Grammar Scholar : Understand everything about Conjunction

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English Grammar is very important to get fluency in the English Language. English grammar is the set of structural rules which influence the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given language. A systematic study of English Grammar helps us to understand how words and their component parts combine to form sentences. For this purpose, we have started our series "Grammar Scholar" to make you well versed with the concepts, important rules, and common errors of English Grammar. In this module of the series, we will discuss "Conjunction".

A Conjunction is a word that is used to join two sentences together. A conjunction is also used to join two words together. Let's understand Conjunction in detail by going through the below article :

Grammar Scholar: Conjunction

A conjunction is a part of speech that joins two words, phrases or clauses together. Conjunctions join together sentences and make them more compact. Some examples of Conjunction are, And, But, If etc.

For Example :

John and Peter are good students (John is a good student and Peter is a good student)
‘He is poor, but honest’ (It is a contracted way of saying ‘He is poor but he is honest)
Two and two make four. (The conjunction and joins two words together)

Types of Conjunction

Mainly there are three types of Conjunctions, each of these conjunctions has a different purpose, but these all work to bring words together. The three types of Conjunctions are named below :

Coordinating Conjunction
Subordinating Conjunctions
Correlative Conjunction

1.Coordinating Conjunction :

Coordinating conjunctions are the conjunctions which mainly connect sentence elements of the same grammatical class. The main coordinating conjunctions are: and, but, for, or, nor, also, either…or, neither…nor.

For example :

Jack and Jill went up the hill. (Here the coordinating conjunction and connects two nouns.)
He worked diligently and patiently. (Here the coordinating conjunction and connects two adverbs.)

2. Subordinating Conjunctions :

The conjunction that joins together clauses of unequal rank or importance is called a subordinating conjunction. A subordinating conjunction connects a noun clause or an adverb clause to some other clause. Note that subordinating conjunctions are not used to connect adjective clauses. A subordinating conjunction is also sometimes called a dependent word or subordinator, comes at the beginning of a Subordinate (or Dependent) Clause, and establishes the relationship between the dependent clause and the rest of the sentence.

I told him that he should consult a doctor.

Here that joins together two clauses of unequal rank. I told him is the main clause, and that he should consult a doctor is a subordinate clause which is the object of the verb told in the main clause. A subordinating conjunction connects a noun clause or an adverb clause to some other clause. Note that subordinating conjunctions are not used to connect adjective clauses.

I returned home after he had gone.
I have not seen him since we moved into this city.

3. Correlative conjunctions :

Some conjunctions are used in pairs. They are called correlative conjunctions. Correlative conjunctions are usually coordinating in nature because the sentence fragments they connect tend to be of equal rank. As you know, coordinating conjunction connects two independent clauses. Subordinating conjunction, on the other hand, connects a dependent clause to an independent clause.

Examples are:

Either…or: Either take it or leave it.
Neither…nor: I will neither take it nor leave it.
Not only…but also: They not only looted the shop but also set it on fire.
Whether…or: I don’t know whether I should stay or leave.
Both…and: She is both beautiful and intelligent.
So…that: She was so tired that she could not walk.
Such…that: It was such a hot afternoon that we decided to stay indoors. (Here the correlative connects the two clauses: It was a hot afternoon and We decided to stay indoors.)
Scarcely …when: I had scarcely closed my eyes when someone knocked on the door.
As (many/much) … as: You are not as clever as you think you are.
Rather … than : I would rather read a book than watch TV.
No sooner … than : She no sooner completed one project than she started working on the next.

Note: Candidates sometimes wrongly use when in this structure of 'No sooner' sentences. Remember that sooner is a comparative word and hence it should be followed by than, not when.

Look at the below table to get the better idea of these 3 types of conjunctions :

Coordinating Conjunctions	Correlative Conjunctions	Subordinating Conjunctions
for and nor but or yet so	either...or neither...nor not only...but also both...and whether...or	after before although though even though as much as as long as as soon as because since so that	in order that if lest even if that unless until when where whether while

Some Important Conjunction:

1. Since

The word 'since' can be used as an adverb and a conjunction. When it is used as a conjunction, it can express time and cause.

As a conjunction 'since' means ‘from the past time when’.

Where have you been since I last saw you?
It is just a week since we arrived here.
I have never seen him since that unfortunate event happened.

The conjunction since may also mean as.

Since we have no money we can’t buy anything. (= As we have no money we can’t buy anything.)

2. Or

The conjunction or is used to introduce an alternative.

Is it green or blue?
You can have tea or coffee.

Sometimes or is used as an equivalent to and.

The troops were not wanting in strength or courage, but they were badly fed. (= The troops were not wanting in strength and courage…)

3. If

The conjunction if means ‘on condition that’; ‘supposing that’.

If you want to go there I will take you.
If it rains we shall not go.

'If' can mean ‘when’ or ‘whenever’.

If I don’t wear my spectacles, I get a headache.

'If' is also used to express wish or surprise in the structure if only.

If only I had known that. (Emphasizing one’s regret that one did not know it.)

4. That

That is simply a connector. It is used to express a reason or cause.

His manners are so bad that nobody invites him to a party. (= Nobody invites him to a party because his manners are so bad.)
Bring it to the light so that I can see it better.

5. After

After can be used as a conjunction, as a preposition and as an adverb. As conjunction "after" connects two clauses. For example :

After he finished his studies, he went to America.
He arrived after everybody had gone home.

6. While

While is a subordinating conjunction. It is mainly used to indicate the time. It can also show contrast.

Strike while the iron is hot.

Here the conjunction while shows time. More examples are given below.

Someone phoned while you were out.
While playing football, I sprained by the ankle.

While can show contrast. In the following sentences, 'while' shows contrast.

While some children learn fast, others need extra help.
While Peter is warm and friendly, his brother is quite moody.

7. However

'However' can be used as a subordinating conjunction.

However poor he may be, he is not going to beg.
You can arrange the tables and chairs however you want.

'However' can also be used as an adverb. In this case, it is followed by an adjective or another adverb.

However hard she tried, she couldn’t control her emotions.

Sometimes, 'however' is used as a conjunctive adverb. In this case, it usually goes at the beginning of the sentence and is separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma.

'However' can also go in other positions in a sentence.
He was confident of his success. His coach, however, wasn’t all that sure.

8. Unless and until

Unless shows condition. It means ‘if not’. Until means ‘up to the time when’.

I won’t be able to open the box unless you give me the keys.
I will wait here until you come back.

9. Lest

It is used in a negative sense. In most cases, It replaces “so that……not….”. When we use 'Lest' in an Active sentence, it is followed by should and in passive sentences is followed by should be.

Be careful lest you should be robbed again.
Hurry up lest you should miss the bus.

Correct Use and important rules of Conjunction :

Conjunctions are used to connect words, phrases or clauses. We need only one conjunction to connect two clauses.

1)Except and unless

Except cannot be used as a conjunction in place of unless.

Incorrect: I will not come except you invite me.
Correct: I will not come unless you invite me.

Except is a preposition. It should be followed by a noun or noun-equivalent. For example :

He ate everything on his plate except potatoes. (NOT He ate everything on his plate unless potatoes.)

2)Except and without

The preposition without also cannot be used in place of unless.

Unless you leave my house, I will call the police. (NOT Without you leave my house, I will call the police.)

Without is a preposition. It should be followed by a noun or noun equivalent. For example :

Without your help, I would have failed. (NOT Except your help, I would have failed.)

3)Like and as

'Like' is a preposition. It cannot be used to connect two clauses. It should be followed by a noun or noun equivalent which acts as its object.

She looks like her mother.

'As' is a conjunction. It should be followed by a clause.

She walks as her mother does. (NOT She walks as her mother.)

Some common mistakes of Conjunctions :

1. We need just one conjunction to join two clauses :

Incorrect: As soon as he got the telegram, at once he started.

Correct: As soon as he got the telegram, he started.
Correct: He got the telegram and started at once.

2. When we use a correlative conjunction, the same kind of word should go after the two parts of the conjunction. So, for example, if you use a noun after neither, you have to use a noun after nor. If you use an adjective after neither, you have to use an adjective after nor.

Incorrect: Neither Sam is intelligent nor ambitious. (In the sentence, Neither Sam is intelligent nor ambitious, the word neither is followed by a noun (Sam) and the word nor is followed by an adjective (ambitious). This makes the construction wrong.)
Correct: Sam is neither intelligent nor ambitious.
Incorrect: Neither he is a thief nor a rogue.
Correct: He is neither a thief nor a rogue.

3. When a negative word goes at the beginning of a sentence, we use an inverted word order. That means the auxiliary verb goes before the subject.

Incorrect: Hardly the sun had risen when we set out.
Correct: The sun had hardly risen when we set out.
Correct: Hardly had the sun risen when we set out.

4. Than is a word used in comparative structures. It should be used in the construction no sooner …than. Hardly is used in the structure hardly when / before.

Incorrect: Hardly had he left than his friend came.
Correct: Hardly had he left when his friend came.

5. Because is a conjunction and English does not require a second conjunction.

Incorrect: Because he is intelligent so he gets good marks.
Correct: Because he is intelligent he gets good marks. OR He is intelligent so he gets good marks.

6. Since is a conjunction and it is enough to join the two clauses: He was angry and I said nothing. Therefore is not a conjunction. It cannot connect two clauses. It is a transitional adverb. A transitional adverb should be separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma.

Incorrect: Since he was angry therefore I said nothing.
Correct: Since he was angry I said nothing. OR He was angry; therefore, I said nothing.
Incorrect: He did not come to work. Because he was ill.
Correct: He did not come to work because he was ill.

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