A conjunction is a word or phrase that connects words, phrases, clauses, and sentences together. The word and is a commonly used example of a conjunction.
Conjunctions are used to coordinate or link elements within a sentence to ensure coherence and meaning. Without conjunctions, you’d be forced to express every complex idea in a series of short, simplistic sentences
Classification of Conjunction:
There are three types of Conjunction:
- Coordinating Conjunction
- Subordination Conjunction
- Correlative Conjunction
1. Coordinating Conjunction
Coordinating Conjunction indicates to join words, phrases or clauses of similar type grammatical structure. There are seven coordinating conjunctions, which can be easily remembered by the acronym FANBOYS.
Example:
F – for
A – and
N – nor
B – but
O – or
Y – yet
S – so
- He broke his glass and cap. (two words)
- She is interested in reading stories and watching movies. (two phrases)
- I waited for him but he did not come. (two clauses)
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2. Subordinating Conjunction
This conjunction connects a dependent clause to an independent clause. It shows a relationship such as cause, time, condition or concession.
Example: After, Although, As, Because, Before, Even if, Even though, If, Since, Though, Unless, Until, When, Where, While
- She stayed inside because it was raining.
- When I reached the railway station, I found out that the train had already left.
- Although we had parked in the parking lot, the traffic police issued us a parking ticket.
3. Correlative Conjunction
Correlative Conjunction is one of the three main types of conjunctions, which also includes coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. Additionally, there is a type of adverb called a conjunctive adverb. These are pairs of conjunctions that work together to connect balanced words, phrases, or clauses.
Example:
Both…and, Either…or, Neither…nor, Not only…but also, Whether…or
- Either you can come with us or you can stay home.
- My new supervisor not only has exciting new ideas but also helps to bring them to life.
- Neither the boy nor his brother want to do their chores.
In summary, conjunctions play a crucial role in the structure and clarity of sentences by linking words, phrases, and clauses. They are essential for creating complex and coherent sentences that convey clear and precise relationships between ideas.
Above all, we are able to connect several words and even broader concepts and ideas together – allowing us to build complex sentences that can convey interesting and compelling messages.
