Session-20

Conjunctions
A blue-print of this chapter-
• Part-1: Introduction of conjunctions
• Part-2: Simple, complex and compound sentences
• Part-3: Clause analysis
• Part-4: Practical usage

1) We won (Clause-1) the match.

o Sentence = 1
o Clauses = 0 + 1
o Conjunctions = 0

2) We won (Clause-1) the match because the team played (Clause-2)

well.
o Sentence = 1
o Clauses = 1 + 1
o Conjunctions = 1

3) We won (Clause-1) the match as the team played (Clause-2) well,

but the final match of the tournament will be (Clause-3) our real
test.
o Sentence = 1
o Clauses = 2 + 1
o Conjunctions = 2
Concept-1
A conjunction connects two things of same stature –
a) Noun + conjunction + Noun
b) Adj + conjunction + Adj
c) Verb + conjunction + Verb
d) Clause + conjunction + Clause*
For example-

➔ Manish and Rohan are good friends. Noun + Noun

➔ Manish is a good singer and poet. Noun + Noun
➔ Manish is a famous and rich actor. Adj + Adj
➔ Manish works in a multinational company
Verb + Verb
and is my best friend.
➔ Manish is a lawyer and his brother Rohan
Clause + Clause
is a doctor.

Concept-2
o Question → Can all conjunctions do that?
o Answer → No.
o A special category of conjunctions (coordinating conjunctions)
can adjoin two words of same stature as well as two clauses.
o The other category of conjunctions (subordinating conjunctions)
can adjoin only two clauses.
 Concept-3:

Types of conjunctions –

Concept-4:
When a conjunction adjoins two clauses –
• Co-ordinating conjunction + Clause → Independent clause
• Sub-ordinating conjunction + Clause → Dependent clause

A dependent clause can be –

• A noun clause (Comes in place of a noun as a subject or object)
• An adjectival clause (Defines a noun)
• An adverbial clause
o of reason – gives reason of an action
o of time – gives time of an action
o of manner – answers how an action was performed
o of place – answers where an action took place
Concept-5:
Types of sentences – Simple vs Compound vs Complex
• Simple sentence – (No conjunction)
o Independent clause = 1
o Dependent clause = 0

• Compound sentence – (Coordinating conjunctions ≥ 1)

o Independent clause > 1
o Dependent clause = 0

• Complex sentence – (Subordinating conjunctions ≥ 1)

o Independent clause = 1
o Dependent clause ≥ 1

• Compound complex sentence – (Coordinating + Subordinating)

o Independent clause > 1
o Dependent clause ≥ 1

Concept-6:
• Independent clauses will always take a comma before them.
• Dependent clauses will not take a comma before them.
• Relative clauses (however dependent) starting with “which” and
“who” will always take comma before and after them.
 Let’s practice-

✔ God helps (Clause 1) 📌 Number of sentences – 1

hardworking people. 📌 Number of conjunctions – 0
📌 Number of clauses – 0+1
• Clause-1: God + helps 📌 Type of sentence – Simple
(Independent) sentence

✔ The police stopped 📌 Number of sentences – 1

(Clause 1) the traffic, so the 📌 Number of conjunctions – 1
ambulance reached (Clause 2) the 📌 Number of clauses – 1+1
hospital in time. 📌 Type of sentence – Compound
sentence
• Clause-1: The police +
stopped (Independent)
• So + Clause-2: The
ambulance + reached
(Independent)
FANBOYS

✔ The Government is trying 📌 Number of sentences – 1

(Clause 1) to curb the inflation (no 📌 Number of conjunctions – 1
comma) as the prices of everything 📌 Number of clauses – 1+1
are rising (Clause 2). 📌 Type of sentence – Complex
sentence
• Clause-1: The Government +
is trying (Independent)
• As + Clause-2: The prices +
are rising (Dependent)
Adverbial clause of reason
(Replying to Why)
✔ “When” the virus had spread 📌 Number of sentences – 1
everywhere, the WHO declared the 📌 Number of conjunctions – 2
disease a pandemic (no comma) “and” 📌 Number of clauses – 2
recommended mandatory masking. 📌 Type of sentence – Complex
sentence
• When + Clause-1: Virus + had
spread (Dependent)
Adverbial clause of time
• Clause-2: The WHO + declared
(Independent)

✔ India, which is a diverse country, 📌 Number of sentences – 1

has a huge population of 1.3 billion 📌 Number of conjunctions – 2
people, but much of its workforce is 📌 Number of clauses – 2+1
unskilled labour. 📌 Type of sentence –
Compound-complex sentence
• Clause-1: India + has
(Independent)
• Which + Clause-2: Which + is
(Dependent)
Adjectival relative clause
• But + Clause-2: much of its
workforce + is (Independent)
✔ A desert is (Clause 1) a place
where few people can live (Clause 2)
because nothing can be grown
(Clause 3) in desert sand, and humans
need (Clause 4) consistent supply of
water to survive.
📌 Number of sentences – 1
📌 Number of conjunctions – 3
📌 Number of clauses – 3+1
📌 Type of sentence –
Compound-complex sentence

• Clause-1: A desert + is
(Independent)
• Where + Clause-2: Few people +
can live (Dependent)
Adverbial clause of place
• Because + Clause-3: Nothing +
can be grown (Dependent)
Adverbial clause of reason
• And + Clause-4: Humans + need
(Independent)

✔ Everything went (Clause 1) 📌 Number of sentences – 1

smooth (no comma) as we had planned 📌 Number of conjunctions – 1
(Clause 2) in advance. 📌 Number of clauses – 1+1
📌 Type of sentence – Complex
• Clause-1: Everything + went sentence
(Independent)
• As + Clause-2: We + had planned
(Dependent)
Adverbial clause of manner
(Replying to how we had planned)
✔ She told me (no comma) that 📌 Number of sentences – 1
she was not fine that day. 📌 Number of conjunctions – 1
📌 Number of clauses – 1+1
• Clause-1: She + told 📌 Type of sentence – Complex
(Independent) sentence
• That + Clause-2: She + was
(Dependent)
Noun clause (replies to what)

✔ What you have told me was not 📌 Number of sentences – 1

true. 📌 Number of conjunctions – 1
📌 Number of clauses – 1+1
• What + Clause-1: You + have told 📌 Type of sentence – Complex
(Dependent) sentence
Noun clause (Working as the subject)
• Clause-2: Noun clause + was
(Independent)