Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
JOHNSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE
CONJUNCTIONS
Conjunctionsareconnectingwordsthatlinkwords,phrasesorclauses.Conjunctionsjoin
similargrammaticalelements:nounorpronountonounorpronoun;verbtoverb;adjectiveto
adjective;adverbtoadverb;prepositiontopreposition;evenconjunctiontoconjunction;phrase
tophrase;andclausetoclause.
1.Conjunctionsallowustoassertmorethanoneactionandtellaboutmorethanone
personorthing,thuseconomizingandvaryingoursentencestructures,aswellas
connectingourideas.Likeprepositions,conjunctionsdonothaveinflection.Because
theyaresosimilartoprepositions,theyaremainlyidentifiedbytheirfunctioninthe
sentence.
2.Thereareseveraltypesofconjunctions.
a.Coordinatingconjunctionsareconjunctionsthatconnectwords,phrases,and
clausesofequalrankorsimilargrammaticalfunction.Thefollowingwordsare
listedbyvariousgrammarbooksascoordinatingconjunctions:
Punctuationwhenusingcoordinateconjunctionsisasfollows:
Whenjoiningtwowords,phrasesordependent/subordinatesclauses,no
commaisused.
Examples:
words:MaryandJanecametotheWritingCenteroften.
phrases:Marycorrectedheressayandhandeditin.
subordinateclauses:TheteacheraskedMarywhathelpshe
receivedandwhyshereceivedit.
Whenjoiningmorethantwowords,phrases,orsubordinate/dependent
clauses,acommaisusedbetweeneachsectionoftheseriesandmayor
maynotbeusedbeforethecoordinatingconjunction.
Example:
Maryaskedquestions,receivedanswers(,)anddidwellonher
essay.
Conjunctionshandout2
Whenjoiningtwoindependentclauseswithacoordinatingconjunction,a
commashouldbeplacedbeforetheconjunction.NOTE:Someteachers
mightallowthecommatobeeliminatediftheindependentclausesare
veryshort.
Example:
MarywenttotheWritingCenter,butJohnwenthome.
b.Correlativecoordinatingconjunctionsfunctionlikecoordinating
conjunctionsbutareusedinpairs.Onepartappearsinthefirstsectionbeing
connected,andtheotherpartappearsbeforethesecondsection.Somecommon
correlativecoordinatingconjunctionsare
(that)...as.
Examples:
ThemoreyouvisittheWritingCenter,themoreyourwritingwill
improve.
NeitherMarynorJohnreceivedgoodgradesontheiressays.
c.Subordinatingconjunctionsareconjunctionsthatconnectdependentor
subordinateclausestoindependentclauses,introducethedependentclause,and
indicatetherelationshipbetweenthedependentandindependentclause.Thefive
meaningswhichsubordinateconjunctionsmayconveyarecondition(unless),
cause(because),time(after),manner(as),contrast(although).Alistof
subordinatingconjunctionsfollows:
aslongas nomatterhow(nomatterwhen,etc.)
Conjunctionshandout3
if theday(minute,hour,year,etc.) unless
wherever while
Subordinatingconjunctionsendinginthat:
inorderthat sothat
Examples:
WhenJohnreceivedapoorgradeonhisessay,hewenttotheWriting
Center.
Nowthatyouaredoingbetter,Ihopeyouwillcomeby.
MarydidwellonheressaybecauseshevisitedtheWritingCenter
frequently.
Punctuatingthesubordinateclauseisimportant.Acommashouldfollowan
introductoryadverbclause.Ifthesubordinate/dependentclauseisnonessential,
commasshouldbeplacedbeforeandaftertheclause.Seethesectiononclauses
forfurtherexplanation.
d.Likecoordinatingconjunctions,subordinatingconjunctionsmayalsocomeinpairs.
Thecommonsubordinatingcorrelativeconjunctionsare
andsuch...that
Conjunctionshandout4
Examples:
IfMaryisnotgoing,thenneitheramI.
NosoonerhadJohnleftthanSusiearrived.
e.Adverbialconjunctionsserveasalinkbetweentwoindependentclauses.Theydiffer
fromthecoordinatingconjunctionbecausetheyarenotlimitedtoonepositionandthey
arepunctuateddifferently.
Examples:
Coordinatingconjunction
Maryiscute,butSuzieiscuter.
Adverbialconjunction
Maryiscute;however,Suzieiscuter.
Maryiscute.However,Suzieiscuter.
Maryiscute.Suzieiscuter,however.
Maryiscute;Suzie,however,iscuter.
NOTE:Thewriterhasseveralchoiceswhenusingadverbialconjunctions.
Notealsothepunctuationineachsentence.
Theprimaryadverbialconjunctionsandtheirmeaningsarelistedbelow:
Illustration: Addition:
forexample afterall
incidentally also
namely besides
thatit further(more)
likewise
moreover
second
similarly
Conjunctionshandout5
Contrast: Qualification:
alternatively certainly
however indeed
incontrast infact
instead perhaps
nevertheless possibly
ontheotherhand
undoubtedly
otherwise
still
Result:
Attitude:
accordingly frankly
asaresult happily
consequently unfortunately
hence luckily
therefore
thus
Summary: Time:
inotherwords atfirst
insummary finally
toconclude meanwhile
now
then
thereafter
Conjunctionshandout6
NOTE:Aswithotherwords,theseconjunctionslistedcanfunctionasotherparts
ofspeech.Remembertoidentifyanywordbyitsfunctionintheparticular
sentencestructurebeingstudied,ratherthanitsclassificationoutoftext.
PracticeExerciseA
Underlinethecoordinatingandcorrelativecoordinatingconjunctionsinthefollowingsentences.
Example:1.MarylikestoworkintheWritingCenter,butJohndoesnot.
2.SusieandJanedidtheirresearchinthelibrary,butJohndidn't.
3.Procrastinatingoverhisstudies,Johnnotonlyturnsinhispaperslate,butalsogetspoor
grades.
4.NeitherJanenorMarywantstoseeJohnagain.
5.Takinghertimeandbeingcareful,Marywroteagoodessay.
6.Usedictionaries,thesources,andgrammarhandbookswhenyouarewritingyouressays.
7.TheWritingCentergaveworkshopsonpunctuationandproofreadingskills.
8.ThemoreJohnprocrastinates,thelessenthusiasmhehasforhishomework.
9.Wearegoingtohavetohelphim,orhewillfail.
10.It'snotsomuchthathedoesn'tknowhowtodothework,asitisthathewon't.
PracticeExerciseB
Underlineallofthesubordinatingandcorrelativesubordinatingconjunctionsinthefollowing
sentences.
Example:1.WhenMarywasfinished,shehandedherpapertotheteacher.
2.Marydoesnotknowifherpaperwillbefinishedintime.
3.Itisasthoughhedoesn'tevencare.
4.NosoonerhadMaryputhercompositiondownthantheteacherhadreadit.
5.Aftershehadlearnedtowrite,Maryfeltconfident.
Conjunctionshandout7
6.Ifyoudonotgetfinishedsoon,thenyouwillhavetoreturntomorrow.
7.Whereveryougo,Iwillfollow.
8.Forfearthathewillfail,Johntriedtofinishhispaper.
9.Assumingthathewasfinished,thewaitresstookJohn'splate.
10.Hewillgowithuseventhoughheissick.
PracticeExerciseC
Punctuatethefollowingsentenceswiththenecessarycommas;notallrequirepunctuation.
Example:1.NeitherBobnorJohncouldfindhispaper.Correct.
2.Thesandwicheswerehamburgersandhotdogsandthedrinkswerebeerandicedtea.
3.WhenwearrivedatthepartySuziewasalreadythere.
4.Marygreetedtheguestsandtooktheircoats.
5.Johndranktoomuchdancedtoolongthenpassedout.
6.Somecouplesdancedwhiletheotherswalkedinthegarden.
7.BecauseheatetoomuchJohnbecameill.
8.Let'shaveanotherpartynextweekandwecaninvitethesamepeople.
9.SinceyoubroughtthefoodI'llbringthebeer.
10.IamverytirednowsoIthinkI'llgohomeandrest.
PracticeExerciseD
Writeaparagraphof810sentencesusingnoprepositionsorconjunctions.