Conjunction: Definition and Examples
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The conjunction is the part of speech used as a “joiner” for words, phrases, or clauses in a
particular sentence. It links these words or groups of words together, in such a way that certain
relationships among these different parts of the sentence will be established, and the thoughts
that all of these convey will be connected.
What are the Different Types of Conjunctions?
In the English language, conjunctions come in three basic types: the coordinating conjunctions,
the subordinating conjunctions, and the correlative conjunctions.
1. Coordinating Conjunction
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.”
What those girls say and what they actually do are completely different.
In this sentence, you’ll see how the same coordinating conjunction ”and” from the first sample
sentence can be used to link clauses together (“what those girls say” and “what they actually
do”), instead of just single words.
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
Lastly, for joining together two independent clauses, a comma must be used before
placing the coordinating conjunction.
Examples:
Cassandra fell asleep, so Joaquin just went home.
I don’t really like spaghetti, but I can eat lasagna any day.
For you to easily recall the different coordinating conjunctions that you can use, you can just
remember the word “FANBOYS,” which stands for:
2. Subordinating Conjunction
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
Sample Sentences:
It is so cold outside, so I brought you a jacket.
Because it is so cold outside, I brought you a jacket.
By looking at the sentences above, you will easily notice that a subordinating conjunction can be
found either at the beginning of the sentence or between the clauses that it links together. Aside
from that, a comma should also be placed in between the two clauses (independent clause and
dependent clause) of the sentence.
3. Correlative Conjunction
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
Sample Sentences:
Both my brother and my father are lawyers.
I can’t decide whether I’ll take Chemical Engineering or take Medical Technology in
college.
What is a Conjunctive Adverb?
Although a conjunctive adverb is not a real conjunction, this kind of words functions as
conjunctions in a sentence. Some examples of conjunctive adverbs are:
in addition
for example
however
therefore
on the contrary
hence
in fact
otherwise
as a result
indeed
still
thus
on the other hand
furthermore
instead
incidentally
after all
finally
likewise
meanwhile
consequently
