CONJUNCTION
A conjunction is the part of speech used to join or
link words, phrases, or clauses to each other.
Conjunctions help to provide coherence to your
writing by connecting elements between or within
sentences and from one paragraph to the next in
order to most effectively communicate your ideas to
your reader.
Coordinating Conjunctions
Among the three types of conjunctions, this is
probably the most common one. The main function of
coordinating conjunctions is to join words, phrases,
and clauses together, which are usually
grammatically equal. Aside from that, this type of
conjunctions is placed in between the words or
groups of words that it links together, and not at the
beginning or at the end.
Examples:
Pizza and burgers are my favorite snacks.
In the sample sentence above, the underlined word
serves as a coordinating conjunction that links two
words together (pizza + burgers).
The treasure was hidden in the cave or in the
underground lagoon.
The example above shows how coordinating
conjunctions can join together two (or more) phrases.
The coordinating conjunction “or” in the sentence
above links “in the cave” and “in the underground
lagoon.”
How to Punctuate Coordinating Conjunctions:
➢ In joining two words, phrases, or dependent clauses
together, a comma is not required before the
coordinating conjunction.
Examples:
aliens and predators
by the beach or on the hill
what you see and what you get
➢ If, on the other hand, you are linking more than two
words, phrases, and dependent clauses together, a
series of commas must be placed in between the
distinct elements.
Examples:
spiders, snakes, and scorpions
in the bedroom, in the garage, or at the garden
Subordinating Conjunctions
This type of conjunctions is used in linking two
clauses together. Aside from the fact that they
introduce a dependent clause, subordinating
conjunctions also describe the relationship between
the dependent clause and the independent clause in
the sentence.
List of Common Subordinating Conjunctions:
▪
while
▪ as soon as
▪ although
▪ before
▪ even if
▪ because
▪ no matter how
▪ whether
▪ wherever
▪ when
▪ until
▪ after
as if
▪ how
▪ if
▪ provided
▪ in that
▪ once
▪ supposing
▪ while
▪ unless
▪ in case
▪ as far as
▪ now that
▪ as
▪ so that
▪ though
▪ since
Examples:
It is so cold outside, when I decided to leave the house.
Because it is so cold outside, I brought you a jacket.
Correlative Conjunctions
The correlative conjunctions are simply pairs of
conjunctions which are used to join equal sentence elements
together.
List of Common Correlative Conjunctions:
either… or neither… nor
not only… but also both… and
whether… or so… as
Examples:
Both my brother and my father are lawyers.
I can’t decide whether I’ll take Chemical Engineering or take
Medical Technology in college.
When To Use Conjunction?
➢ to show an additional or similar idea
and, yet (coordinating conjunctions)
not only . . . but also, both . . . and (correlative
conjunctions)
after, although, even though, since (subordinating
conjunctions)
➢ to show a contrasting idea
but, yet (coordinating conjunctions)
either . . . or, neither . . . nor (correlative
conjunctions)
although, even though, unless, whereas
(subordinating conjunctions)
➢ to show cause or effect
for, so (coordinating conjunctions)
because, since, if, so that (subordinating
conjunctions)
➢ to show the relationship of time
and, but, so (coordinating conjunctions)
when, whenever, until, before, after, while, once, as
soon as, as long as (subordinating conjunctions)
➢ to show the relationship of place
and, but (coordinating conjunctions)
either . . . or, neither . . . nor (correlative
conjunctions)
where, wherever (subordinating conjunctions)
➢ to show purpose
and, so (coordinating conjunctions)
not only . . . but also, whether . . . or, and both . . .
and (correlative conjunctions)
in order that, so that (subordinating conjunction
