What are Conjunctions?
Conjunctions are words that connect words, phrases, or clauses. They act like glue, holding different parts of a sentence together.
Types of Conjunctions:
* Coordinating Conjunctions: These connect words, phrases, or clauses of equal grammatical rank.
* FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
* Examples:
* The cat and the dog are friends. (connects nouns)
* She went to the store, but she forgot her wallet. (connects clauses)
* Subordinating Conjunctions: These connect a dependent clause (one that cannot stand alone) to an independent clause (one that can stand alone). They show the relationship between the clauses.
* Examples:
* Because it was raining, we stayed inside. (shows reason)
* We will go to the beach if it's sunny. (shows condition)
* Correlative Conjunctions: These come in pairs and connect elements of equal grammatical rank.
* Examples:
* Neither the dog nor the cat wanted to go outside.
* Both my brother and I like pizza.
How to Identify a Conjunction:
1. Look for words that connect: Conjunctions are typically short words that appear between other words, phrases, or clauses.
2. Ask yourself what the word is doing: Is it linking two things of equal importance (coordinating conjunction)? Is it showing a relationship between clauses (subordinating conjunction)? Is it part of a pair (correlative conjunction)?
3. Use a chart or list: You can reference a list of common conjunctions or use a grammar chart to help you identify them.
Examples:
* She went to the store, and she bought some milk. (and is a coordinating conjunction)
* While I was reading, I heard a noise. (While is a subordinating conjunction)
* Neither the dog nor the cat wanted to go outside. (Neither...nor are correlative conjunctions)
Practice:
Try identifying the conjunctions in these sentences:
* The movie was long, but it was entertaining.
* Because it was cold, we decided to stay home.
* I like both pizza and hamburgers.
Let me know if you'd like more practice examples or need further explanation!