Conjunctionshandout1

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:

and nor but yet or so for

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.

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Whenjoiningtwoindependentclauseswithacoordinatingconjunction,a
commashouldbeplacedbeforetheconjunction.NOTE:Someteachers
mightallowthecommatobeeliminatediftheindependentclausesare
veryshort.

Example:

MarywenttotheWritingCenter,butJohnwenthome.

b.Correlativecoordinatingconjunctionsfunctionlikecoordinating
conjunctionsbutareusedinpairs.Onepartappearsinthefirstsectionbeing
connected,andtheotherpartappearsbeforethesecondsection.Somecommon
correlativecoordinatingconjunctionsare

either...or both...and neither...nor notonly...but(also)

whether...or themore...themore themore...theless as...as

(just)as...so such...as no(ornot)...or notsomuch

(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:

after ifonly although(though) inasmuchas

as incase asif insofaras

aslongas nomatterhow(nomatterwhen,etc.)

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asthough once because ratherthan

before since eventhough that

if theday(minute,hour,year,etc.) unless

until when whenever where

wherever while

Subordinatingconjunctionsendinginthat:

assumingthat notthat exceptthat onthegroundsthat

forfearthat proving(ed)that given(granted)that

savethat inthehope(s)that seeingthat

inorderthat sothat

Examples:

WhenJohnreceivedapoorgradeonhisessay,hewenttotheWriting
Center.

Nowthatyouaredoingbetter,Ihopeyouwillcomeby.

MarydidwellonheressaybecauseshevisitedtheWritingCenter

frequently.

Punctuatingthesubordinateclauseisimportant.Acommashouldfollowan
introductoryadverbclause.Ifthesubordinate/dependentclauseisnonessential,
commasshouldbeplacedbeforeandaftertheclause.Seethesectiononclauses
forfurtherexplanation.

d.Likecoordinatingconjunctions,subordinatingconjunctionsmayalsocomeinpairs.
Thecommonsubordinatingcorrelativeconjunctionsare

if...then nosooner...than scarcely...when so...that

andsuch...that

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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

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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

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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.

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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.