A type of conjunction that joins two items in a sentence:
Two words, e.g.
Would you rather it eats me or you?
I am nervous and jumpy.
Two independent clauses (i.e. two simple sentences), e.g. It will eat me but I don’t want it to.
Coordinating conjunctions show that the two things have ‘equal value’ in a sentence.
There are only seven: FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
Extra information:
Sentences can start with a coordinating conjunction; this is not ungrammatical, e.g. His teeth snapped at my bare feet. But I was safe.
Generally speaking, writing shouldn’t contain many sentences that start with coordinating conjunctions because it makes it clunky: no more than once per paragraph is a good rule of thumb.
A type of conjunction that joins an independent clause and a dependent/subordinate clause together.
It shows that there is a connection between the two clauses, but that there’s an ‘unequal value’ between the two ideas in them: one idea (the subordinate clause) needs the other idea (the independent clause) to make sense, e.g.
I love my brother though I would sacrifice him to the crocodile to save my own life.
I would do this because I don’t love him very much.
Tip:
If a sentence starts with a subordinating conjunction, it means that the sentence also has a dependent/subordinate clause at the start (assuming that the sentence is grammatically correct!), e.g.
As soon as I stepped outside, the crocodile lunged at me
Even though I was wearing crocodile repellent, I was swiftly gobbled up.
Conjunctive adverbs are special words or phrases that give another way of showing that two independent clauses are closely connected. They can be used in two ways:
To show the way that two sentences (two ideas) are closely connected, i.e. using them ‘across’ two sentences.
You do this to show that two ideas are closely connected, but you still keep them in their own sentences. Keeping ideas in separate sentences (and, therefore, having to use use full stops) ‘slows’ your writing down slightly.
Whenever you use a conjunctive adverb, you need to ‘set apart’ the conjunctive adverb from the rest of the sentence, eg.
I had eaten a huge lunch today. Nevertheless, I was sure that I could still at least run faster than my brother.
The crocodile’s head swung towards me. However, I was as still as a frozen ninja.
You can put the conjunctive adverb in three places within an independent clause:
At the start of a sentence, e.g.
I was as still as a frozen ninja. However, the crocodile’s head swung towards me.
At the end of a sentence, e.g.
I was as still as a frozen ninja. The crocodile’s head swung towards me, however.
Note: Even though the conjunctive adverb comes at the end of the second sentence, it still emphasises the nature of the relationship between the first and second sentences.In the middle of an independent clause, e.g.
I was as still as a frozen ninja. The crocodile’s head, however, swung towards me.
Note:Remember: Whether the conjunctive adverb comes at the start, in the middle, or at the end of the sentence, it always needs to be ‘set apart’ from the rest of the sentence, e.g.
I had eaten a huge lunch today. Nevertheless, I was sure that I could still at least run faster than my brother.
I had eaten a huge lunch today. I was sure, nevertheless, that I could still at least run faster than my brother.
I had eaten a huge lunch today. I was sure that I could still at least run faster than my brother, nevertheless.
To show that two ideas a closely connected - and are close enough to be included in the same sentence, i.e. using them within single sentences.
You do this to show that two two ideas (two independent clauses) are connected. By keeping them in the same sentence (and, therefore, avoiding full stops), you are ‘speeding up’ your writing slightly.
In addition to the conjunctive adverb, also you need to use a semicolon. This semicolon requirement is the same as whenever you join two independent clauses in one sentence without using a coordinating conjunction (you have to do this whether or not you use a conjunctive adverb)
As with whenever you use a conjunctive adverb, you also still need a comma to ‘set apart’ the conjunctive adverb from the rest of the sentence, e.g.
The crocodile’s head swung towards me; however, I was as still as a frozen ninja.
I had eaten a huge lunch today; nevertheless, I was sure that I could still at least run faster than my brother.
This means that when a conjunctive adverb is used within a sentence to join two independent clauses, you need both a semicolon before it and a comma after it.
The semicolon shows that the two independent clauses are connected and the conjunctive adverb gives more information about the nature of that connection, e.g.
In the sentence The crocodile’s head swung towards me; however, I was as still as a frozen ninja, the however is communicating the idea that ‘despite something, something else is (still) happening.’
Remember: Whether the conjunctive adverb comes at the start, in the middle, or at the end of the sentence, it always needs to be ‘set apart’ from the rest of the sentence, e.g.
I had eaten a huge lunch today; nevertheless, I was sure that I could still at least run faster than my brother.
I had eaten a huge lunch today; I was sure, nevertheless, that I could still at least run faster than my brother.
I had eaten a huge lunch today; I was sure that I could still at least run faster than my brother, nevertheless.
Extra information:
Conjunctive adverbs vs coordinating conjunctions
Conjunctive adverbs are similar to coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) in the way that they can join two independent clauses.
But because there are more conjunctive adverbs than coordinating conjunctions, they can show a greater range of connections and more specific connections between the two independent clauses.
One way to tell the difference between a conjunctive adverb and a conjunction is that a conjunctive adverb has more flexibility about where it goes. A conjunctive adverb can move around and the sentence will make sense, whereas a conjunction needs to come at the start of the clause, e.g.
I was as still as a frozen ninja. However, the crocodile’s head swung towards me. (Conjunctive adverb)
I was as still as a frozen ninja. But the crocodile’s head swung towards me. (Coordinating conjunction).
I was as still as a frozen ninja. The crocodile’s head swung towards me, however. (Conjunctive adverb)
* I was as still as a frozen ninja. The crocodile’s head swung towards me, but. (Coordinating conjunction - doesn’t work at the end of the clause)
I was as still as a frozen ninja. The crocodile’s head, however, swung towards me. (Conjunctive adverb)
* I was as still as a frozen ninja. The crocodile’s head but swung towards me. (Coordinating conjunction - doesn’t work in the middle of the clause)
‘However’ is not always a conjunctive adverb. It can also be used as an adverb in order to mean ‘in whatever way’ or ‘to whatever degree’, e.g
My brother is a faster runner than me. However, will I survive? I do have faster reactions, after all. (Here it is being used as a conjunctive adverb.)
My brother is a faster runner than me. However will I survive? Well, I will survive however I can. (Here is is being used as a ‘normal’ adverb to mean ‘in whatever way / in any way possible’.)
I will trip my brother up, however bad I feel about it. (Here it is being used as a ‘normal’ adverb to mean ‘to whatever degree / no matter how much’.)