Understanding Conjunctions: Types, Functions, and Usage in English
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Conjunctions are words that connect other words, phrases, or clauses, expressing a specific kind of relationship between the two (or more) elements. The most common conjunctions are the coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet.
You can use a conjunction to link words, phrases, and clauses, as in the following example:
- I ate the pizza and the pasta.
- Call the movers when you are ready.
There are three types of conjunction:
Co-ordinating Conjunctions: also called coordinators, are conjunctions that join two or more items of equal syntactic importance. Coordinating conjunctions include for, and, nor, but, or, vet, and so.
Correlative conjunctions: are pairs or conjunctions that work together to coordinate two items. English examples include both .. and, (n)either .. (n)or, and not (only)... but (also)...
Subordinating conjunctions: also called subordinators, are conjunctions that introduce a dependent English examples include after, although, if, unless, s0 that, therefore, in spite of, despite, because, etc...