Conjunctions
Conjunctions
Conjunctions connect sentences and clauses, showing us the relationship between them. They act as transitions between statements that might otherwise seem disjointed or unclear.
There are two kinds of clauses:
- Independent clauses
- Dependent clauses
An independent clause is also called a main clause. It is a sentence because it contains a subject (a noun) and a verb.
A clause that lacks a subject, a verb, or both is called a dependent clause or a subordinate clause.
Coordinating conjunctions
When two words or phrases are coordinate, it means they have the same grammatical status. Coordinating conjunctions connect coordinate words in sentences:
Example:
They grew tomatoes and cucumbers.
Here, the tomatoes and cucumbers have equal status grammatically, which means that we can reverse their order in the sentence without making any grammatical adjustments:
They grew cucumbers and tomatoes.
Coordinating conjunctions also connect grammatically identical clauses. Most of the time, these clauses are both main clauses, or full sentences.
The seven common coordinating conjunctions in English are most easily remembered as FANBOYS, an acronym that stands for:
- For
- And
- Nor
- But
- Or
- Yet
- So
When a FANBOYS conjunction is used to connect two main clauses, it is preceded by a comma:
It was raining when we arrived, so we waited to unpack the car.
We went shopping on Black Friday, and we got some really terrific deals.
Ishani took a bus, but the train would have been faster.
However, when a FANBOYS conjunction is used to connect a main clause with a subordinate clause, it is not preceded by a comma:
Tami had a cold but went to work anyway.
Here, the second phrase, went to work anyway, lacks a subject, so there is no comma preceding but.
Additional examples:
Lily took her car to the mechanic for a badly needed oil change.
Our team’s victory continued our winning streak and made us eligible for the finals.
Because is not one of the FANBOYS. It is not preceded by a comma.
Lily took her car to the mechanic because it needed an oil change.
The elephants stampeded because a gunshot startled them.
The best way to decide if a FANBOYS conjunction needs a comma before it is to test whether both the phrase before it and the phrase after it are complete sentences. If they are, use a comma. If they are not, do not.
Practice question
Blue skies and sunshine made the outdoors look inviting, _____ the cold wind that slammed into Bob’s face convinced him to stay inside.
Choose the correct answer:
a. And
b. Or
c. But
d. For
e. So
Correct answer:
The correct answer is c.
But is correct because it correctly illustrates the contrast between the two clauses.
a. And is incorrect because it is additive instead of contrasting.
b. Or is incorrect because it suggests choice, not contrast.
d. For is incorrect because it means because and indicates cause and effect.
e. So is incorrect because it indicates cause and effect rather than contrast.
Practice question
In fifth grade, Georgina dreamed of a glamorous _____ she could not be relied on to complete her homework.
Choose the correct answer:
a. Career but
b. Career and
c. Career, but
d. Career, and
e. Career, for
Correct answer:
The correct answer is c.
Career, but is correct because comma + but correctly punctuates two main clauses that contrast with each other.
a. Career but is incorrect because the comma before but is missing, creating a run-on sentence.
b. Career and is incorrect because and suggests an additive relationship rather than a contrasting one.
d. Career, and is incorrect because and is additive, not contrasting.
e. Career, for is incorrect because for means because when a contrast is needed.
Correlative conjunctions
Correlative means that two terms are equal in both meaning and importance.
A correlative conjunction is a pair of words that link two clauses of equal importance. Correlative conjunctions balance sentences by creating parallel structure.
Examples:
Neither the bread pudding nor the double chocolate cake appealed to Clarisse.
Tony wanted not only to attend the concert but also to go to the football game.
No sooner had they sat down to dinner than the baby started crying.
Correlative conjunctions
| as…as | both…and | either…or | neither…nor |
| not only…but also | no sooner…than | hardly…when | just as…so |
| if…then | whether…or |
Sometimes a sentence will omit also so that it reads not only…but. This is grammatically acceptable.
Billie’s pug dog was neither cute nor well-behaved, but Billie loved her anyway.
Or can be safely omitted from many sentences that use whether…or because when there are only two choices, or is implied:
Liza asked whether it was okay to skip the primer coat when she painted her bedroom or not.
Liza asked whether it was okay to skip the primer coat when she painted her bedroom.
As you can see, omitting or not does not affect the meaning because there are only two choices: skip the primer coat or do not skip it.
Practice question
“_____ we can’t have dessert,” announced eight-year-old Tino, “_____ we won’t eat our vegetables.”
Choose the correct answer:
a. As…as
b. Either…or
c. No sooner…than
d. Whether…or
e. If…then
Correct answer:
The correct answer is e.
If…then is correct because it states a cause-and-effect relationship: the availability of dessert determines whether the vegetables get eaten.
a. As…as is incorrect because it implies equality between two things.
b. Either…or is incorrect because it implies a choice rather than a causal relationship.
c. No sooner…than is incorrect because it organizes events by time rather than cause and effect.
d. Whether…or is incorrect because it does not express a cause-and-effect relationship.
Subordinating conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions connect main clauses to subordinate clauses by expressing the relationship between them.
Common subordinating conjunctions
| although/though | after | because | since |
| before | unless | whereas | wherever |
| due to | while | which | if |
| once | as soon as | rather than | just as |
When a clause begins with a subordinating conjunction, it is no longer a main clause and must be separated from the main clause with a comma. It is also no longer a complete thought.
Example:
Greg did not want to watch Terminator 3 for the fourth time in a week.
This is a complete sentence because it has both a subject, Greg, and a verb, did want.
However, if we add a subordinating conjunction, it becomes a subordinate clause:
Although Greg did not want to watch Terminator 3 for the fourth time in a week
The addition of although makes the statement incomplete without a main clause.
Although Greg did not want to watch Terminator 3 for the fourth time in a week, he agreed to please his little brother.
Practice question
Rachel’s interest in artificial intelligence increased _____ she earned an A in her first computer science class.
Choose the correct answer:
a. Whereas
b. Whenever
c. As soon as
d. After
e. While
Correct answer:
The correct answer is d.
After is correct because it organizes events chronologically: Rachel earned an A, and then her interest in artificial intelligence increased.
a. Whereas is incorrect because it indicates contrast.
b. Whenever is incorrect because it suggests a recurring event rather than a single event.
c. As soon as is incorrect because it conveys an immediacy that is not warranted by the sentence.
e. While is incorrect because it means the two actions occurred simultaneously rather than one following the other.