A conjunction is a word used to join sentences or words. Examples are: and, but, for, yet, though, because, since, as, however etc.

Coordinating and subordinating conjunctions

Conjunctions can be divided into two broad classes – coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions.

Read the following sentences:

Alice sang and Mary danced.

She told me that I should get a job.

In the first sentence two independent clauses of equal rank or importance are joined together by and. A conjunction that joins sentences or clauses of equal rank is called a coordinating conjunction. In the second sentence that joins two clauses of unequal importance. She told me is the main clause, and that I should get a job is a subordinate clause which is the object of the verb told in the main clause. A conjunction that joins clauses of unequal rank is called a subordinating conjunction.

Coordinating conjunctions

Common coordinating conjunctions are and, but, or, nor, for, yet, neither…nor and either…or. Note that coordinating conjunctions generally join sentence elements of the same grammatical class. For example, they join nouns with nouns, adverbs with adverbs and phrases with phrases.

Alice and John are friends. (Here the coordinating conjunction and connects the nouns Alice and John.)

She is clever and beautiful. (Here the coordinating conjunction and connects the adjectives clever and beautiful.)

He worked diligently and patiently. (Here the coordinating conjunction and connects the adverbs diligently and patiently.)

Subordinating conjunctions

A subordinating conjunction is used to connect an adverb clause or a noun clause to some other clause. Note that subordinating conjunctions are not used to connect adjective clauses.

Common subordinating conjunctions are: that, whether, if, when, how, where, why, since, before, till and though.

I think that he is a fool. (Here the noun clause that he is a fool is connected to the main clause I think using the subordinating conjunction that.)

I don’t know whether we should trust him. (Here the noun clause whether we should trust him is connected to the main clause I don’t know using the subordinating conjunction whether.)

I have known him since he was a boy. (Here the adverb clause since he was a boy is connected to the main clause I have known him using the subordinating conjunction since.)

I will not forget this till I die. (Here the adverb clause till I die is connected to the main clause using the subordinating conjunction till.)

Notes: A noun clause is a clause which does the work of a noun. Noun clauses usually begin with subordinating conjunctions such as that, if, whether, when, how, why and where.

I don’t know where he has disappeared.

I don’t care if he comes or not.

An adverb clause does the work of an adverb.

Work hard that you may succeed.

I shall go abroad if I get a scholarship.

It looks as if it might rain.