A conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses within a sentence. The three main types are coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS), subordinating conjunctions, and correlative conjunctions.
What Is a Conjunction?
Conjunctions are the words that bind sentences together, creating logical relationships between ideas. Without them, we would be limited to short, disconnected statements. Conjunctions allow us to express that two things are equal ("and"), contrasting ("but"), causal ("because"), conditional ("if"), temporal ("when"), and many other relationships.
English conjunctions fall into three main groups. Coordinating conjunctions join grammatically equal units and can be memorised with the acronym FANBOYS. Subordinating conjunctions introduce dependent clauses and show logical relationships like cause, contrast, condition, and time. Correlative conjunctions work in pairs to balance two parts of a sentence.
Choosing the right conjunction changes the meaning of a sentence significantly. "I studied hard and passed" suggests simple addition of events. "I studied hard so I passed" shows the study as the cause of passing. "I studied hard but failed" introduces a surprise contrast. Understanding these distinctions is essential for expressing nuanced meaning in English.
The FANBOYS — Coordinating Conjunctions
Types of Conjunctions
| Type | Examples | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinating | and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so | Joins grammatically equal elements |
| Subordinating — cause | because, since, as | Introduces reason clause |
| Subordinating — contrast | although, though, even though, while | Introduces contrast clause |
| Subordinating — condition | if, unless, provided that, as long as | Introduces condition clause |
| Subordinating — time | when, after, before, while, until, once | Introduces time clause |
| Correlative | both…and, either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also | Pairs two equal elements |
Conjunction Examples in Sentences
| Sentence | Conjunction | Type/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| I wanted to go, but it was raining. | but | coordinating (contrast) |
| She stayed home because she was ill. | because | subordinating (cause) |
| Although he was tired, he finished the report. | Although | subordinating (contrast) |
| Both the food and the service were excellent. | Both…and | correlative |
| Call me when you arrive. | when | subordinating (time) |
Common Mistakes
Mistakes to Avoid
Despite he was tired, he worked.
Although he was tired, he worked. ('despite' is a preposition, not a conjunction; use 'although')
I like both swimming and to run.
I like both swimming and running. (correlative conjunctions need parallel grammatical forms)
She was tired so but she continued.
She was tired but she continued. (don't stack two conjunctions with the same meaning)
Because of he was late, he missed the train.
Because he was late, he missed the train. ('because of' is a preposition phrase — use 'because' + clause)