So, What Is a Conjunction?

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know

What is a conjunction?

A conjunction is a word that joins two or more words, phrases, or clauses.

Think of them as glue words. They glue words, phrases, or clauses together.

For example, if you would like to have your friend bring music and snacks to your party, it's pretty hard to do it without a conjunction.

You could say:

But it's more efficient to say:

And it's more polite to say:

See how the conjunction and glues the words music and snacks together?

Words, Phrases, and Clauses

Okay, read this question and then try to answer it with your eyes closed: What is a conjunction?

How did you do? Did you remember that they join words, phrases, and clauses?

Words: silver and gold

Phrases: over the river and through the woods

Clauses: Marianne planted a flower, and she watched it grow.

In all of the above examples, we used the conjunction and which is one of the most common conjunctions.

But, of course, there are many more conjunctions out there. While all conjunctions perform the same basic function (gluing things together), there are three types of conjunctions: coordinating, subordinating, and correlative. To see a list of these conjunctions, click here.

What is a conjunction? It is a gluing word.

Coordinating Conjunctions

These are the most common, and there are only seven of them (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Some people remember these with the acronym FANBOYS. They glue together sentence elements that are equal.

Such as...

Two words: pie or cake

Two phrases: in the car or on the bike

Two independent clauses: You must study, or you won't learn grammar.

Subordinating Conjunctions

These conjunctions glue subordinate clauses to independent clauses.

A subordinate clause is a clause that cannot stand alone. (Remember that a clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb.) It is always introduced by a subordinating conjunction.

Subordinate Clause Examples:

These are not complete sentences. They all have subjects (you, I, you) and verbs (are, see, are coming), but since they cannot stand alone, they are subordinate clauses.

An independent clause is also a group of words with a subject and a verb. But, unlike a subordinate clause, an independent clause can stand alone.

Independent Clause Examples:

These are all complete sentences. They all have subjects (I), verbs (will bring, sneeze, won't bring), and they can stand alone.

Subordinating conjunctions let us join subordinate clauses with independent clauses:

Examples:

Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are always used in pairs. (either... or, both... and).

Example:

Start Basic Sentence Diagramming!

When you see how conjunctions are diagrammed, it will be easy to see how they are "glue" words.

Now you can answer all of those people who keep asking you, "Excuse me, what is a conjunction?"

Back to Parts of Speech

Still asking "What is a Conjunction?" Click here to see a list of conjunctions.

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