Conjunctions

What Are Conjunctions?

Conjunctions are used to join words or groups of words together. The most common ones are and, or, and but. (There are many others.)

Types of Conjunctions

Conjunctions can be categorized into one of three groupings:

Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions are the ones that spring to mind when people think about conjunctions. They include and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet.

Coordinating conjunctions are used to join individual words, phrases, and independent clauses.

Coordinating Conjunctions Joining Individual Words:

Jamie, Adam, and Lee arranged to meet by The Bull at 7 o'clock. 

It is a small but practical kitchen. 

Coordinating Conjunctions Joining Individual Phrases:

The finance manager or his new deputy from Holland will notify you when the report is ready to send. 

John or his new deputy from Holland will notify you when the report is ready to send. 

(You can join a mix of words and phrases with a coordinating conjunction. Here, the conjunction or groups the word John and the phrase his new deputy from Holland.)

Coordinating Conjunctions Joining Individual Clauses:

A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely

fatal. (Oscar Wilde)

(Here, the conjunction and joins two independent clauses.)

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.  (Oscar Wilde)

History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.  (Winston Churchill)

The word coordinating means of equal rank. Usually, the elements joined by a coordinating conjunction are of equal rank. It is unusual, but possible, to see a mix of these groups joined by a coordinating conjunction.

Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions appear in pairs. For example, either...or, neither...nor, whether...or, and not only...but also.

This man is either dead or my watch has stopped. (Groucho Marx)

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions include: after, although, as, because, before, if, once, since, than, that, though, till, until, when, where, whether, and while.

They are used to show the relationship between an independent clause a dependent clause.