Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS)
* For: Indicates reason or cause. (e.g., *I stayed home for the game.*)
* And: Adds information or joins similar items. (e.g., *She went to the store and bought milk.*)
* Nor: Indicates a negative addition. (e.g., *She didn't eat the cake, nor did she offer it to me.*)
* But: Indicates a contrast. (e.g., *I wanted to go to the beach, but it was raining.*)
* Or: Indicates an alternative. (e.g., *Would you like tea or coffee?* )
* Yet: Indicates a contrast, often emphasizing the second part of the sentence. (e.g., *She was tired, yet she kept working.*)
* So: Indicates a result or consequence. (e.g., *The rain came, so we stayed indoors.*)
Subordinating Conjunctions
These introduce dependent clauses that rely on an independent clause for their meaning.
* Time: *after, before, since, until, when, while, as soon as*
* Cause and Effect: *because, since, so that, as*
* Contrast: *although, though, even though, whereas, while*
* Condition: *if, unless, whether, in case*
* Purpose: *in order that, so that, that*
Conjunctive Adverbs
These function like conjunctions but also add an adverbial meaning. They usually have a comma before and after them.
* Addition: *also, besides, furthermore, moreover, in addition*
* Contrast: *however, nevertheless, nonetheless, on the other hand, conversely*
* Cause and Effect: *consequently, therefore, thus, hence*
* Exemplification: *for example, for instance*
Correlative Conjunctions
These come in pairs and join words or phrases that have equal grammatical weight.
* *both...and*
* *either...or*
* *neither...nor*
* *not only...but also*
* *whether...or*
Note: The use of conjunctions can be quite nuanced. For example, some conjunctions, like *while*, can function as both a subordinating conjunction and a conjunctive adverb, depending on the context.