Conjunctions are words or phrases that serve to link words, clauses, or sentences. Including such ubiquitous words as although, and, because, but, if, or, so, unless, when, and while, they represent one of the most frequently used classes of words in the English language. Conjunctions can be subdivided into coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions, and correlative conjunctions.Coordinating conjunctions (or coordinators) are conjunctions that are used to connect words and clauses of the same grammatical type. They include and, but, or, then, and yet:You and I.
It looks good but tastes horrible.
Would you like tea or coffee?
An afternoon of rain, then sun.
Gone yet not forgotten. Coordinating conjunctions can be used to link adjectives (wet and warm, black or white decisions), adverbials (out of time and out of luck, slowly but surely), noun phrases (a box of crayons and a pad of paper, a slice of cake or a couple of biscuits), and even main sentence clauses:You must go to school, and I must get off to work.
She has not yet received the document, but I know what the report will say. The conjunctions but and yet can be used only to connect two sentence elements, whereas and and or can connect two or more:We're lost and scared and want to go home.
You can advance or retreat or surrender. In such lists the usual convention is to replace all but the last conjunction with a comma (red, white, and blue), but on occasion the additional conjunctions are left in place, generally for reasons of emphasis.Where a coordinating conjunction connects two clauses that share a common verb there is no need to repeat the verb:He is old yet still charming.
They were tired but willing. In circumstances where the conjunction connects two or more subjects, note that a plural verb is usually required, unless the subjects effectively represent a single entity or concept:Mars and Jupiter have both been extensively surveyed.
Peanut butter and jelly is a surprisingly tasty combination. Care should be taken to choose the appropriate conjunction according to the nature of the relationship between the subjects under discussion. There are important differences in meaning between the various conjunctions, and in most circumstances they are not interchangeable.The conjunction and is used where two or more persons or objects are added to each other or otherwise combined (inside and outside, cold and lonely). Note that the order of the parts linked by and can usually be reversed, although the order of some phrases is established by convention and is rarely altered (food and drink, good and bad). An exception to this rule is where and is used to place events in the order in which they happened:She opened the tin and emptied it out.
They unlocked the door and went in. But differs from and in that it is used to link two opposing concepts or express a contrast:She likes men with moustaches but hates beards.
He wants bread but not butter.
The weather in the morning was cold but bright. When but is used in the sense of except, it is not always clear whether it is being employed as a conjunction or as a preposition and whether it should be followed by an object or subject pronoun (all but she/all but her). The usual solution here is to opt for a subject pronoun if it comes in the middle of the sentence (all but he had an alibi) but to employ an object pronoun if it comes at the end of the sentence (commendations went to all but him).Care should be taken not to use but to link harmonious concepts or to use but in the same sentence as however, because essentially they mean the same thing. Note that it is also incorrect to insert a comma after but.Or is used to express a choice or alternative:Would you like to carry this bag or that one?
It is either a crow or a raven. When or connects two singular subjects, it is correct to use a singular verb. When it links plural subjects a plural verb should be employed:Tom or Sue knows the way.
Blues or pinks are this year's colors. If or connects singular and plural subjects, the verb should agree with the subject that is nearest to it:One large spoonful or two small ones are enough.
Two small spoonfuls or one large one is enough. Subordinating conjunctions (or subordinators) are conjunctions that are used to connect a subordinate clause (usually an adverbial) to a main clause. They include after, although, because, before, except, for, if, in case, in order that, since, though, unless, until, when, where, whereas, and while:They will lose the election, because they have no popular support.
This won't happen unless we get permission from the state authorities.
I will help out, when we run short of staff. The correct choice of subordinating conjunction depends on the intended meaning. Some conjunctions (after, as, before, till, until, when, while, etc.) express time:The game was effectively lost after the team's star athlete was injured.
They talked it over while waiting for the train. Others (where, wherever, etc.) express place:The land where dragons live is far away.
He is recognized wherever he goes. Other subordinating conjunctions (because, for, since, etc.) express a reason:She left because she had an appointment elsewhere.
They said little, since there was nothing left to be done. Yet another group of subordinating conjunctions (in order that, in order to, so that, etc.) express a purpose:The flight was postponed in order that the delayed passengers could get there.
Take the pan from the heat so that the mixture cools. The subordinating conjunction so expresses a result:He did not reply, so she left the room. A further group of subordinating conjunctions (as long as, if, in case, providing, unless, etc.) express a condition:We will get home tonight, providing there are no problems on the road.
He will receive the money next week, unless there is a delay. The subordinating conjunctions although, even if, if, though, etc., express concession:They did not deserve to win, although they played well enough.
I will get there, even if I have to walk all the way. Such subordinating conjunctions as whereas, and while, express contrast:This house has no garage, whereas the other has parking for three cars.
Her mother is a vegetarian, while her father loves meat of all kinds. The subordinating conjunction except (that) expresses exception:He'd like to help out, except (that) he's away that weekend. A last group (as, as if, as though, like, etc.) express comparison or similarity:He set to work at once, as though he had been doing the job for years.
They behaved like there was no tomorrow. Some subordinating conjunctions have more than one meaning:The flame flickered as [at the same time as] the wind began to rise.
You must go, as [because] you do not have permission to be here. Note that a subordinating conjunction is normally placed at the start of the subordinate clause it serves to link, often at the beginning of the whole sentence when the subordinate clause comes before the main clause:As you arrived last, you must go to the end of the line.
After they had finished their meal, the family went outside.
Before it started raining, we were playing outside. Correlative conjunctions are conjunctions that include such pairs as either … or and neither … nor and are always used together:You must either agree to our conditions or tear up the contract.
They have neither wealth nor property. These two examples of correlatives can be further categorized as coordinating correlatives, along with both … and and not only … but also:Both the army and the navy must be prepared to accept cuts in funding.
Such an action is not only foolish but also shortsighted. Another category includes the subordinating correlatives hardly … when, if … then, less … than, more … than, scarcely … when, so … that, and such … that:Hardly had the door closed when the ceiling fell in.
If the money is not forthcoming then the deal is off.
Such was his horror at the crime that he immediately handed himself over to the police. Use of ConjunctionsMany people consider it incorrect to begin a sentence with a conjunction such as and or but. Although conjunctions are often used in this manner in spoken English, it is best to avoid their use in formal written contexts. There are some circumstances, however, when writers will choose to break this convention in order to draw attention to a tacked-on phrase or sentence:Such behavior is antisocial. And illegal.
She loves to dance. And how! Note that the use of or at the beginning is less contentious and more frequently encountered:It may rain later. Or it may not.
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