WordGarden.ioconjunction
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /kəndʒˈʌŋkʃən/
US
- /kənˈdʒəŋkʃən/
Meanings
Noun
a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses
the act or state of things being joined or used together
an apparent close alignment of celestial bodies
More meaningsFewer meanings
a logical AND relationship or proposition
Beyond the definition
Imagine you're building with LEGO bricks. You need connectors—little pieces that join the bricks together to make something bigger and stronger. That's what a conjunction does for language! A conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses (the building blocks of sentences). It helps show how those ideas relate to each other.
Think about it: you might say, "I like apples and oranges." The word "and" links two things you enjoy. Or maybe, "She wanted to go to the beach, but it was raining." Here, "but" shows a contrast. Some connect equal parts (like and, but, and or), and others introduce a reason or condition (like because, although, and if). Without them, our sentences would be choppy and hard to follow!
A conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses within a sentence, indicating the relationship between those elements. It is like the glue that holds ideas together, creating complex and nuanced meaning. Linguistically, there are three main types of conjunctions: coordinating, subordinating, and correlative.
- Coordinating Conjunctions (often remembered by the acronym FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) connect equal parts of a sentence. For example: "He studied hard and passed the exam." These create a sense of symmetry and equality between the connected elements.
- Subordinating Conjunctions (such as because, although, if, since, and while) introduce dependent clauses, showing a relationship of time, cause, condition, or contrast to an independent clause. For example: "Because it was raining, we stayed inside." The subordinating conjunction makes one part of the sentence rely on the other for its full meaning.
- Correlative Conjunctions (such as either/or, neither/nor, and both/and) work in pairs to connect balanced elements. For example: "Both my brother and sister are coming to visit."
Conjunctions aren't just about grammar; they are about how we organize and express our thoughts. They allow us to show comparisons, causes, effects, and a wide range of relationships. A writer like Jane Austen masterfully used conjunctions to create complex, flowing sentences that mirrored the intricate social dynamics of her time. Without them, language would be far less flexible and expressive.
Examples
- 1
Grammar class
In English class, we practiced using conjunctions like and, but, and because.
- 2
Punctuation
Put a comma before the conjunction if the sentence is long and hard to follow.
- 3
Editing
The editor changed the conjunction from because to although.
- 4
Partnerships
The health campaign was launched in conjunction with several local charities.
- Phrasein conjunction with
together with
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Combined causes
The crisis was caused by a conjunction of bad weather, rising prices, and transport problems.
- Patterna conjunction of + factors/events
several things happening together
- 6
Astronomy
Astronomers are hoping to photograph the conjunction of Mars and Jupiter tonight.
- Domainin astronomy, a conjunction
a time when two planets appear very close together in the sky
See also
Similar
- connective
- connector
- linking word
Shades of meaning
- coordinator
- subordinator
Contrast
- preposition
- conjunctive adverb
Used with (collocations)
- coordinating conjunction
- subordinating conjunction
- correlative conjunction
- comma before a conjunction
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- conjunctionnoun
Forms
- conjunctionspluralnoun