What are conjunctions?
Conjunctions connect clauses, words and phrases together to establish a relationship between the elements in the sentence. Conjunctions also create more structured sentences.
Types
Coordinating conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases and independent clauses that are equal in terms of grammar or structure.
She is brave and confident. (words)
The company aims to provide an excellent customer service by giving training sessions and engaging workshops to its employees. (phrase)
I have a job interview tomorrow, so I must wear formal clothes.
We can easily identify coordinating conjunctions by the term: FANBOYS.
For means ‘because’ and it is formal.
I packed a pair of shorts, for it might be hot.
And connects two independent clauses, phrases and words. We use it to ‘add’ something to something else.
Blood and tears.
Let’s sing and dance.
I was looking at the sculptures, and she was looking at the paintings.
We use nor for negative sentences.
We haven’t been to Spain, nor have we visited South Korea. (an inversion occurs when ‘nor’ is used to join two independent clauses)
We use but to contrast two ideas.
The house is beautiful but far from the city.
I want to go the museum, but James wants to go to the park.
Or gives an alternative option.
Is that Monique or Lucy?
You can choose the black dress, or you can check other dresses.
Yet also shows contrast, but the speaker may be surprised because of the knowledge they already have regarding what they heard.
The bed is old yet cheap.
The salad tasted awful, yet it looked delicious.
We use so to show the result of the first independent clause in the sentence.
We were thirsty, so we drank some water.
Note: you cannot use ‘so’ with phrases.
Punctuation rules
If the coordinating conjunction is connecting two independent clauses, a comma is necessary.
The girls were playing with their dog in the garden, and their parents were preparing sandwiches.
If the coordinating conjunction is connecting two very short independent clauses, a comma is optional.
You can go by car, or you can go by bus.
You can go by car or you can go by bus.
If the coordinating conjunction is not connecting two independent clauses, we do not need a comma.
I’m not good at dancing or singing.
Subordinating conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions are words that connect subordinate clauses to independent clauses to create a relationship between the two clauses.
Punctuation rules
The subordinate clause can appear at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence:
If it comes at the beginning, we need a comma
Because you have many years of experience, you were hired by the company.
If it appears in the middle of the sentence, a comma is not necessary.
You were hired by the company because you have many years of experience.
Correlative conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions are words that work together to connect words, phrases and clauses; we use them to indicate a relationship between two equal elements in a sentence.
We use both…and to indicate and emphasize that two ideas are true. It only joins words and phrases.
She is good in both math and history.
We use either…or to indicate a choice between two options. It joins words, phrases and clauses.
I can either read or write.
You can go either to the mall or to the park.
Either he apologizes to his sister, or she won’t talk to him anymore.
We use just as…so to indicate an idea of similarity between the first part of the sentence with the second part.
Just as you get more experience teaching, so does your creativity to come up with new teaching strategies increase. (formal)
Just as you get more experience teaching, so your creativity to come up with new teaching strategies increases. (informal)
Both sentences are correct.
We use neither…nor to indicate that none of the two options given are true. It joins words, phrases and clauses.
I am neither smart nor confident.
Neither did you do the chores, nor did you clean your room.
I can neither speak in public nor sing in front of hundreds of people.
We use no sooner…than to indicate that an event occurs immediately after another.
No sooner had she returned from work than she received a call from her boss.
No sooner did she return from work than she received a call from her boss.
Both sentences are correct.
We use not only…but also to indicate that there is an extra element in the sentence that is true. It joins words, phrases and clauses.
Tracy is not only a young entrepreneur but also a successful woman.
Ellie and Grace not only bought a house for their mom but also a new car.
Not only did you come to see me, but you also bought me a bouquet of flowers.
We use not…but to contrast two different ideas.
They are not friends but enemies.
We use such…that to indicate a result of a situation.
I bought such an expensive dress that I spent all the money I had saved.
We use whether…or to indicate doubt between two possibilities.
We’ll go to your graduation whether you like it or not.
Whether or not you like it, we’ll go to your graduation.
Whether you like it, or you don’t, we’ll go to your graduation.
The three sentences are correct.
They can’t decide whether to have pasta or pizza for dinner.
Whether you buy a car or (you) rent one, the decision is up to you.
We use would rather…than to indicate preference between two options.
Aubrey would rather be her own boss than follow orders from someone else.
Punctuation rules
If the clauses are both independent and joined by a correlative conjunction, we need a comma to separate them.
We not only booked a good hotel, but we also looked for touristic places.
For words and phrases, we do not need a comma.
The teddy bear is not only small but also cute.
Subject-verb agreement
When there are two subjects joined with correlative conjunctions, you must follow these rules:
If the subjects are both singular, the verb that follows must be singular.
Not only Jade but also Lydia wants to see me.
If the subjects are both plural, the verb that follows must be plural.
Not only the cats but also the dogs are playing with the new toys.
If the first subject is singular and the second subject is plural, the verb that follows must be plural.
Either this apple or these strawberries are suitable for making a pie.
If the first subject is plural and the second subject is singular, the verb that follows must be singular.
Not only your brother’s friends but also your dad is throwing a surprise party for him.
Pronoun agreement
If the subjects are both singular, the pronoun must be singular.
Neither Jade nor Lydia lent me her English book.
If the subjects are both plural, the pronoun must be plural.
Neither your brothers nor sisters finished their meals.
If the first subject is singular and the second subject is plural, the pronoun must be plural.
Neither the teacher nor the students understood their assignment.
If the first subject is plural and the second subject is singular, the pronoun must be singular.
Neither my friends nor I shared my notes with Alan.
Read more about the other parts of speech: