Here's a breakdown:
Types of Conjunctions:
* Coordinating Conjunctions: These connect words, phrases, or clauses of equal grammatical rank. They are typically short words like:
* FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
* Examples:
* "I went to the store and bought some milk."
* "She likes pizza, but he prefers pasta."
* Subordinating Conjunctions: These connect a dependent clause (a clause that cannot stand alone) to an independent clause (a clause that can stand alone). They often introduce information about time, cause, or condition. Examples:
* because, since, although, though, while, until, before, after, if, unless, when, where, as, that, so that
* Examples:
* "I stayed home because I was sick."
* "We'll go to the beach if it's sunny."
* Correlative Conjunctions: These come in pairs and connect words, phrases, or clauses that are similar in grammatical structure. Examples:
* both…and, either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also
* Examples:
* "Both Sarah and Emily went to the party."
* "You can have either ice cream or cake."
Functions of Conjunctions:
* Joining words: "I like apples and oranges."
* Joining phrases: "The cat sat on the mat and looked at the bird."
* Joining clauses: "I went to the park because it was a beautiful day."
* Showing relationships between parts of a sentence: "She was tired but she kept working."
* Adding emphasis: "Not only was the food delicious, but the service was excellent."
Key Points to Remember:
* Conjunctions are essential for creating complex and nuanced sentences.
* Different conjunctions express different relationships between the connected elements.
* Understanding conjunctions helps you write more clearly and effectively.
Let me know if you have any other questions about conjunctions.