Last Updated on October 6, 2021
What is a Conjunction? To help you understand what this part of speech is, and how it is used, this article provides detailed guidance on the definition and examples of Conjunction, and how Conjunctions can be used in a sentence.
Table of Contents
Understanding Conjunction
Conjunctions are known as connective or linking words. They join thoughts, actions, and ideas, as well as clauses and phrases. Each of the three different types of conjunctions joins different parts of a sentence together. Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly used forms.
Examples of Conjunction
Coordinating Conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions like “and,” “nor,” or “so” link equal parts of a sentence, be it words, phrases, or independent clauses. For example:
- He was late for school, so he took a shortcut.
- Her favorite colors were purple and red.
- She doesn’t like coffee, nor does she like tea.
Subordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions such as “because“, “since” and “after” link a dependent clause to an independent clause, helping to show the relationship between the two clauses and emphasize the main idea of the freestanding/independent clause. For example:
- Because it was raining, we had to cancel the class picnic.
- The house was a mess after the crazy party we had last night.
- He doesn’t go skiing any more, since he had the accident.
Correlative Conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions work in pairs to join together words or phrases that have equal importance within a sentence, like “either/or”, “such/that” and “not only/but also”. For example:
- You can have either chocolate or vanilla ice cream.
- He not only plays the guitar but also the drums.
- Such was his strength that he was easily able to move the fallen tree.