WRITING CENTER

Conjunctions

CONTENTS Click on any heading below to jump directly to that topic.

COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS .................................................................................... 1
CORRELATIVE COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS ............................................................... 2
SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS ................................................................................... 2
SUBORDINATING CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTIONS ............................................................. 3
ADVERBIAL CONJUNCTIONS ........................................................................................... 4
PRACTICE ...................................................................................................................... 5

Conjunctions are connecting words that link words, phrases, or clauses.

Conjunctions function to:

• Assert more than one action or tell about more than one person or thing
• Economize and vary sentence structures
• Connect ideas
Conjunctions do not have inflection and can be identified by their function in the sentence.

COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
These connect words, phrases, and clauses of equal rank or similar grammatical function:
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

Note: The acronym FANBOYS is useful to remember the coordinating conjunctions.

PUNCTUATION WHEN USING COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

• When joining two independent clauses, a comma is placed before the conjunction.
Example: Mary went to the Writing Center, but John went home.

NOTE: If the independent clauses are very short, the comma might be eliminated.

• When joining two words, phrases, or subordinate clauses, no comma is used.

Examples: WORDS: Mary and Jane came to the Writing Center often.
PHRASES: Mary corrected her essay and handed it in.
SUBORDINATE CLAUSES: The teacher asked Mary what help she
received and why she received it.

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Conjunctions

• When joining more than two words, phrases, or subordinate clauses, use a comma
between each section of the series. A comma may or may not be used before the
coordinating conjunction.
Example: Mary asked questions, received answers, and did well on her essay.
Mary asked questions, received answers, took notes and did well on
her essay.

CORRELATIVE COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

These function like coordinating conjunctions but are used in pairs. One part appears in the
first section being connected, and the other part appears before the second section.
Examples: The more you visit the Writing Center, the more your writing will
improve.
Neither Mary nor John received good grades on their essays.

COMMON CORRELATIVE COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS:

as...as (just) as...so not only...but (also) the more...the less
both...and neither...nor not so much the more...the more
either...or no (or not)...or (that)...as such...as whether...or

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
These connect dependent clauses to independent clauses, introducing the dependent clause
and showing the relationship between the two clauses.
Examples: When John received a poor grade, he went to the Writing Center.
Mary did well on her essay because she visited the Writing Center.

THE FIVE MEANINGS CONVEYED BY SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

• condition (unless)
• cause (because)
• time (after)
• manner (as)
• contrast (although)

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Conjunctions

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
after before as
unless
although (though) even though no matter how
until
as if once
when
as if if only rather than
whenever
as long as in as much as since
where
as though in case that
while
because insofar the day

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS ENDING IN THAT

assuming that given that now that save that
except that in order that on the grounds that seeing that
for fear that in the hope that proving that so that

Example: Now that you are doing better, I hope you will come by.

PUNCTUATING THE SUBORDINATE CLAUSE

• A comma should follow an introductory adverb clause
• If the subordinate/dependent clause is nonessential, commas should be placed before
and after the clause
Examples: Before the curtain fell, the actors bowed.
Mary, who is a senior, is the lead in the school play.

SUBORDINATING CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTIONS

Subordinating conjunctions come in pairs. The subordinating correlative conjunctions are:
• and such. . . that
• if. . . then
• no sooner. . . than
• scarcely. . . when
• so. . . that

Examples: If Mary is not going, then neither am I.

No sooner had John left than Susie arrived.

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Conjunctions

ADVERBIAL CONJUNCTIONS
These serve as a link between two independent clauses. They differ from the coordinating
conjunction because they are not limited to one position, and they are punctuated differently.

Note: The writer has several choices when using adverbial conjunctions. Note the
punctuation in each sentence in the examples below.
Examples: COORDINATING CONJUNCTION: Mary is funny, but Suzie is funnier.
ADVERBIAL Mary is funny; however, Suzie is funnier.
CONJUNCTION: Mary is funny. However, Suzie is funnier.
Mary is funny. Suzie is funnier, however.
Mary is funny; Suzie, however, is funnier.

PRIMARY ADVERBIAL CONJUNCTIONS AND THEIR MEANINGS

Note: As with other words, these conjunctions can function as other parts of speech.
Remember to identify any word by its function in the sentence, rather than its classification
out of text.

ILLUSTRATION ADDITION CONTRAST QUALIFICATION

for example after all alternatively certainly
incidentally also however indeed
namely besides in contrast in fact
that it further (more) instead perhaps
likewise nevertheless possibly
moreover otherwise undoubtedly
second on the other hand
similarly still

RESULT ATTITUDE SUMMARY TIME

accordingly frankly in other words at first
as a result happily in summary to finally
consequently unfortunately conclude meanwhile
hence luckily now
therefore then
thus thereafter

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Conjunctions

PRACTICE
PRACTICE EXERCISE A
Underline the coordinating and correlative coordinating conjunctions in the following
sentences.
Example: Mary likes to work in the Writing Center, but John does not.

1. Susie and Jane did their research in the library, but John did not.
2. Procrastinating over his studies, John not only turns in his papers late, but also gets poor
grades.
3. Neither Jane nor Mary wants to see John again.
4. Use dictionaries, the sources, and grammar handbooks when you are writing your essays.
5. The more John procrastinates, the less enthusiasm he has for his homework.

PRACTICE EXERCISE B
Underline all the subordinating and correlative subordinating conjunctions in the following
sentences.
Example: When Mary was finished, she handed her paper to the teacher.

1. Mary does not know if her paper will be finished in time.

2. It is as though he does not even care.
3. No sooner had Mary put her paper down than the teacher had read it.
4. After she had learned to write, Mary felt confident.

PRACTICE EXERCISE C
Punctuate the following sentences with the necessary commas; not all require punctuation.
Example: Neither Bob nor John could find his paper. Correct.

1. The sandwiches were hamburgers and hot dogs and the drinks were beer and pop.
2. When we arrived at the party Suzie was already there.
3. Mary greeted the guests and took their coats.

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