Conjunctions

What is a conjunction?
A conjunction is a part of speech that is used to connect words, phrases, clauses, or
sentences. Without conjunctions, you’d be forced to express every complex idea in a
series of short, simplistic sentences: I like cooking. I like eating. I don’t like washing
dishes afterward.

Conjunctions allow you to form complex, elegant sentences and avoid the choppiness
of multiple short sentences. Make sure that the phrases joined by conjunctions
are parallel (share the same structure).

 I work quickly and careful.

 I work quickly and carefully.

Types of Conjunctions
There are several different types of conjunctions that do various jobs within sentence
structures.

Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions are the most popular category of conjunctions. Simply put,
they bring ideas together. They can join words, phrases, and clauses of equal
grammatical rank in a sentence.

These words tend to be small, including words like "and," "so," "for," and "but."
However, they serve a very large function. They connect sweeping ideas together,
forming cohesive, comprehensive ideas.

The English language has seven coordinating conjunctions, and they're easy to
remember if you can just remember the acronym FANBOYS:

 For - Explains reason or purpose (just like "because")

I go to the park every Sunday, for I long to see his face.
 And - Adds one thing to another
I like to read, and I write faithfully in my journal every night.
 Nor - Used to present an alternative negative idea to an already stated negative idea
I neither love nor hate to watch TV.
 But - Shows contrast
Television is a wonderful escape, but it interferes with my writing.
 Or - Presents an alternative or a choice
Would you rather read a book or watch a good TV show?
 Yet - Introduces a contrasting idea that follows the preceding idea logically (similar to
"but")
I always take a book to the beach, yet I never seem to turn a single page.
 So - Indicates effect, result or consequence
I like to read, so my grammar is always on-point.

Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions that work together. They come in
pairs, and you have to use both of them in different places in a sentence to make them
work. These conjunctions work together (co-) and relate one sentence to another.
Correlative conjunctions connect two equal grammatical terms. So, if a noun follows
"both," then a noun should also follow "and."

Common pairs include:

 both/and
 whether/or
 either/or
 neither/nor
 not/but
 not only/but also

Example Sentences Using Correlative Conjunctions

To best understand how to use correlative conjunctions correctly, study these

sentence examples:

 I want either the pink sofa or the purple one.

 I'll study both English literature and art history.
 I didn't know whether you'd want milk or cream, so I grabbed both.
 Why do you want to visit neither Ireland nor Scotland?
 I took not only the pink sofa but also the Tiffany lamp.
 Not the cheeseburger for me, but definitely the fries.

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions join independent and dependent clauses. A subordinating

conjunction can signal a cause-and-effect relationship, a contrast, or some other kind

of relationship between the clauses. Common subordinating conjunctions are because,

since, as, although, though, while, and whereas. Sometimes an adverb, such as until,
after, or before can function as a conjunction.

A subordinating conjunction always introduces a dependent clause, tying it to an

independent clause. A dependent clause is a group of words that cannot stand alone as
a complete sentence. An independent clause, by contrast, can stand alone as a
complete sentence.

Unlike coordinating conjunctions, subordinate conjunctions can often come first in a

sentence. This is because of the nature of the relationship between the dependent and
the independent clause.

In English, there are lots of subordinating conjunctions. Here are the most common
examples:

although as because
before how if
once since than
that though until
when whenever where
whether while why
 Examples of Subordinating Conjunctions in a
Sentence
Here are some example sentences utilizing several subordinating conjunctions:

 Because of him, I learned how to start my own business.

 Everything will fall into place if you start at the beginning,
 Until you try, you'll never know.
 I add a new entry to my gratitude journal when I wake in the morning,
 As I write this letter, I know I must say goodbye.
 Life's been so happy since I moved to Chile.

 I can stay out until the clock strikes twelve.

Here, the adverb until functions as a coordinating conjunction to connect two ideas: I

can stay out (the independent clause) and the clock strikes twelve (the dependent
clause). The independent clause could stand alone as a sentence; the dependent clause

depends on the independent clause to make sense.

The subordinating conjunction doesn’t need to go in the middle of the sentence. It has

to be part of the dependent clause, but the dependent clause can come before the

independent clause.

 Before he leaves, make sure his room is clean.

If the dependent clause comes first, use a comma before the independent clause.

 I drank a glass of water because I was thirsty. Because I was thirsty, I drank a
glass of water.
 Preposition
A preposition is an important part of the English language. It is used to show a
relationship between the noun and pronoun in a sentence. A preposition must always
be followed by a noun or pronoun in a sentence. It can never be followed by a verb.
There are many preposition examples that will make it easy to understand how the
parts of a sentence fit together and how the rules apply when it comes to using a
preposition in a sentence.

Simple Prepositions
Simple prepositions are words like at, for, in, off, on, over, and under. These common
prepositions can be used to describe a location, time or place.

Direction: Look to the left and you’ll see our destination.

Time: We’ve been working since this morning.

Location: We saw a movie at the theater.

Space: The dog hid under the table.

Some examples of common prepositions used in sentences are:

 He sat on the chair.
 There is some milk in the fridge.
 She was hiding under the table.
 The cat jumped off the counter.
 He drove over the bridge.
 She lost her ring at the beach.

Double Prepositions
Double prepositions are two simple prepositions used together, often indicating
direction. Some examples are into, upon, onto, out of, from within.
 Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess.
 The baby climbed onto the table.
 It is up to us to find the answer.
 The loud noise came from within the stadium.
 She never leaves without her phone.
 The bird sat atop the oak tree.
 Compound Prepositions
Compound prepositions (or complex prepositions) consist of two or more words,
usually a simple preposition and another word, to convey location. Some examples
are in addition to, on behalf of, and in the middle of.
 She sat across from Marie.
 I attended the meeting on behalf of my company.
 We were in the middle of the storm.
 He has gym class in addition to his regular classes today.
 He picked up the penny from beneath the couch.
 Aside from singing, she also plays the piano at the bar.
 My car is parked in front of the mailbox.

Participle Prepositions
Participle prepositions have endings such as -ed and -ing. Examples are words such
as considering, during, concerning, provided.
 She is interested in anything concerning horses.
 He works one job during the day and another at night.
 The dog kept following him home.
 All the neighbors were there including the new one.
 The principal was asking questions regarding her behavior.
 Considering his age, he did a great job.
 He was frustrated at the situation.
 The teacher said no talking during class.

Phrase Prepositions
Phrase prepositions (or prepositional phrases) include a preposition, an object, and the
object's modifier. Examples include phrases like on time, at home, before class, and on
the floor.
 I will get to the conference on time.
 The baseball game was canceled after the heavy rain.
 John found his homework under the bed.
 The children loved the gifts from their grandparents.
 He succeeded with a little help.
 We met to discuss the project before class.
 She left muddy footprints on the clean floor.
 According to his wishes, his funeral will be private.
Using Prepositions
Prepositions are words that show relationships. A sentence would not make sense

without the use of a preposition. There are different types of prepositions used in the

English language that not only add detail but make a sentence complete. Prepositions
are used to show location, time, direction, cause and possession. Unfortunately,

there’s no reliable formula for determining which preposition to use with a

particular combination of words. The best way to learn which prepositions go
with which words is to read as much high-quality writing as you can and pay
attention to which combinations sound right.
 Interjection
An interjection is one of the eight major parts of speech, along
with verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions. Some
grammarians believe interjections are the least important part of speech. That might
be because interjections aren't generally required in order for the meaning of a
sentence to be clear.

Interjections, like "wow" and "ouch," are solely designed to convey emotion in an
abrupt and exclamatory way. They express meaning or feeling in a word or two. They
do not relate grammatically to the other parts of the sentence, nor do they help the
reader understand the relationship between words and phrases in the sentence.

Instead, interjections simply convey the way the author (or speaker) is feeling.
Interjections are rarely used in academic or formal writing; they're more common in
fiction or artistic writing. They're usually, but not always, offset by an exclamation
point (which is also used to show emotion).

Types of Interjections

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of interjections in the English language.
Most are designed to express strong emotions, such as love, hate, surprise, happiness,
anger, enthusiasm, disgust, boredom, confusion, or unhappiness. However, this isn't
always true. Some interjections can express either a mild emotion, or can be
expressions, such as "Excuse me."

A sample list of interjections includes words such as:

 Aha
 Boo
 Crud
 Dang
 Eew
 Gosh
 Goodness
 Ha
 Oops
 Oh no
 Ouch
 Rats
 Shoot
 Uh-huh
 Ugh
 Yikes
 Yuck
 Yup

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is representative of the types of

interjections you may use on a daily basis.

Use of Interjections
You'll find interjections at the beginning of sentences, in the middle of sentences, at
the end of sentences, and sometimes as standalone sentences on their own.

Beginning of Sentences

Interjections are commonly used at the beginning of the sentence. They're also
associated with a punctuation mark designed to convey emotion: the exclamation
point.

For example:

 "Yikes, I didn't realize that there was a test on grammar today!"

 "Oh no, I can't believe that it is snowing here again!"
 "Wow, this is such a pleasant surprise!"

In these sentences, the interjection ("yikes", "oh no" and "wow") appear at the
beginning of the sentence. In addition, the emotion is strong and the sentence itself
ends with an exclamation point to illustrate that..
 Middle or End of Sentences

Interjections don't always have to be at the beginning of a sentence. They can appear in
the middle, at the end, or anywhere else where the author wants to interject a bit of
feeling and emotion. For example:

 "So, it's snowing again, huh?"

The interjection is found at the end of this sentence. The interjection "huh" is designed
to express confusion (or perhaps dismay) at the continued snow falling. In this example,
the emotion wasn't an emotion that necessitated an exclamation point--instead, the
interjection turned the sentence into a question.

Here's another example:

 "In my opinion, my gosh, this is just the smartest thing you've ever said."

The interjection, "my gosh," is found in the middle of this sentence. It's designed to
express the author's emphasis on his opinion and no exclamation point was required.

As a Standalone Sentence

An interjection can also be used by itself as a standalone sentence.

 "Oh gosh! I can't believe how late it is."

The interjection "oh gosh" is a standalone sentence with an exclamation mark. This is
grammatically correct, even though "Oh gosh" doesn't contain a subject or verb, both
normally required for a complete thought. The interjection--or the emotion--is the
entire point of the sentence.