English
Conjunctions (linking words) Dr. Ayam A. Taha
Lec.15
▪ What is a conjunction?
In grammar, an English conjunction is a part of speech that connects two words,
phrases or clauses together. You can use a conjunction to link words, phrases, and
clauses, as in the following examples:
▪ The park is empty now, but it will be filled with children after school.
▪ You can stay on the bus until you reach London.
▪ Types of conjunctions
There are three types of conjunctions: Coordinating Conjunctions, Subordinating
Conjunctions and Correlative Conjunctions.
1. Coordinating Conjunctions
a coordinating conjunction “for,” “and,” “nor,” “but,” “or,” “yet” or “so” is used to join
individual words, phrases, and independent clauses.
An easy way to remember these six conjunctions is to think of the word FANBOYS.
Each of the letters in this somewhat unlikely word is the first letter of one of the
coordinating conjunctions.
2. Subordinating Conjunctions
A subordinating conjunction is a word which joins together a dependent (subordinate)
clause and an independent clause. An independent clause is essentially a clause that
can exist by itself in a given sentence which means that it doesn’t need any additional
information to exist.
A subordinate or dependent clause is one which cannot exist by itself as a sentence
and only provides some additional information to the main clause. Sentences where
there is an independent and at least one dependent clause, it is known as a complex
sentence. Subordinating conjunctions are therefore found in complex sentences
where they try to join or link the clauses together.
Common subordinating conjunctions are: Than, rather than, whether, as much as,
whereas, that, whatever, which, whichever, after, as soon as, as long as, before,
by the time, now that, once, since, till, until, when, whenever, while, though,
although, even though, who, whoever, whom, whomever, whose, where,
wherever, if, only if, unless, provided that, assuming that, even if, in case (that),
lest, how, as though, as if, because, since, so that, in order (that), that, as …
Subordinating Conjunctions Examples
The subordinating conjunctions are many in number and we use them regularly in our
daily communication without knowing. Subordinating conjunctions have different
properties and they can be grouped accordingly:
• Those which show cause and effect (that show reason)
• Those which show the significance of time or place
• Those which show condition, comparison, concession, manner, relative pronouns
and adjectives.
Some examples are given below:
• I am not going to work because I am sick.
• I will not release her payment unless she completes her work.
• The government might agree to their demands provided they follow the rules.
• Although she is petite, she has a lot of strength.
• Whenever his wife was out working, he would take care of the house.
• As long as she lived, she took care of the orphanage.
• I won’t be back in Mumbai until early next week.
• The child ran to her mother as soon as she saw her.
Note:
When subordinating conjunctions are used in the middle of a sentence, they are not
preceded by a comma. If you compare this with coordinating conjunctions, we realise
that it is just the opposite of using a comma with coordinating conjunctions. It is similar
to when conjunctions are used to join two independent clauses.
When a subordinate clause begins a sentence, the entire clause is followed by a
comma. But, the subordinating conjunction itself is not followed by a comma.
3. Correlative Conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions which work together to coordinate
two items. They always appear in pairs.
There are many different pairs of correlative conjunctions:
▪ either…or
▪ not only…but (also)
▪ neither…nor
▪ both…and
▪ whether…or
▪ just as…so
▪ the…the
▪ as…as
▪ as much…as
▪ no sooner…than
▪ rather…than
Correlative conjunctions consist simply of a coordinating conjunction linked to
an adjective or adverb.
