What Are Conjunctions In English? Definition, Types, Usage, And Examples

Conjunctions in English link words, phrases, clauses, or sentences and come in three types: coordinating (e.g., and, but, etc.), correlative (e.g., both… and, either… or, etc.), and subordinating (e.g., although, because, etc.).

What are conjunctions?

Conjunctions in English are parts of speech that join words, phrases, or clauses together in a sentence. Conjunctions help to connect ideas and provide cohesion to sentences, making them more coherent and easier to understand. Examples of conjunctions include and, or, but, yet, as soon as, although, since, because, for, if, and when.

Types of conjunctions in English

There are three major types of conjunction in English:

Coordinating Conjunctions: and, but, or
Subordinating Conjunctions: because, although, since
Correlative Conjunctions: both…and, not only…but also, either…or

List of common conjunctions in English

Here is a table that contains the various types of conjunctions with illustrative examples:

Type of Conjunction	Example Words	Example Sentences
Coordinating Conjunctions	and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet	– The book is long, but it is interesting. – Do you want pizza or pasta for dinner?
Correlative Conjunctions	either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also, both…and, whether…or	– Either you come with us or stay at home. – Both my parents and my sister are coming to the party.
Subordinating Conjunctions	although, though, even if, because, while, since, if, when, where, before, after, as much as, as long as, as soon as, so that, lest, unless, until, whether	– She couldn’t see the stage because she was sitting in the back row. – After I finish my homework, I’m going to watch a movie.

Coordinating conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions, also called coordinators, are conjunctions that connect two or more equal items.

Examples:

He plays tennis and soccer
He works quickly but accurately
You’d better do your homework, or you’ll get a terrible grade.

Correlative conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are used in pairs. They work in pairs to coordinate two items. Examples of correlative conjunctions include both…and…, either…or, not only… but also…

Examples:

I didn’t know that she can neither read nor write.
You can either walk to school or take the bus.
Both Sara and James are invited to the party.
Whether you watch TV or do your homework is your decision.
Not only are they noisy but they are also lazy.

Subordinating conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions, also called subordinators, are conjunctions that join a dependent (or subordinating) clause to an independent (or main) clause.

Subordinating Vs. independent clauses:

1. An independent clause is a complete sentence that can stand alone and express a complete idea.
Example: Sarah bought some milk.

2. A subordinating clause (also called a dependent clause), on the other hand, is not a complete sentence and cannot stand alone as a sentence.
Example: When Sarah went to the store…

This is an incomplete clause, it needs extra information to be complete. Here is the complete sentence: “When Sarah went to the store, she bought some milk.” For more information about subordinating clauses, click here.

He reads the newspapers after he finishes work.
Even if you get the best grade on the writing test, you’ll need to pass an oral test.
Although he is very old, he goes jogging every morning.
She didn’t go to school because she was ill.
They went to bed since it was late
As soon as the teacher arrived, they started work.

Is “so” a subordinating or coordinating conjunction?
“So” is a small English word that can have different meanings. As mentioned in the table above, it is commonly used as a coordinator rather than as a subordinating conjunction. There are, however, instances when “so” may introduce purpose, and in this case “so” is used as a subordinating conjunction.

Examples:

“I took my umbrella with me so I wouldn’t get wet.”
” I stayed so I could see you.”

Conjunctions and parallel structure

By using conjunctions, you can craft intricate and graceful sentences while avoiding the abruptness of writing many short sentences. It is important, however, to make sure that the phrases connected by conjunctions are parallel, meaning they share the same structure.

Here are examples of correct and incorrect parallelism:

Incorrect: ~~She enjoys hiking, jogging, and to swim~~.
Correct: She enjoys hiking, jogging, and swimming.
Incorrect: ~~The teacher said that he was going to grade our homework, return our essays, and will give us a pop quiz.~~
Correct: The teacher said that he was going to grade our homework, return our essays, and give us a pop quiz.
Incorrect: ~~To succeed in business, you need hard work, dedication, and being willing to take risks~~.
Correct: To succeed in business, you need hard work, dedication, and willingness to take risks.

In the incorrect examples, the items in the series do not share the same structure or grammatical form. In the correct examples, parallel structure is maintained throughout the series, making the sentences easier to read and understand.

Conjunctions and prepositions

Some words can be used both as conjunctions and as prepositions (e.g., after and before.) The similarity between some prepositions and conjunctions can be confusing for students. Nevertheless, it’s important to note that prepositions are connected to nouns or pronouns. Conjunctions, however, join two clauses or sentences together:

Preposition: We had a walk after breakfast.
Conjunction: We had a walk after we had had breakfast.

Conclusion

Understanding conjunctions and their usage is critical in making your writing and speaking more coherent and well-structured. By mastering the different types of conjunctions and avoiding common mistakes, you can improve your overall communication skills in the English language.

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