Conjunctions


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What are conjunctions?

Conjunctions

Conjunctions are used to join words or groups of words together. The most common ones are 'and', 'or' and 'but'. (There are others - see Conjunctions in the Glossary of Terms.) Often, a conjunction sits before the last item in a list.

Examples:

Jamie, Adam and Lee arranged to meet by The Bull at 7 o'clock.

(conjunction "and" groups "Jamie", "Adam" + "Lee")

It is a small but practical kitchen.

(conjunction "but" groups "small" + "practical")

The manager or his secretary will notify you when the report is ready.

(conjunction "or" groups "manager" + "secretary")

A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal.

(Oscar Wilde)
(conjunction "and" joins both halves of this sentence)

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

(Oscar Wilde)
(conjunction "but" joins both halves of this sentence)

History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.

(Winston Churchill)
(conjunction "for" joins both halves of this sentence)

A dog owns nothing yet is seldom dissatisfied.

(conjunction "yet" joins both parts of this sentence)

Click on the conjunctions:

Errors with Conjunctions

Conjunctions do not normally cause serious errors, but writers are sometimes confused about when to place a comma before a conjunction. Unfortunately, there is no simple rule, such as: Never put a comma before 'and'. (The guidelines are explained in the lesson Conjunctions and Commas.)

Comma before And?

As a rule, do not place a comma before a conjunction (e.g., and) when it sits before the last item in a simple list.

Examples:

She went to the shop for eggs, milk and butter.

(no need for a comma before "and")

It is a large but friendly dog.

(This is a list of adjectives about the dog. There is no need for a
comma before "but".)

Jamie, Adam and Lee arranged to meet at The Bull.

(list of people; no need for a comma before "and")

Carl, David, and Sarah were all witnesses.

(list of people; no need for a comma before "and")

However, on occasion, it may be appropriate to use a comma with the conjunction in a simple list. This could be for the sake of tidiness or to eliminate ambiguity. (This topic is also covered in the lesson Commas in Lists.)

Examples:

The news will be shown after Dangermouse, and Rug Rats.

(People could think that "Dangermouse and Rug Rats" is one programme.)

The train will stop at Watford, Harrow, Pinner, Watford, and Bushey.

("Watford and Bushey" could be one place, like Bath and Wells.)

The emblem is an amalgamation of the British and Irish flags, the Stars and
Stripes, and the Hammer and Sickle.

(The word "and" appears lots of times in this example. The comma before
the "and" makes it easier for the reader.)

STARTING A SENTENCE WITH A CONJUNCTION

In the past, schools were rigid in their ruling that sentences could not start with conjunctions, such as 'And' or 'But'. However, nowadays, this practice is considered acceptable.

I was certain he did it for the money. But, having read his diary, I have a new theory.

I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But, this wasn't it.

(Groucho Marx)

The two most common conjunctions used in this way are 'And' (meaning 'In addition') and 'But' (meaning 'However'). It is usual to follow each with a comma.

Whilst it is acceptable to use 'And' or 'But' to start a sentence, this practice should be limited and only used for effect and impact. If you find yourself using them too often, you should consider changing the style of your writing.

MORE ON CONJUNCTIONS

Conjunctions can be categorised into one of three groupings:

Correlative Conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions appear in pairs. For example, 'either...or', 'neither...nor', 'whether...or' and 'not only...but also'.

This man is either dead or my watch has stopped.

(Groucho Marx)

Coordinating Conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions include 'and', 'but', 'or', 'nor', 'for', 'so' and 'yet'. They are used to join individual words, phrases and independent clauses.

[Drink] makes you shoot at your landlord, and it makes you miss him.

Subordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions include 'after', 'although', 'as', 'because', 'before', 'if', 'once', 'since', 'than', 'that', 'though', 'till', 'until', 'when', 'where', 'whether' and 'while'. They are used to show the relationship between the independent clause and the dependent clause.

Keep your hand on the wound until the nurse asks you to take it off.