CONJUNCTIONS

 

CONJUNCTIONS

What are conjunctions?

•      Conjunctions are words such as

•      ‘and’

•      ‘but’

•      ‘or’ and

•      ‘though.

•      They are used to connect

•      Two words,

•      Two phrases or

•      Two Sentences.

 

Connecting two words

•      Examples:

•      1. Two and two make four.

•      2. Jasrutha Sakthi and Nandhini are in the same class.

•      3. I like fruit and vegetables.

 

Connecting two phrases

•      I play in the morning and in the evening

•      In the morning is a phrase

•      In the evening is another phrase

•      They are being connected by ‘and’

 

Connecting two sentences

•      She is poor, but she is honest.

•      She is poor is a sentence ( clause)

•      She is honest is another sentence( clause)

•      These two sentences are being connected by the conjunction, ‘but’

 

Conjunctions: two kinds

•      There are two kinds of conjunctions. They are:

•      1. Coordinating conjunctions

•      2. subordinating conjunctions

 

Coordinating conjunctions

•      A coordinating conjunction joins together clauses of equal rank. It joins pairs of clauses that are grammatically independent of each other.

•      There are three chief coordinating conjunctions.

•      They are:

•      ‘and’

•      ‘or 'and

•      ‘but’

 

Coordinating conjunctions- examples

•      1. We bought the food and they supplied the drink.

•      We bought the food- is an independent clause

•      They supplied the drink- is another independent clause

•      These two clauses are being connected with the coordinating conjunction,’ and’

 

•      2. We could go swimming, or we could stay here.

•      3. He is poor,  but he is happy

 

Subordinating conjunctions

•      A conjunction introducing a dependent or subordinate clause is called a subordinating conjunction.

•      A subordinating conjunction joins a clause to another, on which it depends for its full meaning

 

Chief subordinating conjunctions

•      The chief subordinating conjunctions are:

•      After               because                       though

•      Although        before                         unless

When              where                          while  

 

Subordinating conjunctions-examples

•      1. I reached the station  after the train had left

•      I reached the station- independent/ main clause

•      The train had left- dependent or subordinate clause

After- subordinating  conjunction

 

•      2. I f you study well, you will pass the exam.

•      Can you point out the main/ subordinate class?

•      What is is the subordinating conjunction here?

•      3. He ran away, because he was afraid.

•      4..Although he is poor, he is happy.

•      Find out the main clause, subordinate clause and the subordinating conjunction in the above two sentences

 

Problems with conjunctions

•      In English, when two sentences are combined so that they make one sentence, only one conjunction or other joining word is used to connect them

•      One conjunction is enough to join two clauses

We do not normally use two

 

•      Take for example the following:

•      1. She was tired.

•      2. she still went on working.

•      These two sentences may be combined in either of the following ways:

•      A) By using a coordinating conjunction, which places both the clauses grammatically on equal footing

•      She was tired, but she still went on working.

•      B) By using a subordinating conjunction,  and thus converting one of the sentences to a subordinate clause

•      Although she was tired, she still went on working

•      Use of two conjunctions as in the following sentence is not correct.

•      Although she was tired, but she still went on working. X

 

 

•      Another example

•      A) By using coordinating conjunction:

•      1. I liked him, so, I tried to help him

•      I liked him- main clause/ independent clause

•      I tried to help him- another main clause

•      So- a coordinating conjunction

•      B) By using subordinating conjunction

•      Because I liked him, I tried to help him

•      Because I liked him- subordinating clause/ dependent clause

•      I tried to help him- Independent clause

•      Because is conjunction

•      C)But not

•      Because I liked him, so I tried to help him. X

 

Correlative Conjunctions

•      Conjunctions which are used in pairs are called correlative conjunctions

•      Some correlative conjunctions:

•      1.Either … or

•      2. neither…. nor

•      3. both ……. and

•      4. not only …… but also

•      5. though …… yet

•      6. whether….. or

 

Examples

•      1. either….. Or

•      We use either …. Or to talk about a choice between two possibilities.( and some times more than two)

•      A) I don’t speak either French or German

•      B) You can either come with me or walk home

•      2. neither …. nor

•      A) He is neither a singer nor a speaker

•      B) the weather is neither hot nor cold

•      3. not only… but also

•      Anitha is not only a singer but also a dancer.

 

Points to be remembered while using correlative conjunctions

•      1. The second of each pair must always be complementary one to the first.

•      Either must be followed by or(not nor)

•      And conversely

•      Neither must be followed by nor( not by or)

•      Example:

•      He is neither willing nor capable( not or capable)

 

•      2. Care must be taken to see that the correlations are placed in the correct positions in a sentence.

•      The general rule is that all words that refer to both alternatives must be placed before the first of the correlation

•      You may either have an apple or an orange X

•      It is not a correct sentence

 

•      You may either have an apple or an orange.

•      The two alternatives are

•      A) you may have an apple

•      B) you may have an orange

•      The words common to both are:

•      You may have

•      This must therefore go before the first of the correlatives, and the correct version of the sentence is

•      You may have either an apple or an orange.

 

 

 

Here are some more examples

•      Wrong:           He not only cheated his friends, but also his parents

•      Right:             He cheated not only his friends, but also his parents

•      Wrong:           She neither cares for gold nor silver

•      Right:             She cares for neither gold nor silver.

•      Wrong:           the elephant both swallowed the bag and the buns.

•      Right:             The elephant swallowed both the bag and the buns

 

Compound conjunctions

           

•      Some compound expressions are used as conjunctions ad are called compound conjunctions

•      The following are compound conjunctions.

•      They are subordinate conjunctions.

•      In order that              as if

•      So that                        provided that

•      Such that                    except that

•      As though                   as well as

•      Even if                        on condition that

 

Books consulted

           

•      1.English Grammar Just for You

•      Rajeevan Karal                                                         OUP

•      2. A Remedial English Grammar for Foreign Students

•      F.T.. Wood                                                                 Macmillan

•      3. A University grammar of English

•      Randolph quirk & Sidney Green Baum

•      4. Practical English Usage

•      Michael Swan                                                            OUP

•      5. A Practical English Grammar

•      A.J. Thomson & a.v. Martinet                                 OUP

•      6.Essential English Grammar

•      Raymond Murphy                                                    CUP

•      7. Intermediate English Grammar

•      Raymond Murphy                                                    CUP

•      8. Technical English communication

•      Principals and practices                                            OUP

•      Meenakshi Raman and Sangeetha Sharma            OUP

 

 

Assignment-1

•      Join the following sentences using appropriate conjunctions

•      1. We bought the food. They supplied the drink ( and)

•      2. She was poor. She was honest.( but)

•      3. We can go swimming. We could stay here.( or)

•      4. People disliked her. She was so rude.( because)

•      5. She was tired. She went to work.( but, although)

•      6. She sent me a birthday card. She sent me some flowers.(and)

•      7. Drink plenty of water, you may get sunstroke ( or)

•      8. Complete this survey. You will win a surprise gift.( if)

 

Assignment -2

 

•      Fill in the blanks with suitable conjunctions:

•      1. He ran fast,…… he missed the train.

•      2. Three ……. three make six.

•      3. He is very rich,….. he Is not happy.

•      4. He is so poor,….. he is happy.

•      5. Is this my book……. Yours

•      6. Time …… tide wait for no man,

•      7. She writes slowly,…..neatly.

•      8. Catch me ……. you can.

•      9. Make hey…….. the sun shines