Conjunctions are words used to connect words, phrases, or clauses within a sentence. They help in joining different parts of a sentence to make it more coherent and meaningful.
Types of Conjunctions:
Coordinating Conjunctions: These conjunctions join words, phrases, or independent clauses of equal importance.
- Examples:
- And: I like tea and coffee.
- But: She is tired, but she keeps working.
- Or: Would you like tea or coffee?
- For: He wanted to go outside, for it was a beautiful day.
- Nor: She neither smiled nor spoke.
- Yet: He was tired, yet he kept running.
- So: It was late, so we decided to leave.
- Just As: She ran fast just as the train arrived.
- Either…or: You can have either tea or coffee.
- Neither…nor: Neither the cat nor the dog made a sound.
Subordinating Conjunctions: These conjunctions join an independent clause with a dependent clause.
- Examples:
- Although: Although it was raining, we went for a walk.
- Because: He went to bed early because he was tired.
- While: She listened to music while she was studying.
- Since: Since he had no money, he couldn’t buy anything.
- After: After she finished her homework, she went to bed.
- Before: I will call you before I leave.
- Unless: You won’t pass unless you study.
- If: If it rains, we will stay indoors.
- Until: He will wait until you arrive.
- Though: She danced well, though she was tired.
Correlative Conjunctions: These conjunctions work in pairs to join words or phrases of equal importance.
- Examples:
- Both…and: Both Sarah and Tom went to the party.
- Either…or: You can have either tea or coffee.
- Neither…nor: Neither the cat nor the dog made a sound.
- Not only…but also: She is not only intelligent but also hardworking.
- Whether…or: Whether you like it or not, you have to go.
- As…as: She is as tall as her brother.
- So…as: He is not so strong as his brother.
- Such…that: It was such a hot day that we stayed indoors.
- No sooner…than: No sooner had he left than it started raining.
- Scarcely…when: Scarcely had she arrived when the phone rang.
Conjunction Type | Description | Examples |
---|---|---|
Coordinating Conjunctions | Join words, phrases, or independent clauses of equal importance. | 1. And: I like tea and coffee. 2. But: She is tired, but she keeps working. |
3. Or: Would you like tea or coffee? 4. For: He wanted to go outside, for it was a beautiful day. | ||
5. Nor: She neither smiled nor spoke. 6. Yet: He was tired, yet he kept running. | ||
7. So: It was late, so we decided to leave. 8. Just As: She ran fast just as the train arrived. | ||
9. Either…or: You can have either tea or coffee. 10. Neither…nor: Neither the cat nor the dog made a sound. | ||
Subordinating Conjunctions | Join an independent clause with a dependent clause. | 1. Although: Although it was raining, we went for a walk. 2. Because: He went to bed early because he was tired. |
3. While: She listened to music while she was studying. 4. Since: Since he had no money, he couldn’t buy anything. | ||
5. After: After she finished her homework, she went to bed. 6. Before: I will call you before I leave. | ||
7. Unless: You won’t pass unless you study. 8. If: If it rains, we will stay indoors. | ||
9. Until: He will wait until you arrive. 10. Though: She danced well, though she was tired. | ||
Correlative Conjunctions | Work in pairs to join words or phrases of equal importance. | 1. Both…and: Both Sarah and Tom went to the party. 2. Either…or: You can have either tea or coffee. |
3. Neither…nor: Neither the cat nor the dog made a sound. 4. Not only…but also: She is not only intelligent but also hardworking. | ||
5. Whether…or: Whether you like it or not, you have to go. 6. As…as: She is as tall as her brother. | ||
7. So…as: He is not so strong as his brother. 8. Such…that: It was such a hot day that we stayed indoors. | ||
9. No sooner…than: No sooner had he left than it started raining. 10. Scarcely…when: Scarcely had she arrived when the phone rang. |
Understanding these different types of conjunctions will help students to construct grammatically correct and coherent sentences.
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