CONJUNCTIONS - Parts of Speech - Advanced Grammar - Types of Conjunctions with Examples
Summary
TLDRThis instructional video script introduces the concept of conjunctions in English grammar, explaining their role in connecting sentence elements. It categorizes conjunctions into four types: coordinating, subordinating, correlative, and conjunctive adverbs. The script focuses on correct punctuation usage with conjunctions, especially in lists and when connecting clauses. It provides examples and a test to reinforce learning, emphasizing the importance of commas and semicolons in clear and correct sentence construction.
Takeaways
- 📚 A conjunction is a word that connects parts of a sentence, including words, phrases, or clauses.
- 🔍 There are four main types of conjunctions: coordinating, subordinating, correlative, and conjunctive adverbs.
- 📝 Coordinating conjunctions include 'and', 'or', 'but', 'so', 'yet', 'for', and 'nor', and are used to connect elements without a need for commas when only two items are connected.
- 📐 Subordinating conjunctions like 'because', 'if', and 'although' introduce dependent clauses and do not require a preceding comma when the independent clause comes first.
- 🔑 Correlative conjunctions are pairs such as 'either...or', 'neither...nor', and 'not only...but also', which always go together but have no special punctuation rules.
- 🎯 Conjunctive adverbs, such as 'however', 'therefore', and 'in addition', act like conjunctions to join parts of a sentence and are punctuated with a semicolon before and a comma after, or a period before and a comma after.
- 📖 When a coordinating conjunction connects two independent clauses, a comma is placed after the first clause before the conjunction.
- 📈 In lists with three or more items, commas are used to separate items, with the last comma preceding the conjunction.
- 🚫 No comma is used when a conjunction connects only two words or phrases, unless they are part of a list with three or more items.
- ✍️ Correct punctuation of conjunctions in writing is crucial to convey the intended meaning and structure of sentences.
- 📝 Practice is essential to master the punctuation rules associated with conjunctions, as they can be complex and vary based on the type of conjunction and sentence structure.
Q & A
What is a conjunction and what does it do in a sentence?
-A conjunction is a word that connects parts of a sentence. It can connect words, phrases, or clauses, playing a crucial role in linking different elements to form coherent sentences.
What are the four main types of conjunctions discussed in the script?
-The four main types of conjunctions are coordinating conjunctions (e.g., and, or, but, so, yet, for, nor), subordinating conjunctions (e.g., because, after, although, if, until), correlative conjunctions (e.g., either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also), and conjunctive adverbs (e.g., as a result, however, in addition, therefore).
How should conjunctions be punctuated when they connect two words or phrases?
-When a conjunction connects only two words or phrases, no comma is used. For example, in the sentence 'I love both apples and oranges,' there is no comma before 'and' because it connects two words.
What is the punctuation rule for conjunctions used with lists of three or more items?
-In lists of three or more items, a comma is used to separate each item except the last one. The last comma comes before the conjunction. For example, 'I bought milk, cheese, and eggs' has commas separating the items and one before 'and'.
When connecting two independent clauses with a conjunction, where should the comma be placed?
-When connecting two independent clauses with a conjunction, a comma should be placed after the first clause before the conjunction. For example, 'I finished my homework, and then I went to the party' has a comma after 'homework'.
How does the punctuation differ when using conjunctive adverbs?
-With conjunctive adverbs, a semicolon or a period is used before the adverb, and a comma is used after it. Alternatively, a period can be used before starting a new sentence with the conjunctive adverb.
What is the role of subordinating conjunctions in a sentence?
-Subordinating conjunctions create dependent or subordinate clauses within a sentence. They connect these clauses to independent clauses, but the dependent clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
Why is a comma used after a dependent clause when it comes first in a sentence?
-A comma is used after a dependent clause when it comes first to signal the transition to the independent clause, which can stand alone as a complete sentence.
Can you give an example of a sentence with a correlative conjunction and explain its function?
-An example of a sentence with a correlative conjunction is 'Either you go to the store, or I will.' Here, 'either...or' is a pair of correlative conjunctions that present two alternatives.
How can you avoid common mistakes when punctuating conjunctions in writing?
-To avoid common mistakes, remember to use commas with lists of three or more items, place a comma after the first independent clause when connected by a conjunction, and use semicolons or periods with conjunctive adverbs as described in the script.
What is the significance of the comma before the conjunction in a list of items?
-The comma before the conjunction in a list of items, often referred to as the 'Oxford comma,' helps to clarify the last item in a list, especially when the items themselves are compound or complex.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to Conjunctions
This paragraph introduces the topic of conjunctions in the English language. It defines conjunctions as words that connect parts of a sentence, which can be words, phrases, or clauses. The paragraph provides examples of conjunctions in use and outlines the four main types: coordinating, subordinating, correlative, and conjunctive adverbs. It emphasizes the importance of correct punctuation with conjunctions and invites viewers to engage with any questions in the comments section.
📝 Punctuation Rules for Conjunctions
The second paragraph delves into the specifics of punctuating conjunctions in writing. It explains the rules for using commas with coordinating conjunctions, highlighting the difference between connecting two items versus connecting independent clauses. The paragraph provides examples and a challenge for viewers to practice punctuating sentences correctly, reinforcing the importance of understanding these rules for clear and effective communication.
🔍 Subordinating Conjunctions and Their Punctuation
This paragraph focuses on subordinating conjunctions, which create dependent clauses. It clarifies the difference between dependent and independent clauses and explains the punctuation rules associated with them. The paragraph illustrates how to use commas when a dependent clause precedes an independent clause, and when to omit them when the order is reversed. It also poses a challenge for viewers to identify the correct punctuation in given examples.
✍️ Conjunctive Adverbs and Their Usage
The final paragraph discusses conjunctive adverbs, which function similarly to conjunctions by connecting clauses. It explains the special punctuation rules for conjunctive adverbs, including the use of semicolons and commas. The paragraph provides examples of sentences with conjunctive adverbs and offers different punctuation styles, such as using a period to start a new sentence. It also includes a recap of the lesson's rules and a test for viewers to apply their understanding of conjunction punctuation.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Conjunction
💡Coordinating Conjunctions
💡Subordinating Conjunctions
💡Correlative Conjunctions
💡Conjunctive Adverbs
💡Punctuation
💡Clauses
💡Dependent Clause
💡Independent Clause
💡Punctuating
💡Comma
Highlights
Conjunctions are words that connect parts of a sentence, including words, phrases, or clauses.
There are four main types of conjunctions: coordinating, subordinating, correlative, and conjunctive adverbs.
Coordinating conjunctions include 'and', 'or', 'but', 'so', 'yet', 'for', and 'nor'.
Subordinating conjunctions like 'because', 'after', and 'if' introduce dependent clauses.
Correlative conjunctions are pairs such as 'either...or', 'neither...nor', and 'not only...but also'.
Conjunctive adverbs, such as 'however' and 'therefore', act like conjunctions to join sentence parts.
When a conjunction connects only two words or phrases, no comma is needed.
In lists of three or more items, commas are used to separate items, with the last comma before the conjunction.
A comma is placed after the first independent clause when connected by a conjunction.
No comma is used when a conjunction connects only one clause with two verb phrases.
Subordinating conjunctions do not require a comma when the independent clause comes first.
A comma is used after a dependent clause when it precedes an independent clause.
Conjunctive adverbs are punctuated with a semicolon before and a comma after, or a period before and a comma after.
The position of 'however' in a sentence affects punctuation, with commas before and after when in the middle.
Practice is essential for mastering the punctuation of conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs.
A test at the end of the lesson helps learners apply the rules for punctuating conjunctions correctly.
The lesson provides a recap of the rules for punctuation with conjunctions to reinforce learning.
The importance of understanding conjunctions and their correct punctuation is emphasized for clear writing.
Transcripts
Hi there, and welcome back to our parts of speech series.
In this lesson, you’re going to learn about conjunctions.
We’ll first discuss what a conjunction is, and then we’ll look
at the four main types of conjunctions, and how
to avoid the most common mistake that people
with them – that is, how to punctuate conjunctions
correctly in writing.
Alright, let’s begin.
As always, if you have any questions, just let
me know in the comments section below and I will
talk to you there.
OK, so first, what is a conjunction?
A conjunction is a word that connects parts of a sentence – it can connect
words or it can connect phrases or even clauses.
Look at these examples.
In number one, “When you go to London, you must try fish and chips.”
Fish and chips is a popular food in the UK.
So here, the conjunction ‘and’ connects two
words – fish and chips.
In the next sentence, “My cell phone is either on the table or
in the drawer.”
The conjunction is the combination of ‘either .. or’ and it connects two phrases
‘on the table’ and ‘in the drawer’.
And in number three, can you find the conjunction?
The conjunction is ‘but ’ and it connects two
clauses (clauses are just like sentences) –
“Yazmin went to see her manager” is the first
clause and the second clause is “he wasn’t in his office.”
So you see here that conjunctions can connect any two parts of a sentence.
Alright so now let’s talk about the different types of
conjunctions in English.
Conjunctions come in four major types: coordinating conjunctions (these are the words
and, or, but, so, yet, for and nor), subordinating conjunctions (like because,
after, although, if, until etc.), correlative conjunctions (these are pairs
of conjunctions such as either .. or,
neither .. nor, not only .. but also etc.) –
so in each one, you see two words that always go together.
And finally, conjunctive adverbs.
These are words like as a result, however, in addition and therefore.
They are adverbs but they act like conjunctions (that is, they
help to join parts of a sentence).
Now don’t be scared by all these names – the names
are not important, what is important is knowing
how to use the conjunctions correctly.
Of course, conjunctions are a huge topic and there are many grammar rules relating to them.
So today, we will focus on avoiding the most common type of mistake with conjunctions,
and that is, punctuating them correctly in writing.
We won’t be discussing correlative conjunctions because there aren’t any special punctuation
rules with them – but we will be discussing the
other three.
So let’s start with coordinating conjunctions first.
Coordinating conjunctions are probably the most commonly used type of conjunction in
English.
These are the words: and, or, but, so, yet, for and nor.
Now, the words for and nor can be used as conjunctions but they’re
not used a lot (the word for is used much more
as a preposition not a conjunction).
But the other five are very common.
Alright, let’s talk about how to punctuate them correctly.
On the screen, there are four sentences.
You will notice that there are no commas in these.
So in all four sentences, I want you to put commas wherever necessary.
Pause the video and think about your answers, then play the video
again and check.
OK, let’s look at the answers: in the first two sentences, did you put a comma anywhere?
Actually, you don’t need any commas in these two sentences.
That is because when a conjunction only connects two words or two
phrases, we don’t use commas.
In number one, the conjunction is ‘and ’ and it connects
the adjectives ‘beautiful’ and ‘spacious’.
Only two items – so no comma.
In number two, the conjunction is ‘or’ and it connects two noun phrases:
‘a library’ and ‘a restaurant’.
So again, only two items, so we don’t use a comma.
In sentences three and four, commas are required.
When we have lists of three or more items, we
use commas to separate them.
In number three, “We need to buy sugar (comma) butter (comma)
flour (comma) and vanilla extract for the cake.”
Notice that there is a conjunction ‘and’ before
the last item, and the comma goes before this conjunction.
Similarly, in number four, there is a list of three items – guitar, piano,
violin.
This time, the conjunction is ‘or’.
And just like in the previous example, we use commas
to separate the items, and the last comma goes
before the conjunction.
Now there’s another very important rule regarding coordinating conjunctions.
And that is that when a conjunction connects two
independent clauses, you should always put a
comma after the first clause.
Take a look at these examples.
Look at sentence number one: you see here that
it has two parts.
The first part is “Abdul gifted his mother an iPad for her birthday.”
If you read this carefully, you will realize that this can be a complete sentence by itself.
So it’s called an independent clause.
The same is true for the second part – “she loved
it.”
This is also a complete sentence, so it’s an
independent clause as well.
So the conjunction ‘and’ connects two independent clauses
here, so we put a comma after the first clause and
before ‘and’.
That is the rule.
In all of these examples, there are two independent clauses connected by a conjunction.
In number two, “Kim wanted to work in Paris” is the first clause, and the second clause
is “she couldn’t find a job there.”
The conjunction ‘but’ connects these clauses
and shows contrast, i.e. it shows that the two
clauses are opposites.
In number three, the conjunction ‘or’ shows
that there are two options: “we can go to the movies” (that’s the
first option – it’s also the first clause),
and the second option is “we can clean the house.”
(that’s the second clause).
For number four, imagine that we’re at a restaurant.
And you ask me, “what do you want to eat?”
And I say, “Oh, I’m not very hungry” (now that’s the reason), so the result is
“I’ll just have a milkshake.”
Both of these are independent clauses.
Finally, in number five, you see the conjunction ‘yet’.
The meaning of this sentence is that Revati is very good at
programming but still she teaches economics.
So the word ‘yet’ is like saying but still.
Here, the first clause is “Revati is an expert
at computer programming” and the second clause
is “she teaches economics.”
So in all of these sentences, we put a comma after the first clause and before the conjunction.
But you have to be careful here.
Now have a look at these next two sentences.
You see that there is no comma.
And this is correct.
But can you tell me why there’s no comma?
It’s because in both of these sentences, there’s
only one clause.
In number six, “Mr. Burns” is the subject, followed by two verb phrases – “made
a bad investment” is one verb phrase; “lost all
his savings” is another verb phrase.
Remember the rule?
If a conjunction connects only two words or phrases, no comma.
It’s the same in number seven – the subject is “I”, then
there are two verb phrases – “ordered a T-shirt
online two weeks ago” is the first phrase, and
“still haven’t received it” is the second phrase.
So no comma.
Alright, let’s now move on to our next topic and talk about punctuation rules with
subordinating conjunctions.
Subordinating conjunctions are words like because, unless, before, after, if etc.
But why are these called subordinating?
Well, look at this example:
“After Luisa gets home from work,” Is this a
complete sentence?
It is not.
Because it has the word ‘after’ in it.
If we remove it, the sentence can stand alone -
“Luisa gets home from work” – it’s fine.
But if I say “After Luisa gets home from work”
you will ask OK then what?
What does she do?
So you see the sentence isn’t complete.
Thus, this is a dependent clause (which also called
a subordinate clause).
The conjunction ‘after’ makes it a subordinate clause or dependent,
so ‘after’ is called a subordinating conjunction.
To complete this sentence, we can add an independent clause – so
“After Luisa gets home from work, she likes to watch TV for an hour.”
Alright now look at these examples.
You see three pairs of sentences.
In each pair, sentence (a) and sentence (b) mean the same
thing.
But notice that sentences (a) have a comma, but sentences (b) don’t have a comma.
And this is correct.
I want you look at these examples carefully, and then say why there
is a comma in (a) but no comma in (b).
Stop the video if you want, think about it and then
play the video again and check.
OK, here’s the rule: when you connect a dependent clause and an independent clause,
if you put the dependent clause first, you put
a comma after it.
If the independent clause goes first, no comma.
That symbol means no comma.
So in all of these, in sentences (a), what comes first is a dependent or subordinate
clause, meaning it is not a full sentence, so
we put a comma after it.
In sentences (b), the first clause is independent.
The dependent clause comes second.
So no comma.
This is an important rule, so don’t forget it.
OK, now finally, let’s turn to punctuation rules with conjunctive adverbs.
Now you might be thinking, why are we talking about adverbs in a conjunctions lesson?
Well the reason is that some adverbs act like
conjunctions, so we call them conjunctive adverbs.
These are words like however, therefore, as a result, otherwise, moreover
and so on.
Here are some examples.
You see that there is no punctuation inside the sentences.
That’s because I wanted to ask you: how should I punctuate these sentences?
Should I put commas?
Where should I put them?
If you want, stop the video, think about it, then play the video again and check.
Alright, here’s the correct punctuation.
What do you see?
Well, you see that there are both commas and semicolons.
This is a special rule of using conjunctive adverbs.
Take the first sentence: there are two clauses – the first
is “Zach loves living in San Francisco”,
the second is “his wife hates the traffic and the pollution.”
Notice that both of these are independent clauses, that is they are full sentences.
Conjunctive adverbs are generally used to connect independent clauses.
The word ‘however’ has almost the same meaning
as ‘but’.
You can actually say “Zach loves living in San Francisco,
but his wife hates the traffic and the pollution.”
The meaning is the same.
The difference is that ‘however’ is more formal, and the punctuation
rules are different.
Can you see the difference?
With ‘but’ we only use a single comma before it.
With however , or any conjunctive adverb, the
most common way to punctuate them is with a
semicolon before, and a comma after.
You can see this in all of sentences.
There’s another way to write them - you can also write them
with a period (or full-stop) in front.
If you do this, you end the first sentence, and then
start a new sentence with the conjunctive adverb: that’s also correct.
And you can write it this way with all of the conjunctive adverbs
– therefore, moreover etc.
Sometimes, you will see the conjunctive adverb in the middle or
end position like you see on the screen now.
All of these mean the same thing.
Notice that when ‘however’ is in the middle, it is
interrupting the sentence, so we put a comma before and
after to make it easy to read.
If these rules are a little confusing, don’t worry – you will get them will practice
but with conjunctive adverbs, make sure to remember
the most important rule: semicolon or period before (the period is also called a full-stop
in British English) and the comma after.
Alright, now let’s do a quick recap of all the rules that we learned in this lesson.
And then I will give you a test to see if you
can punctuate conjunctions correctly.
Rule number one – if a conjunction only connects
two words or phrases, no comma.
Rule number two – in lists of three or more items, put a comma after each item (except
the last).
Put the last comma before the conjunction.
Rule number three – when connecting two independent clauses with a conjunction,
always put a comma after the first clause.
Rule number four – when connecting a dependent clause to an independent clause, if the
dependent clause comes first, put a comma after
it.
If the independent clause comes first, no comma.
And finally rule number five – when using conjunctive adverbs, either put a
semicolon before and a comma after the adverb.
Or a period before and a comma after.
Alright, now it’s time for the test.
On the screen, there are eight sentences, and
I want you to punctuate them with commas (,) and semicolons (;) where necessary.
Stop the video if you want, think about your answers,
then play the video again and check.
Alright, let’s look at the answers: in sentence number one, commas have to go after
English and Spanish.
This is a list with three items, so we put commas after each item (except
the last).
Remember that the last comma goes before the conjunction (and).
But in sentence number two, you don’t need any
commas.
This is because ‘and’ only connects two items: Tuesday and Wednesday.
In number three, there are two clauses.
The first is “We didn’t know it was going to rain”.
Then there’s the conjunction ‘so’ and then
the second clause “we didn’t bring our umbrellas.”
Both of these clauses are independent meaning that
they can stand alone as sentences.
For this reason, we put a comma after the first clause.
What about number four?
In this sentence, you need no commas.
Notice that the conjunction is ‘but’.
You might think that it’s connecting two clauses here, but that’s not the case.
There’s only one subject (Lamar) with two verb
phrases - “got job offers from four different companies”
and “didn’t accept any of them”.
So the conjunction is just connecting two phrases
– that’s why no comma.
In number five, we have two clauses.
The first clause “When you see Shelly” is a dependent
clause because it’s not a full sentence.
The second clause – “can you tell her to come
and see me?” is independent.
Yes, it’s a question, but it’s still a complete, meaningful sentence.
What comes first is the dependent clause with the conjunction ‘when.’
For this reason, we put a comma after it.
What about number six?
Comma or no comma?
Well, how many clauses do you see?
There are two: one is independent and the other is dependent.
The first clause – “I can’t log in” – which is
that?
It’s the independent clause because it’s complete.
But the second clause, “because I can’t remember my password” is dependent
because it’s not complete.
Which comes first?
The independent clause, so no comma.
Remember, only if the dependent clause comes first,
we put a comma after it.
In sentences seven and eight, notice that we
have conjunctive adverbs – ‘however’ in seven,
and ‘therefore’ in eight.
So what’s the rule with conjunctive adverbs?
The rule is: semicolon before, comma after.
You see this is number seven.
Another way to punctuate conjunctive adverbs is with a period before
and comma after.
You can see this now with number eight.
Both forms are correct.
Alright, how many did you get right?
Let me know in the comments.
If you liked this lesson, share it with your friends.
Remember to subscribe to this channel for more English
lessons, and I will see you in another lesson soon.
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