Conjunctions

What Are Conjunctions?

Conjunctions are words used to join clauses, phrases or words together. Conjunctions can help you make compound and complex sentences instead of relaying on simple sentences.

For example

My cat likes milk and fish.

She drinks slowly and freely.

Types of conjunctions

There are three types of conjunctions:

Coordinating conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions help you connect clauses to clauses, phrases to phrases and words to words. 

Actually, there are seven coordinating conjunctions:

And              but                for                nor               or                  so                  yet 

(Also, known as FANBOYS)

Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) | Infographic

Coordinating conjunctions 

 Examples

Lora invited Tom and Lucy.

She’s upset, for she has been waiting for them, too long.

They didn’t show up, so she decided to call them.

Tom likes parties, but Lucy prefers calm.

Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions come in pairs to correlate equal structures. The most common pairs of correlative conjunctions are:

Either. . .or                neither. . . nor                  

both. . . and            not only. . .  but also 

Common correlative conjunctions | Infographic

Correlative conjunctions

Examples

They can give either time or money.

They could neither stay nor go.

He is not only rich but also healthy.

Subordinating Conjunctions

A subordinating conjunction is a word that connects a subordinate or dependent clause to an independent clause. Subordinating conjunctions and subordinate clauses establish a condition, a concession, a place, a reason or a time for the main clause.

Examples

My friend Lisa helps people, although she is poor.

She can accept your proposal, provided that it is convenient to her.

I don’t like violence because I dislike seeing people in pain.

Common subordinating conjunctions

After Although As As if As long as As much as As soon as As though Because Before In case In order that Now that

By the time Even if Even though If Once Only Provided that Since So Supposing Than That Though

Till Unless Until When Whenever Where Whereas Wherever Whether or not While

Common subordinating conjunctions | Infographic

Subordinating conjunctions