Here's a breakdown of the main purposes:
* Joining words: "I like and love to read."
* Joining phrases: "She went to the store but didn't buy anything."
* Joining clauses: "It was raining so we stayed inside."
Conjunctions also serve various other purposes:
* Show relationships between ideas: "He was tired because he had worked all day." (cause and effect)
* Add information: "She bought a new dress and shoes." (addition)
* Contrast ideas: "I like coffee but not tea." (contrast)
* Choose between options: "You can have either ice cream or cake." (alternatives)
By connecting different parts of a sentence, conjunctions allow us to express a wider range of thoughts and ideas in a clear and logical way.