Study Sheet on Conjunctions

Coordinating Conjunctions

            and      but       for       nor      or         so         yet

Ø      Reference:  Writer’s Choice p. 476, Handbook p. 120

Ø      Purpose:  to join words, phrases, clauses of equal importance

Ø      Punctuation required:  comma

            1) With items in a series:          The flag is red, white, and blue.

            2) To join two independent clauses:        Mary wanted to leave, but Bill wasn't ready.

Correlative Conjunctions

            either . . . or                            whether . . . or                                                both . . . and

            neither . . . nor                       not only . . . but also                          just as . . . so

Ø      Reference:  Writer’s Choice p. 477, Handbook p. 121

Ø      Purpose:  to join words, phrases, clauses of equal importance

Ø      Punctuation required:  comma

            To join two independent clauses:        Either Bill will go with us, or he will stay here.

Conjunctive Adverbs

accordingly                 however                      otherwise                    as a result      

additionally                indeed                         similarly                     at last

afterward                    instead                                    soon                            for instance

also                             later                            subsequently               in addition

besides                                    next                             still                              in comparison

consequently              meanwhile                  then                             in contrast

finally                         moreover                     therefore                     in fact

furthermore                nevertheless                thus                             in the same way

                                                                                                            on the other hand

Ø      Reference:  Writer’s Choice p. 479, Handbook pp. 123-24                                               

Ø      Purpose:  to join two independent clauses

Ø      Punctuation required:  semicolon and comma.   Put a semicolon before conjunction and comma after.

            Mary was ready to leave;  however, Bill was not.    

            Annie saw the accident;  as a result, she called for help.

Subordinating Conjunctions

            after                            as though                    provided that              until

            although                     because                       since                            when

            as                                 before                         so that                         whenever

            as far as                      even if                        than                            where

            as if                             even though                that                             wherever

            as long as                    if                                  though                                    while

            as soon as                   in order that               unless                         

Ø      Reference:  Writer’s Choice p. 478, Handbook pp. 122-23                                                                                    

Ø      Purpose:  to join a dependent (subordinate) clause to an independent clause

Ø      Punctuation required:  comma*

*Only at the end of the dependent clause when it comes before the independent clause:

                                    Until Bill is ready,  we cannot leave.

There is no comma when the dependent clause follows the independent clause.

                                    We cannot leave  until Bill is ready.