I ate chicken. I ate rice. I ate cake.
The sentence above are fine if taken individually. However, they become repetitive and unnatural. If we use a conjunction, then the sentence becomes more pleasant.
I ate chicken, rice and cake.
What are conjunctions?
Conjunctions are words that are used to connect two or more words, phrases or clauses in a sentence. They are important in creating clear and coherent sentences. There are three main types of conjunctions: coordinating, subordinating, and correlative.
3 Main Types of Conjunctions
1. Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, or independent clauses of equal importance. Examples of coordinating conjunctions include “and,” “but,” “or,” “nor,” “for,” “yet,” and “so.” An easy way to remember them is the mnemonic FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
Examples:
- For dinner, I made pasta, salad, and garlic bread.
- She didn’t like her gift, nor did she appreciate my effort.
- Sam wants to be an actor, but he’s not sure if he’s good enough.
2. Subordinating conjunctions connect an independent clause with a dependent clause, which cannot stand alone as a sentence. Examples of subordinating conjunctions include “although,” “because,” “since,” “while,” and “whereas.”
Examples:
- Although it was raining, Sarah went for a walk.
- I will go to the store after I finish my work.
- The dog barked because the mailman was at the door.
3. Correlative conjunctions are paired words that connect two balanced clauses or phrases. Examples of correlative conjunctions include “either…or,” “neither…nor,” “both…and,” “not only…but also,” and “whether…or.”
Examples:
- Either he will come to the party, or he will stay at home.
- Neither the teacher nor the students knew the answer.
- Both the cat and the dog are sleeping in the sun.
