Conjunctions are words that join together other words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence. There are three main types of conjunctions:
- Coordinating conjunctions: These connect words, phrases, or clauses that are equal in syntactic importance. The most common coordinating conjunctions are “and,” “but,” “or,” “nor,” “for,” “yet,” and “so.” For example:
- I’ll have the pasta with chicken and broccoli.
- I’m tired, but I’ll keep going.
- Subordinating conjunctions: These connect a dependent clause to an independent clause, showing the relationship between the two clauses. Some common subordinating conjunctions are “because,” “although,” “while,” “since,” “if,” “when,” and “where.” For example:
- I’m going to the store because I need to buy some milk.
- Although it’s cold outside, I’ll still go for a walk.
- Correlative conjunctions: These are pairs of conjunctions that work together to join words, phrases, or clauses. Some common correlative conjunctions are “either…or,” “neither…nor,” “both…and,” and “not only…but also.” For example:
- I’ll either have the pasta or the salad for dinner.
- Neither the pasta nor the salad looks very appetizing.
- Both the pasta and the salad are vegan.
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