PARTS OF SPEECH: CONJUNCTIONS

 

CONJUNCTIONS

 

 

What is a Conjunction?

 

·        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.

 

·        Conjunctions are three types basically. They are Co-ordinate Conjunctions, Subordinate Conjunctions and Correlative Conjunctions.

 

COORDINATE CONJUCTIONS:

·        Coordinate Conjunctions are those conjunctions which are used to join words or sentences of equal ranks. These are and, but, or, too, also, besides, so etc.

 

·        We use and to link two clauses

 

·        She teaches English and Mathematics

 

·        He studied hard but failed

·        She teaches English. She teaches Mathematics too/as well Also usually goes in mid position in the sentence

·        She teaches English and she also teaches Mathematics Besides means in addition to

·        She teaches English besides Mathematics

·        You can go right or left.

 

·        We use so to express a result

 

·        It hasn’t rained for ages, so the ground is very dry

 

·        Therefore is a little formal. It often goes in mid position, but it can go in front or end or after the subject

 

·        There has been no rainfall for some time. The ground is therefore dry.

·        We usually repeat the subject after so

 

·        We lost our way, so we were late

 

·        The ground is so dry that the plants are dying.

 

SUBORDINATE CONJUCTIONS:

 

·        Subordinate Conjunctions are those conjunctions which are used to join words or sentences of unequal ranks. These are: as, till, because, unless, if, although, even though, though etc.

 

·        We use and to link two clauses

 

·        As he is ill, he cannot come to school

 

·        If you work hard, you will pass

·        Wait here till I come back

·        She cannot stand because she is very weak

·        Unless you work hard, you will not pass

·        Although the great fire destroyed, only six people died.

·        My father works hard, even though he is sixty (even though is more emphatic than although)

·        We found a school, but it was closed (but always comes before clause)

 

·        We found a school, it was closed though(though comes after clause)

 

CORRELATIVE CONJUCTIONS:

 

·        Correlative Conjunctions are those conjunctions which are used in pairs. They are either….or, neither…nor, so….that, both….and, not only….but also, no

 

·        sooner….then, not….or

 

·        Either….or is more emphatic than or; either...or is used to choose one out of two.

 

·        You can go either right or left.

 

·        I have either left my bag on the bus or at the office Either is negative in the following case

 

·        I have no money, I have no land either. Neither….nor is negative and is used to choose none from two

 

·        The road was closed. I could go neither right nor left

 

·        She teaches not only English but also Mathematics Conjunctions with words meaning:

	Word meaning and	Word meaning or	Word meaning but	Word meaning so
			But, though,
	And, too, as well		however,
	(as), either, also, in		nevertheless, even	So, therefore, as a
	addition (to),	Or, either..or…,	so, all the same,
	besides, furthermore,		although, even	result (of), in
	moreover,	neither…..nor….	though, in spite of,	consequence (of)
	both…and…., not		despite, whereas,
	only…..but also….		while, on the other
			hand

 

Agreement Features (Conjunctions)

 

·        The function of or is to express an alternative or choice and of and to express addition and continuation. Care must be taken not to use the one where the other ought to be used. Ex.

 

o   The choice is between glorious death or shameful life (wrong, say, glorious death and shameful life)

 

·        Use conjunction both followed by its proper correlative and place both immediately before the words to which it refers

 

o   Both John and as well as his father were present, (wrong, say, Both John and his father were present)

 

o   Lions are both found in Africa and in India (wrong)

 

o   Lions are found both in Africa and in India (correct)

 

o   Both John and his father were not present there (wrong, because both has positive sense and can’t be used in negative sense, in such case use neither…nor i.e., Neither John nor his father were present)

 

·        Do not use thought and but together,

 

o   Though he is hardworking, but he can’t pass this year (omit but)

 

·        Hardly or Scarcely are followed by when or before not by but, than or that

 

o   He had scarcely reached his home than it began to rain (wrong)

 

o   He had scarcely reached his home when it began to rain

 

o   He had hardly finished his project when (or before) another was given

 

·        No sooner is followed by than Ex.

 

o   No sooner did he finished his speech than the audience began applauding

 

·        After the adjective other the only word that can be correctly used is than

 

o   He had no other object but to get back his money (wrong)

 

o   He had no other object than to get back his money

 

o   She had no other claim to the post except her good looks (wrong)

 

o   She had no other claim to the post than her good looks

 

·        If such is used as a pronoun in the beginning of sentence, it should be followed not by as but by the conjunction that

 

o   Such was her ambition that she found nothing to satisfy her (correct)

 

·        Unless means if not and therefore, it should not be used in a sentence or clause which is already negative

 

o   Unless you do not work hard you will fail in the exam (wrong)

o   Unless you work hard you will fail in the exam

 

·        The same conjunction can’t do the same function of two adjectives, one of which is comparative and the other positive, Ex.,

 

o   She is as good, if not better than her sister (wrong)

 

o   She is as good as, if not better than her sister (correct)

 

·        Lest expresses a negative purpose (so that….not) and therefore it should not be followed by not

 

o   Walk slowly, lest you should not fall (wrong)

 

o   Walk slowly, lest you should fall (correct, also note that lest takes should)

 

o   He fled, lest he should be killed

 

·        When suppose is used in the beginning of a sentence, it is not followed by if

 

o   Supposing if she comes to your house, how will you face her (wrong)

 

o   Supposing she comes to your house, how will you face her (correct)

 

·        When the conjunction when, while, before, till, after are used in subordinate clauses with reference to some future event, they are not followed by a verb in the future tense, even when the verb in the principle clause is in the future

 

o   When I shall see her, I will pass your message (wrong)

 

o   When I see her, I will pass your message (correct)

 

o   When I had reached the station, the train had left (wrong)

 

o   When I reached the station, the train had left