Word Lists of Common Conjunctions and a Clarification of their Use

This post looks at conjunctions. Conjunctions are a part of speech or word class often described as ‘joining words’, because many conjunctions such as ‘but’ and ‘and’ join words or clauses together to form one sentence. However, not all conjunctions have a joining role but rather function to connect words and/or phrases that are of a related topic or share ideas and belong together in one sentence.

There are three main types of conjunctions: coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions and correlative conjunctions. Let’s have a look at some examples of each, and see what their role is and how they function in a sentence.

Common or coordinating conjunctions

These conjunctions are used to join two or more clauses, phrases or words. Often, they connect complete independent sentences that could otherwise stand alone.

The most common coordinating conjunctions:

• For
• And
• But
• Yet
• So
• Or
• Nor

This list is not exhaustive and there are other coordinating conjunctions as well.

The following examples show how two complete sentences can be joined by a coordinating conjunction:

• I like coffee. She prefers tea.
• I like coffee but she prefers tea.

• He wanted to go to the concert. He couldn’t get tickets.
• He wanted to go to the concert but he couldn’t get tickets.

In both the above examples, the conjunction ‘but’ joins two independent sentences or clauses and makes them one. This is very important for coherent and cohesive writing, and multiple coordinating conjunctions can be utilised to join numerous sentences into one longer complex sentence:

• Today, I went to the park. I had coffee with a friend. It was raining terribly. We sat inside.
• Today, I went to the park and had coffee with a friend, but it was raining terribly so we sat inside.

However, a coordinating conjunction can also be used to join two clauses that are not complete standalone sentences. A coordinating conjunction can also connect an independent clause with one or more dependent clauses.

An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone and makes sense as a complete idea by itself:

• I walk my dog three times a day.

A dependent clause is a clause that does not make sense alone and cannot provide a complete thought or idea independently:

• …not everybody does.

Not everybody does what? What is this clause about? It is a dependent clause, it needs more information to clarify it. However, if we put these two clauses together they make perfect sense:

• I walk my dog three times a day, but not everybody does.

In the above example, the coordinating conjunction fulfils its role of connecting two texts (words, phrases or clauses) and clarifying the relationship between them.

A coordinating conjunction not only joins clauses but can also join words or phrases:

• Don’t do it now. Later.
• Don’t do it now, but later.

Punctuating coordinating conjunctions

Commas with coordinating conjunctions are optional. One can choose to use a comma before a coordinating conjunction when two independent clauses are joined but this is not essential. The use of a comma can help clarify the structure of a sentence, especially where more than two clauses are joined and one is a secondary idea, or where two clauses are joined but perhaps the second is of lesser importance than the first.

However, the choice is a matter of personal style, unless the style-guide of a professional or academic institution has stipulated specifics.

For more on comma usage, please see the relevant post.

Subordinating conjunctions

Other conjunctions are also used to join ideas and create complex sentences. Subordinating conjunctions are different from coordinating conjunctions in that they usually connect an independent clause with a subordinate clause. As the name suggests, a subordinate clause is subordinate to (lower in importance to) the main clause. The main clause is the point of the sentence but the subordinate clause gives context to the main clause.

Subordinating conjunctions introduce a subordinate clause that provides information about the relationship between the clauses, such as causality (since), contrast (although), or simultaneous actions, time or conditions (while).

The most common subordinating conjunctions:

• Although
• Because
• Before
• After
• While
• Since
• When
• Until
• Unless
• If
• Even though
• As
• As if
• As long as
• As soon as
• Provided (that)
• So that
• In order (that)
• In case
• Unless
• Whenever
• Wherever
• Whereas
• Whether
• Though
• Inasmuch as
• Once
• Now that
• Suppose (that)
• Than

This list is not exhaustive and there are other subordinating conjunctions as well.

The following are examples of complete sentences with subordinating conjunctions:

• Although it was raining, he went for a run.
• Because she studied hard, she passed the exam.
• While she was cooking, I laid the table.

Notice in these examples that the conjunction appears at the start of the sentence. However, the sentences could also be rearranged to form the following:

• He went for a run although it was raining.
• He passed the exam because he studied hard.
• I laid the table while she was cooking.

Punctuating subordinating conjunctions

Notice the difference in comma usage in the above sets of examples. The meanings of the second group of examples are no different to those of the first group of examples, only the punctuation changes. The clause starting with a subordinating conjunction is called the subordinate clause; it is the clause that adds context to the main clause of the sentence.

If the subordinate clause precedes the main clause, it needs to be followed by a comma; this is because the subject of the sentence is contained in the main clause. In the example below the subordinating conjunction ‘while’ introduces the subordinate clause followed by a comma, which precedes the subject of the sentence ‘I’:

• While she was cooking, I laid the table.

Where the main clause starts the sentence off, the subordinating clause (with its contextual subordinate conjunction) can follow on freely.

• I laid the table while she was cooking.

Correlative conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions work in pairs to join elements of equal importance within a sentence.

These are the most common correlative conjunctions:

• Both…and
• Either…or
• Neither…nor
• Not only…but also
• Whether…or
• As…as
• So…as
• Such…as
• No sooner…than
• Rather…than
• Scarcely…when
• The…the

This list is not exhaustive and there are other correlative conjunctions as well.

Whereas coordinating conjunctions join two or more existing clauses, phrases or words, correlative conjunctions blend clauses, phrases or words. Correlative conjunctions serve to introduce a contrast or comparison, or to create balanced and parallel structures in sentences. Correlative conjunctions usually connect words, phrases or clauses that have a similar grammatical structure to each other, and convey specific relationships between them.

The following are examples of two complete sentences blended by pairs of correlative conjunctions:

• Both the teacher and the students enjoyed the field trip.
• You can either eat the cake or
  save it for later.
• Neither the cat nor the dog was in the house.
• She is not only talented but also hardworking.
• I don’t know whether he will come or
  not.
• She is as intelligent as she is kind.

If no conjunctions had been used, the sentences would have been constructed separately as follows:

• The teacher enjoyed the field trip. The students enjoyed the field trip.
• You can eat the cake. You can save it for later.
• The cat was not in the house. The dog was not in the house.
• She is talented. She is hardworking.

Of course, a coordinating conjunction could also serve the purpose of connecting the texts and clarifying a relationship between them:

• The teacher and the students enjoyed the field trip.
• You can eat the cake or save it for later.

Therefore, the use of correlative conjunctions is a stylistic choice.

Please visit this post for more on correlative conjunctions and advanced sentence structure.

A side note about relative clauses

Be aware that ‘who’, ‘that’ and ‘which’ are not considered conjunctions. This is a common misconception. These are relative pronouns and introduce relative clauses. Please see the linked posts on clauses and on pronouns for further clarification about these words should you require it.

Conclusion

In summary, conjunctions convey the relationship between different elements (words, phrases or clauses) of a sentence. Coordinating conjunctions are those common conjunctions that connect separate sentences and words, often but not always equal elements, that belong well together, to make text and speech flow naturally and to associate these ideas with each other. Subordinating conjunctions connect subordinate clauses to main clauses, providing additional information and context. Correlative conjunctions are a stylistic choice that also show a relationship between different elements of a sentence, but in doing so blend sentences into one individual idea.

If you have any questions or comments, please do enter them below.

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