What Are Conjunctions

Conjunctions are little words like and, but, and or. They’re used to connect concepts, clauses, or parts of sentences.

I was going to see a movie, but I’ve changed my mind.

She couldn’t decide if she wanted the lemon tea or the rose hip tea.

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Uses of Conjunctions

Conjunctions connect thoughts, ideas, actions, nouns, clauses, etc.

Martha went to the market and bought fresh vegetables.

In this sentence, the conjunction and connects the two things Martha did.

Martha went to the market, and I went to the hardware store.

Here, and connects two sentences, preventing the choppiness which would arise if we used too many short sentences.

Conjunctions can also make lists.

I can’t decide between the blue shirt and the red shirt.

We barbequed hamburgers, hotdogs, and sausages.

When using a conjunction, make sure that the parts which are being joined by the conjunction have a parallel structure (i.e. that they use the same verb forms, etc.)

I worked quickly yet am careful.

Am careful is not in the same form as quickly; this creates faulty parallelism. The verbs need to be in the same form.

I worked quickly yet carefully.

The two adverbs modify the verb worked.

I am quick yet careful.

The two adjectives modify the pronoun I.

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Conjunctions List

Coordinating Conjunctions

for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

Correlative Conjunctions

both/and, either/or, neither/nor, not only/but, whether/or

Some Subordinating Conjunctions

after, although, as, as if, as long as, as much as, as soon as, as though, because, before, by the time, even if, even though, if, in order that, in case, in the event that, inasmuch, just in case, lest , now that, once, only, only if, provided that, since, so, supposing, that, than, that, though, till (or ‘til), unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, whether or not, while

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