What Are Conjunctions?

A conjunction is a part of speech, just like a noun, verb or pronoun. The basic purpose of a conjunction is to combine other parts of speech.

Conjunctions can combine two basic words:

Do you prefer pizza or salad?

I run and play every day.

They can also combine clauses:

Until next month, I can’t afford to go to the movies.

Or, you can take two sentences and combine them into one sentence with a conjunction. For example, look at these sentences:

I can play the guitar.

My husband can sing.

Using the conjunction “and,” you can create one sentence:

I can play the guitar, and my husband can sing.

Conjunctions are extremely common. Once you become advanced enough to put together basic sentences in English, the next logical step is to learn conjunctions.

How to Master English Conjunctions

When it comes to other parts of speech, I might recommend memorizing definitions before learning to use them in a sentence. For example, you should learn what the word “cat” is before talking about cats.

However, when it comes to conjunctions, the best way to learn how they’re used is just to dive in!

Conjunctions don’t always have clear, easy-to-understand definitions. Instead, they have rules about when to use them. So, the best way to learn is to practice using them in sentences correctly. Then, keep practicing, practice again, and practice some more.

There are a lot of English conjunctions, so it can be easy to get confused. The best way to figure out when to use each one is to see and hear them used in real-life scenarios.

27 Common English Conjunctions and How to Use Them

There are three types of English conjunctions: coordinating, subordinating and correlative.

Let’s break up the following conjunctions using each of these three categories. We’ll start with the simplest type (coordinating conjunctions) before moving on to more difficult territory.

Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions are the words that probably come to mind when you think of English conjunctions. They’re the most basic type, and they connect two sentences or ideas together.

There are seven coordinating conjunctions, and there’s actually an easy way to remember them.

Just use the acronym FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

1. For

When to use it: You’re providing a reason for something (similar to the word “because,” which we’ll cover later in this post).

Example sentence:

“I eat at the café every weekend, for they serve the best bagels in town.”

2. And

When to use it: “And” joins two ideas, things or sentences together.

Example sentences:

“I have two cats and one dog.”

“I drink coffee in the morning. I drink wine in the evenings.” This can turn into “I drink coffee in the morning, and I drink wine in the evenings” or “I drink coffee in the morning and wine in the evenings.”

3. Nor

When to use it: When you have a negative statement, “nor” adds another negative alternative.

Example sentence:

“My mom was not happy, nor was she upset. She didn’t care.”

4. But

When to use it: This conjunction connects two ideas, similar to how you might use the word “and.” However, while “and” connects two alike ideas/things, “but” connects contrasting ideas/things.

Example sentence:

“I want to go to the movies, but Sarah wants to go out to eat.”

If you said “I want to go to the movies, and Sarah wants to go out to eat,” that would imply that you and Sarah are going to do both activities. Using the word “but” communicates that you are going to do either one or the other.

5. Or

When to use it: “Or” presents an alternative to an option.

Example sentences:

“Would you rather wear a dress or jeans?”

“We can go to the movies or we can go out to eat.”

6. Yet

When to use it: When you present a statement, “yet” presents an idea that contrasts the first statement logically.

Example sentence:

“I don’t like soda, yet I think root beer floats are delicious.”

7. So

When to use it: This conjunction gives a reason for something.

Example sentences:

“I have to wake up early, so I don’t stay out late.”

“John is struggling in his math class, so he hired a tutor.”

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions are a little more complex than coordinating conjunctions. These English conjunctions connect a dependent clause to an independent clause.

Don’t know what those two terms mean? That’s okay—a lot of native English speakers couldn’t tell you if you asked them!

An independent clause is a group of words that make up a sentence. For example: “I know how to play basketball.”

A dependent clause is a group of words that don’t make up a sentence on their own. For example: “of my dad.”

Subordinating conjunctions connect these dependent clauses to independent clauses. If you add the subordinating conjunction “because,” you can combine those two clauses:

“Because of my dad, I know how to play basketball.”

Now it’s clear that your dad taught you how to play basketball.

Occasionally, the group of words that make up a dependent clause can make up a complete sentence. But for these sentences, the dependent clause still needs to be connected to an independent clause for context.

For example, if the dependent clause is “I wash my face” and the independent clause is “I can’t go to bed,” you can connect them with “until.”

“I can’t go to bed until I wash my face.”

There are a lot of subordinating conjunctions, but let’s just cover some of the most common!

8. Although

When to use it: “Although” means “even though,” or in spite of something.

Example sentence:

“Although she is a great creative writer, she has trouble writing academic papers.”

9. Though

When to use it: “Though” can often be used the same way as “although.” However, it’s more likely to be found in the middle of a sentence than “although.”

Example sentences:

“Though I don’t drink milk, I do pour milk in my coffee.”

“I don’t drink milk, though I do pour milk in my coffee.”

10. While

When to use it: “While” refers to the moment something is/was happening.

Example sentences:

“The mailman delivered a package while you were at school.”

“While you were at school, the mailman delivered a package.”

11. If

When to use it: “If” introduces what to do in the event that something happens.

Example sentences:

“You can eat an apple if you get hungry before dinner.”

“If you get hungry before dinner, you can eat an apple.”

12. Until

When to use it: This conjunction means “up to the point that something happens.”

Example sentences:

“I can stay until 12:00 today, but then I have to go to work.”

“I am on vacation until January 5th.”

13. Whether

When to use it: Use “whether” when expressing a choice between two options. In many cases, “whether” is used along with the conjunction “or.”

You can also use “whether” to express an investigation. In this case, you probably won’t use “or.”

Example sentences:

“I can’t decide whether I want rice or beans.”

Below is an investigative situation in which you don’t use “or.”

John [on the phone]: “Hello, Mrs. Smith. Is Mary home?”

Mrs. Smith: “I’m not sure. Let me check whether she’s in her room.”

14. After

When to use it: Use “after” to talk about what happens in the period of time following something else.

Example sentences:

“I went to church after my hair appointment.”

“After my hair appointment, I went to church.”

15. Before

When to use it: “Before” is the opposite of “after.” Use “before” to talk about what happens in the period of time preceding something else.

Example sentences:

“I had a hair appointment before I went to church.”

“Before I went to church, I had a hair appointment.”

16. Because

When to use it: “Because” explains the reason for something.

Example sentence:

“I’m staying home tonight because Sarah canceled our plans.”

17. Since

When to use it: The primary use of “since” is to talk about the amount of time that something has been happening.

You can also use “since” as a synonym for “because.”

Example sentences:

“She has been wearing makeup since she was 16 years old.”

“He has been afraid of driving since the car crash last year.”

“I’m staying home tonight since Sarah canceled our plans.”

18. When

When to use it: This conjunction refers to the time that something was happening.

Example sentences:

“I loved ice cream when I was a kid.”

“When I was a kid, I loved ice cream.”

19. Where

When to use it: You may know “where” as a word to talk about a place. It’s a little different when you use it as a conjunction.

The English conjunction “where” can be used to mean “whereas.”

Example sentence:

“Where some people don’t care about politics, others consider it one of the most important things in their lives.”

20. How

When to use it: “How” describes the way that something is or happens.

Example sentence:

“Tell me the story of how you and mom fell in love.”

21. Than

When to use it: When you’re comparing two things, “than” can be used to introduce the second thing.

Example sentences:

“He’s much nicer than his sister.”

“I’d rather eat at a restaurant than at home.”

Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are conjunctions that come in pairs. You need both words for the sentence to make sense, and they must be in the correct order.

Here are some of the most common pairs of correlative conjunctions. This is the most complicated group of conjunctions, so I’m including a few example sentences for each pair to help you gain a better understanding.

22. Whether/or

When to use them: I briefly mentioned this pairing when discussing “whether” previously. Use “whether/or” to talk about two options.

Example sentences:

“Have you decided whether you want to wear the red shirt or the blue shirt?”

“Whether we leave at 8:00 or 8:30, we’re going to get stuck in traffic.”

“You’re going to eat your vegetables, whether you like it or not.”

(Note: “Whether you like it or not” is a common phrase for expressing that someone doesn’t have a choice in the matter. It’s probably most common for parents to say to children.)

23. Either/or

When to use them: These words express two alternatives. It can be confusing to decide between using “whether/or” or “either/or,” but here’s the main difference:

“Whether/or” is usually used when you’re trying to make a decision. “Either/or” is typically used to compare two nouns or options.

It’s tricky, but here are some examples of “either/or.”

Example sentences:

“This summer, I want to visit either France or England.”

“Either we can eat Chinese food, or I’ll make food at home.”

“I want to attend either Harvard or Yale.”

24. Neither/nor

When to use them: “Neither/nor” is very similar to “either/or.” The difference is that you use “neither/nor” in a negative statement.

Example sentences:

“Neither Cindy nor her husband will attend the parent-teacher conference tomorrow.”

To expand, you would use “either/or” to say “Either Cindy or her husband will attend the parent-teacher conference tomorrow.” In the first example, the parents are not attending, and in the second example, at least one of them will attend.

“Pat likes neither big cities nor small towns. She prefers small cities, like Greenville.”

“Neither my brother nor my sister is a good singer.”

25. Both/and

When to use them: Use this pair to talk about two related things.

Example sentences:

“I’m studying both theater and communications at college.”

“Let’s order both mozzarella sticks and cheese dip.”

“My daughter takes both ballet classes and karate classes. She likes to be active!”

26. Not only/but also

When to use them: “Not only/but also” is basically a way of saying, “But wait… there’s more!” It’s a way to convey more information, often information that is unexpected or impressive.

Example sentences:

“I want to be not only a wife and mother, but also a doctor.”

“My son not only plays basketball and football, but also takes piano lessons.”

“My dog not only knows how to sit, but also how to shake and lie down.”

27. If/then

When to use them: The words “if” and “then” separate two clauses. Use the pair to talk about something that will happen as a result of something else happening.

Example sentences:

“If Bob graduates from college, then he can apply for the job opening at Google.”

“If I order a medium pizza instead of a small, then I’ll have leftovers to eat tomorrow.”

“Joe is allergic to peanut butter. If he accidentally eats some, then his tongue will swell up.”

Now you know the different types of conjunctions and how to use them.

You can not only recognize English conjunction in a sentence but also create your own sentences with them.

After you memorize and practice your conjunctions, you’ll be able to impress all your English-speaking friends.

What are you waiting for?

Una conjunción coordinante conecta palabras, frases o grupos de palabras en una oración. Las palabras o frases que se conectan deberían ser iguales o similares.

Por ejemplo, la palabra and es una conjunción coordinante.

Oraciones con ejemplos de "and":

We are hungry and thirsty.

(Tenemos sed y hambre.)

He asked us to clean our rooms and wash the dishes.

(Nos pidió que organizáramos nuestras habitaciones y laváramos los platos.)

John works as a teacher and Beth works as a nurse.

(John trabaja como profesor y Beth trabaja como enfermera.)

The mailman is running away and the dog is chasing him.

(El cartero está huyendo y el perro lo está persiguiendo.)

Cartero

Hay siete conjunciones coordinantes en el idioma inglés.

Una manera fácil de recordar las conjunciones coordinantes es recordar la palabra FANBOYS.

F = for

(ya que)

A = and

(y)

N = nor

(ni)

B = but

(pero)

O = or

(o)

Y = yet

(mas)

S = so

(entonces)

Las conjunciones coordinantes siempre se colocan entre las palabras o frases que conectan.

En los ejemplos abajo, las partes iguales de las oraciones que se conectan están subrayadas. La conjunción coordinante está en negrita.

Ejemplos:

I will be late to the party, for I am working until seven.

(Llegaré tarde a la fiesta ya que trabajo hasta las siete.)

Tom likes to read and write.

(A Tom le gusta leer y escribir.)

Sally does not like the mountains, nor does she like the ocean.

(A Sally no le gustan ni las montañas ni el océano.)

I wanted to ride my bike, but the tire was flat.

(Quería montar en bicicleta pero la llanta estaba sin aire.)

Fred wants peas or carrots for supper.

(Fred quiere arvejas o zanahorias para la cena.)

I love chocolate, yet I do not eat chocolate ice cream.

(Me encanta el chocolate mas no como helado de chocolate.)

She was late to work, so her boss made her stay after five.

(Llegó tarde al trabajo, entonces su jefe la obligó a quedarse hasta después de las cinco.)

Reglas para el uso de las conjunciones coordinantes

1. Colocar una coma antes de la conjunción coordinante cuando se usa para conectar dos cláusulas independientes.

Una cláusula es un grupo de palabras que contiene un sujeto y un verbo.

Una cláusula independiente (o cláusula principal) expresa una idea completa. Puede funcionar sola como una oración. Por ejemplo, "I like apples." ("Me gustan las manzanas.")

(Una cláusula dependiente no expresa una idea completa. No puede funcionar sola como una oración. Por ejemplo, "that I saw last month." ("que vi el mes pasado."))

Ejemplos de cláusulas independientes:

Tom walked the dog.

(Tom sacó a pasear el perro.)

Sujeto = Tom

Verbo = walked

"Tom walked the dog" es una cláusula independiente.

Tom grabbed the mail.

(Tom cogió las cartas.)

Sujeto = Tom

Verbo = grabbed

"Tom grabbed the mail" también es una cláusula independiente.

Estas dos cláusulas independientes se pueden combinar usando una conjunción coordinante. Cuando combinamos estas dos oraciones el segundo "Tom" será cambiado a "he."

Ejemplos:

Tom walked the dog, so he grabbed the mail.

(Tom sacó a pasear al perro, entonces cogió las cartas.)

Tom walked the dog, and he grabbed the mail.

(Tom sacó a pasear al perro y cogió las cartas.)

Ambas partes de la oración tienen un sujeto y un verbo (antes de después de la conjunción coordinante).

Aquí hay algunos ejemplos más de conjunciones coordinantes conectando cláusulas independientes.

Incorrecto: I want to go see a movie but my sister has my car.

Correcto: I want to go see a movie, but my sister has my car.

(Quiero ir a ver una película pero mi hermana tiene mi coche.)

Incorrecto: Lisa loves cats yet she does not want one living in her house.

Correcto: Lisa loves cats, yet she does not want one living in her house.

(A Lisa le encantan los gatos, mas no quiere que uno viva en su casa.)

Cuando usamos una conjunción coordinante para conectar dos ítems no usamos una coma.

En el ejemplo arriba con Tom y su perro podemos omitir la coma si no tenemos dos cláusulas independientes. Hacemos esto omitiendo el sujeto en la segunda parte de la oración (he).

Ejemplo:

Tom walked the dog and grabbed the mail. (Tom sacó a pasear el perro y cogió las cartas.)

("Tom walked the dog" es una cláusula independiente pero "grabbed the mail" no.)

Aquí hay algunos ejemplos más de cómo usar una conjunción coordinante para conectar dos ítems que no son cláusulas independientes.

Incorrecto: She likes apples, and bananas.

Correcto: She likes apples and bananas.

(Le gustan las manzanas y las bananas.)

Incorrecto: My brother is young, but smart.

Correcto: My brother is young but smart.

(Mi hermano es joven pero inteligente.)

Cuando usamos una conjunción coordinante con una lista de ítems (tres o más) la coma antes de la conjunción coordinante es opcional.

Deberías colocar u omitir la coma antes de la conjunción coordinante según la guía de estilo que estás usando.

Ejemplo con coma:

She is cooking chicken, potatoes, corn, and carrot.

(Está cocinando pollo, papas, maíz y zanahoria.)

Ejemplo sin coma:

She is cooking chicken, potatoes, corn and carrot.

(Está cocinando pollo, papas, maíz y zanahoria.