What is a conjunction? | parts of speech: conjunctions|conjunction types: coordinating, correlative, subordinating | ELT & ESL

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What is a Conjunction?

What is a conjunction? In grammar, an English conjunction is a part of speech that connects two words, phrases or clauses together. You can use a conjunction to link words, phrases, and clauses, as in the following example:

  • The park is empty now, but it will be filled with children after school.

  • You can stay on the bus until you reach London.

List of Conjunctions in English

There are three types of conjunctions: Coordinating Conjunctions, Correlative Conjunctions and Subordinating Conjunctions.

English Conjunctions!!! Learn useful list of conjunctions in English with different types and example sentences. 

Coordinating Conjunctions

We use a coordinating conjunction “for,” “and,” “nor,” “but,” “or,” “yet” or “so” to join individual words, phrases, and independent clauses.

An easy way to remember these six conjunctions is to think of the word FANBOYS. Each of the letters in this somewhat unlikely word is the first letter of one of the coordinating conjunctions.

coordinating conjunctions

Subordinating Conjunctions

A subordinating conjunction is a word which joins together a dependent clause and an independent clause.

Common subordinating conjunctions List:

Than, rather than, whether, as much as, whereas, that, whatever, which, whichever, after, as soon as, as long as, before, by the time, now that, once, since, till, until, when, whenever, while, though, although, even though, who, whoever, whom, whomever, whose, where, wherever, if, only if, unless, provided that, assuming that, even if, in case (that), lest, how, as though, as if, because, since, so that, in order (that), that, as …

subordinating conjuctions

Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions which work together to coordinate two items. They always appear in pairs.

There are many different pairs of correlative conjunctions:

  • either…or

  • not only…but (also)

  • neither…nor

  • both…and

  • whether…or

  • just as…so

  • the…the

  • as…as

  • as much…as

  • no sooner…than

  • rather…than

Correlative conjunctions consist simply of a coordinating conjunction linked to an adjective or adverb.

Correlative conjunctions