Conjunctions
1.What are conjunctions?
Conjunctions are words that join two separate ideas, or clauses, into one sentence
Clause | Conjunction | Clause |
---|---|---|
I cooked some food | because | I was hungry |
Conjunctions not only join two clauses together but they also tell us how the two clauses are related. Here are some examples:
Clause | Conjunction | Clause | Purpose |
---|---|---|---|
I bought wine | and | she bought cheese | addition |
I was tired | but | happy to have arrived | contrast |
Would you like tea | or | coffee? | alternative |
We stopped | because | we were tired | cause |
I’ll phone you | when | it arrives | time |
and, but and or join two separate ideas and must go between them, other conjunctions can change position:
- Because we were tired we stopped.
- When it arrives I’ll phone you.
2. Sentences with conjunctions and connecting words
Conjunction | Sentence |
---|---|
although | Although he’s very poor he is still generous. |
and | I like tea and coffee. |
as | As I arrived it started to rain. |
As you couldn’t make the meeting, I’ll tell you what happened. | |
because | He goes to the gym because he wants to keep fit. |
but | I read books, but I don’t read fiction books. |
either | I’m afraid Susan is busy and I can’t come either. |
We can either go shopping or visit the museum. | |
even | She gossips about everyone, even her best friend. |
even if | Take extra money on holiday even if you think you won’t need it. |
even though | This film is very popular; even though, I don’t like it. |
how | Do you know how to play chess? |
however | They played very well, however, they lost the match. |
if | If the sun shines, we can go to the beach. |
in case | Take your phone with you just in case you get lost. |
in spite of | He didn’t stop smoking in spite of the doctor’s advice. |
neither | They didn’t enjoy themselves, and neither did I. |
Neither drinks nor food are permitted in this shop. | |
or | Do you like tea or coffee? |
otherwise | Study hard for the test otherwise you’ll fail. |
since | Since he’s lost his money, he’s lost his friends. |
unless | You cannot stop smoking unless you really want to. |
what | I don’t know what to say. |
when | When you’re in town, give me a call. |
whether | I’m going for a walk whether it rains or not. |