Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words that links words, phrases and clauses of the same
grammatical forms.
Words : - dog, go, beautiful, beautifully
Phrases: - my pen, go to bed, eat rice
Clause : - I eat, we play, she goes

There are 3 types of conjunctions

❖ Coordinating
❖ Subordinating
❖ Correlative

Coordinating conjunctions
We use coordinating conjunctions to join two words, phrases and clauses
of the same grammatical type.

Ex:- tall and beautiful (both are adjectives)

cats and dogs (both are nouns)
come and go (both are verbs)
It is not possible to use: - dogs and beautiful
➢ Two words - brother / sister (nouns)
I have a brother and a sister.

➢ Two phrases – my mother / you mother

I saw my mother and your mother.

➢ Two clauses – She didn’t study well / she passed the exam
She didn’t study well, but she passed the exam

It is necessary to use a comma when connecting a series of words, phrases, and

clauses using coordinating conjunctions.

Series of words: - I ate rice, meat, vegetables and fruits.

Series of phrases: -
We went to school, wrote the exam, and play a cricket match.
Series of clauses: -
To prepare dinner, mother made a rice, father made a chicken curry, and I made a
dessert.

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How many coordinating conjunctions are there?
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
F A N B O Y S FANBOYS
For
Explain reason or purpose (like “because”)

For vs Because
• I stayed up all night, for I had an important exam.
• I stayed up all night because I had an important exam.

1. The children were excited, for it was their birthday.

2. She decided to take a break from work, for she was feeling unwell.
3. She loves to cook, for her family and friend.
4. I turned off the lights, for I was going to sleep.
5. I went for a walk, for I needed some fresh air.

And
1. He is a good singer and a dancer. (joining words)
2. We want to buy a new car and a new house. (joining phrases)
3. She went to the store and bought some groceries. (joining clauses)
4. The weather is sunny and warm. (adding information)
5. I went to the park, and I saw many people. (connecting sentences)

Nor
Used to present an alternative negative idea.
1. Neither Kamal nor Wasana is coming to the party. (negative items)
2. She doesn’t like them, nor does Kanchan. (a negative statement and a relative
statement)
3. He has never gone fishing, nor does he have any desire to learn.
(a negative expression and a related negative expression)
4. I will not negotiate with you nor with Kamal. (two negative items)

But
Show contrast.
1. I love sunny days, but I prefer the rain. (contrasting preferences)
2. She is very intelligent, but she is shy. (contrasting qualities)
3. He wanted to go to the party, but he didn’t have money.
(contrasting circumstances)
4. Everyone liked to her, but my parents didn’t. (contrasting agreement)
5. I have all the tools, but I am missing one screw. (contrasting availability)

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Or
The conjunction “or” is used to connect two or more alternative
possibilities or choices.
Connecting alternatives
1. Do you prefer tea or coffee. (linking words)
2. On the chair or on the table. (linking phrases)
3. It is late, we can go by bus, or we can go by train. (linking clauses)

In negative sentences
1. We don’t like kottu or rice.
2. Wasana doesn’t eat fish or chicken.

With singular or plural nouns

1. A pen or a pencil is wanted. (singular nouns)
2. Some apples or some mangoes are wanted. (plural nouns)

Approximate amounts
It should be 50 or 60. (approximately numbers)

Showing that one word or phrase means the same as, explains, or
corrects another
She is beautiful or at least she has a long hair.

Yet
The conjunction “Yet” is similar to “but” or however,” introducing a contrasting
idea.
1. The weather was beautiful, yet we stayed inside.
2. We have so much to do, yet we have so little time.
3. He has eaten a lot, yet he is hungry.

Yet as an adverb
➢ I haven’t eaten yet.
➢ Did you call him yet.

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So
The conjunction “so” indicates effect or result.
1. I was hungry, so I ate all the food.
2. It is dark outside, so I closed the windows.
3. You were sleeping, so I didn’t wake up you.

Subordinating conjunctions
These conjunctions are used to introduced a subordinate clause. It shows a
cause-and-effect relationship between an independent/ main clause and a
dependent/ subordinate clause.
Ex:- Although it rained heavily (cannot stand up along)
Although it rained heavily, I could go to school (independent clause)
There are 3 main kinds of subordinate clauses.

1. Adverbial clauses
when before after while as
until if unless In order to so that
because although though where wherever
like since as soon as where Etc…..

Time
• After the storm, we went outside to check the damage.
• While I was reading, the phone rang.
• Until the sun camp up, we stayed in the cabin.
• As soon as I finished my work, I went home.
• Before we leave, we need to pack our bags.
• When she was five years, her father died.

Place
• Where I am living, it is very quiet.
• Wherever you go, I will follow.

Reason
• Because I was tired, I went to bed early.
• Since it was raining, we decided to stay inside.
• As I am busy, I cannot join you.

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Manner
• As if I were going to die, I woke up in the middle of the night.
• Like I was a superhero, I jumped over the obstacle.

Condition
• If you study hard, you will pass the exam.
• Unless you come, I will not go.
• As long as you pay the bill, you can leave.

Concession
• Although She was tired, she finished work.
• Even though it was raining, she went out.

Purpose
• So that you can learn, I will explain it again.
• In order that you can succeed, I will help you.

Comparison
• As you are tall, you can reach the shelf.
• Like you, I also enjoy hiking.

2. Relative clauses
➢ When we want to give more information about someone or
something in a sentence, we can use a relative clause.
(that, which, who, whom, whose)
➢ Many relative clauses begin with a relative pronoun.
➢ Usually, the relative pronoun acts as the subject/ object of the
relative clause.
1. This is the man who hit me.
2. This is the pen which I lost.
3. She is the girl that I told you.
4. I don’t know whose book that is.
5. This is the school where we go.

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 3. “that” clauses
We use this type of clause to say what someone says or thinks.
Ex :-
1. Kamal said that he would meet you.
2. She said that she was angry with you.
3. Children said that they didn’t steal money.

There are some verbs and adjectives, that do not refer to saying or thinking,
but followed by that- clauses.
Ex :-
arrange check demonstrate determine ensure
indicate pretend prove required reveal
show note clear believe told

▪ She checked that all the answers were correctly.

▪ It shows that most of the students don’t take their breakfast.
▪ Kamal determined that never smokes.
▪ Wasana told me that she met Kamal.

When dependent clause is placed first in a sentence, use a comma between the
two clauses.

Ex:- I am not hungry though didn’t eat anything.

Though didn’t eat anything, I am not hungry.

I will come if you like.

If you like, I will come.

Correlative conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions are pair of joining words that connect two
grammatically equal elements withing a sentence.
Either….or……
We use this when we have to pick one from two choices.
➢ You can play either tennis or badminton when you are free.
➢ She has to decide either me or parents.
➢ He is either a doctor or a teacher.
➢ You can eat either cake or biscuits.

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 Neither….nor
We use this to express negative alternatives.
➢ To give me advice, you are neither my mother nor my father.
➢ She is nether tall nor beautiful.
➢ They nether came nor knew.
➢ Neither Kamal nor Wasana like meat.
➢ Neither you ate nor drank

Not only……but also

We can use this to connect and emphasize two words or two phrases in the same
grammatical function.
➢ He is not only married but also has children.
➢ Sri lanka not only lost the match but also disappointed us.
➢ She is not only tall but also beautiful.
➢ They not only speak English but also Japanese.

Both …..and
Both …and refers to two things or people together. It is always considered plural
in a sentence.
➢ I like both apples and oranges.
➢ She loves both travelling and shopping.
➢ My uncle has both a girl and a boy.
➢ We can speak both English and Tamil.

As …..as
The structure “as …as” is used in English grammar to express comparison,
often indicating equality or similarity. It can also be used to express reason or
result, or to denote how something is done.
➢ He is as tall as his brother. (size)
➢ She is not as good a cook as her mother.
➢ She is as cunning as a fox.
➢ The tea is as cold as ice.

Whether…..or…
➢ Do you know whether she likes meat or fish?
➢ Who knows whether they come or not?
➢ I don’t know whether he took a cab, or he walked home.

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 Such as ….
➢ She eats a lot of fruits such as durian.
➢ You can wear a dress such as a wedding party.

Hardly ….when
➢ I had hardly closed my eyes when she came.
➢ She had hardly sad down when the phone rang.

Scarcely ….when
➢ scarcely had the game started when it began to rain.
➢ Scarcely had I reached the station when the train arrived.

Such ….that
➢ He is such a smart boy that he passes his math exam successfully.
➢ He came to such a sudden stop that we almost hit him.

If….then
➢ If that is the case, then I am not surprised about what’s happening.

No sooner….than
➢ No sooner had he sat down than the phone rang.
➢ No sooner had I reached the station than the train left.
➢ No sooner had I heard the news than I started dancing.

Would rather….than
➢ He would rather come with us than stay here.
➢ I would rather have coffee that tea.

As much….as
➢ She earns as much money as her husband.

Just as….so
➢ Just as she loves reading, so does her brother.

Rather….than
➢ She’d rather stay home than go out tonight.

So ….that
➢ He was so tired that he fell asleep instantly.

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