

Sometimes in an exam, we can see "other" with "but" in a sentence, ignore this
without thinking and instead use “than”.

Example:
 Incorrect x The form cannot be signed by anyone than other you.

Correct ✔ The form cannot be signed by anyone other than you.

x I’m not aware of anything after that, than other trying to get an
Incorrect
ambulance

✔ I'm not aware of anything after that, other than trying to get an
Correct
ambulance.

Either - or/ Neither - nor/ Not only - but also

Either __________ or
Neither _________no
Not only ________but also
There can be three types of error in these conjunctions for instance. We can trace
certain common errors in the aforementioned conjunctions.

We can’t use either with nor and neither with or. For example:

Incorrect x Either you nor your brother has won the prize.

Correct ✔ Either you or your brother has won the prize.

Incorrect x Neither he or his brother can walk faster than I.

Correct ✔ Neither he nor his brother can walk faster than I. (√)

These words are always used with uncommon part of the sentence. For example:

Incorrect x Cars is not only economical, but convenient.

Correct ✔ Cars are not only economical, but also convenient.

Incorrect x Should I either buy red sweater or blue?

Correct ✔ Should I buy either the red sweater or the blue sweater?
Verbs According to the First Subject

Example:

Incorrect x Unfortunately neither nor red sweater blue sweater is available.

✔ Unfortunately, neither the red sweater nor the blue sweater are currently
Correct
available.

As long as/With/Along with/Together

When we add two subjects with these words, then we need to focus on the form of
verb because in these types of sentences we should use verb according to the first
subject.

Example:

Incorrect
x I will lend my camera, if you use as long as carefully.

Correct
✔ I will lend you my camera as long as you’re careful when using
it.

Incorrect
x I buy a Happy Meal with free toy.

Correct
✔ I buy a Happy Meal because it comes with a free toy.

Correct ✔ Come along now.

Correct
✔ It’s late, take a friend along with you.

Correct
✔ They live together in the same apartment.
Else – but

Else ________ but

These words have negative meaning. The only auxiliary verb that can follow "else" is
but.

Example:

Correct ✔ You do nothing else but complain.

Whether - or

Whether _________or
Whether is always followed by "or" in a sentence and we can’t use "that" before
whether.

Example:

Incorrect x I buy a Happy Meal with free toy.

Correct ✔ I buy a Happy Meal because it comes with a free toy.

Incorrect x I asked her that whether her father was at home.

Correct ✔ I asked her whether her father was at home.

As if/as though

Meaning: (Subject+v1+as if/as though + subject + were+…..)

We use as if and as though to make comparisons. They have a similar meaning.
We use as if and as though to talk about an imaginary situation or a situation that
may not be true but that is likely or possible. As if is more common than as though.

Example:
 Incorrect x He acts as if he is a prince.

Correct ✔ He acts as if he were a prince.

Incorrect x She felt a pain like a knife had pierced her heart.

Correct ✔ She felt a pain as though a knife had pierced her heart.

The reason/why…that

After the reason/the reason why we must use "that" in a sentence because
sometimes we can see "due to, because, on account of" etc. after the reason/the
reason why.

Example:

Incorrect x The reason why I don’t include pineapple in my diet is an allergy.

Correct ✔ The reason why I don’t include pineapples in my diet is due to an allergy.

x The reason for the bus being late was because the bus was involved in an
Incorrect
accident.

✔ The reason for the bus being late was that the bus was involved in an
Correct
accident.

Unless

It is used as a conjunction in the meaning of (if not) – condition/situation.

Until: it used for time
These words have negativity in themselves so we can’t use "not" with them.

Example:
Incorrect x Unless she does not mend her behaviour, I shall send her out.

Correct ✔ Unless she mends her behaviour, she is not allowed to go out.

Incorrect x Until I do not inform my father I shall not go out of my house.

Correct ✔ I shall not go out of my house until I inform my father.