Top 3 Conjunctions in English

Learning about the Conjunctions "And," "Or," and "But"

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The three most common conjunctions in English are "and," "or," and "but." In this lesson, we will focus on these three conjunctions, but before we do, let's cover some key points about conjunctions.

In English, there are more than 50 common conjunctions, which are divided into three categories:

(1) Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions join like with like. For example, they join a noun with another noun, an adjective with another adjective, or a phrase with another phrase.

Jack and Jill visited Paris.
The dog is loud but friendly.
I cannot eat fish with eyes or octopus tentacles.

(2) Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions join subordinate clauses to main clauses. Common examples are "although," "because," "if," "since," "unless," "until," and "while."

Grill the cheese until it bubbles.
If the sharks return, climb onto the rocks.

(3) Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are used in pairs to join alternatives or equal elements. The most common pairs are "either/or," "neither/nor," and "not only/but also."

I will sell either my watch or my bike.
She cannot not only sing but also dance.

"And," "Or," and "But"

The three most common conjunctions in English are "and," "or," and "but." All three are coordinating conjunctions. In short, they are used as follows:

"And" is used for addition.

Please buy me an apple and a pear.

"Or" is used for choices or alternatives.

Please buy me an apple or a pear.

"But" is used for contrast.

Please buy me an apple but not a pear.

Table of Contents

10 Example Sentences Using "And"
10 Example Sentences Using "Or"
10 Example Sentences Using "But"
Interactive Exercise
"And," "Or," and "But" in Other Languages
Common Questions about "And," "Or" and "But"

Can you start a sentence with "and"?
Is there a comma before "and"?
Does "or" make the subject plural?

Test Time!

10 Example Sentences Using "And"

Here are 10 simple sentences with the coordinating conjunction "and." Remember that "and" is used for addition.

Tom and Jerry are friends.
Toby likes apples and bananas.
John plays soccer and basketball on weekends.
The cat is small and fluffy.
I wear my hat and gloves when it's cold.
I have a pen and a pencil in my bag.
We eat breakfast and then go to school.
Anne watches TV and does her homework in the evening.
We listen to music and read books in our free time.
The sky is blue, and the grass is green.

Notice that the word "and" can join two single words (e.g., a noun with another noun, an adjective with another adjective, a verb with another verb), two phrases, and even two clauses. However, when teaching "and" to beginners, focus on how "and" adds one thing to another.

Also, notice that there is a comma before "and" in the last example. This is correct because the "and" joins two independent clauses (i.e., two clauses that could be standalone sentences). In other words, "The sky is blue" could be a sentence, and "the grass is green" could be a sentence. This is a technical point that you could raise with advanced students.

10 Example Sentences Using "Or"

Here are 10 simple sentences with the coordinating conjunction "or." Remember that "or" is used for alternatives.

Do you want tea or coffee?
Do you prefer summer or winter?
You can have an apple or a banana.
Should we go to the park or the zoo?
Shall I paint the door red or blue?
Would you like to play outside or in the garden?
Should I wear the green shirt or the yellow one?
Shall we travel by bus or train?
Will you play soccer or will you do your homework this afternoon?
You can watch a movie, or you can read a book.

Notice that the word "or" can join two single words, two phrases, and even two clauses. However, when teaching "or" to beginners, focus on how "or" presents an alternative.

Once again, notice that there is a comma before "or" in the last example. As before with "and," this is correct because the "or" joins two independent clauses.

10 Example Sentences Using "But"

Here are 10 simple sentences with the coordinating conjunction "but." Remember that "but" is used for contrast.

The cat is old but playful.
The shirt is nice but too expensive.
This spider is small but dangerous.
I want to go outside but it is raining.
He likes to read books but not magazines.
I tried to call you but there was no answer.
The robot is now fast but inaccurate.
They wanted to stay but had to leave early.
She can cook, but she prefers to bake.
The food is tasty, but it is too expensive.

As before, notice that the word "but" can join two single words, two phrases, and even two clauses. However, when teaching "but" to beginners, focus on how it offers a contrast.

Notice that there is a comma before "but" in the last two examples. This is correct because, in each example, the "but" joins two independent clauses.

Interactive Exercise

It's your go. Select the correct conjunction:

"And," "Or," and "But" in Other Languages

The concepts of addition, alternative, and contrast ("and," "or," and "but" respectively) are usually well understood by students, even if they can't explain the conjunctions using these terms. If you're teaching non-English speaking students, the following table of common translations might help you kickstart this lesson.

	French	German	Spanish	Italian	Russian	Arabic
and	et	und	y	e	и (i)	و (wa)
or	ou	oder	o	o	или (ili)	أو ('aw)
but	mais	aber	pero	ma	но (no)	لكن (lakin)

Common Questions about "And," "Or" and "But"

Below are the answers to some common questions related to "and," "or," and "but." These are just the quick answers. Each of these points has its own lesson with an interactive test.

Can you start a sentence with "and"?

Yes. You can start a sentence with "And." However, when you do this, you are not using "and" as a conjunction but as a conjunctive adverb like "however," "in addition," and "consequently."

You cannot swim in the lake. And, do not feed the ducks!

You can also use "or" and "but" in the same way. Read more about starting sentences with "conjunctions."

Is there a comma before "and"?

The answer to this question is quite complicated. Here is the simplest version I can muster:

When "and" joins two things, do not use a comma unless those two things are independent clauses.

For example:

I like apples and pears.
I like apples, and he likes pears.

When "and" joins more than two things, do not use a comma unless your geographic region uses the Oxford Comma (also called the "serial comma").

For example:

I like apples, pears and cherries. ()
I like apples, pears, and cherries. ()

These comma rules apply equally to "or" and "but." Read more about using commas before conjunctions.

Does "or" make the subject plural?

This learning point has been framed like a question, but, in reality, this is not a common question. It is, however, the right question to ask to avoid a common writing error on subject-verb agreement. Look at this example: