CONJUNCTIONS
Conjunction is one of the parts of speech. It plays an important role of joining two words, clauses or sentences.
Conjunctions are of two kinds:
•
Coordinating
conjunction
• Subordinating conjunction
We use coordinating conjunctions to join two sentences which are equally important.
E.g. and, but, or neither----nor,
so, yet,
not only----but also, both----and,
nor, either----or, etc.
Examples:
1. The teachers
and students held a meeting
to plan a tour.
2.
Branded
products are durable, but not affordable.
3.
Doctor
advised him either to take rest or to take pills.
4.
Not only boys but also girls
are coming for the tour.
5. Work
hard or you will not pass the Examination.
Subordinating conjunctions are used to connect
one clause with another.
One clause is a dependent on the other which is the main clause. E.g. after, because,
when, while, before, though, although, if, that, till, until, so----that, since, etc.
Examples:
1.
Simran
got married before Raj
could propose to her.
2. The schedule
is so hectic that Raj could not meet her.
3.
Though
she had a mobile phone, she forgot to call him.
4.
They were disappointed because they could
not marry.
How to Use
Conjunctions
We use a conjunction to connect two independent sentences (or clauses).
This makes our draft more concise, smooth and integral. See the
following examples.
a.
The speaker
raised his hand.
The classroom became quiet.
b.
The speaker raised
his hand, and the classroom became quiet.
a. She broke her arm. She couldn't play the piano.
b.
She broke her arm, so she couldn't
play the piano.
The integrity of sentence
(b) is better than sentence (a). If we misuse the conjunction or do not use a suitable
one, the draft will be awkward. Here we introduce
seven crucial Coordinating Conjunctions. You need to understand how to use these when you write your essay. It is easiest to remember them by the acronym "BOYFANS".
B ----- But (connects
two opposite ideas)
O -----
Or (1. choice 2. otherwise)
Y -----
Yet (connects two
opposite ideas)
F ----- For (because)----Not used
at
the beginning of a sentence
A ----- And (add an idea)
N -----
Nor (and........not)---- used after "not"
S ----- So (for
the reason given;
therefore)
The rule for using "BOYFANS" is to add a comma [ , ] before a conjunction. The speaker
raised his hand, and
the classroom became quiet.
Mr. Sai is
kind, but his brother is sharp.
Or
She had to have the operation, or she
would die.
I should have brought a
tape recorder, or at least I should
have taken notes.
Yet
I studied
hard, yet I failed.
For
Pinky must be
ill, for she is pale
today.
And
Sony moved to New York, and Mahesh
moved to Pune.
Nor
He doesn't
want to live in the country when
he grows
up, nor does he want to live in the city.
So
He was
ill, so he did not come.
(B)
Adverbial Conjunctions
Besides "BOYFANS", some adverbial
conjunctions also have the same function of connecting two independent sentences. The adverbial
conjunctions are often used in formal situations. Punctuation such a semicolon [ ; ] and comma
[ , ] are used in
the sentence.
Example: I had
worked hard; therefore, I expected results.
There are six types of the adverbial
conjunctions.
1. However
a. I am
short; however, my brother
is tall
b. I am
short. However, my brother
is tall.
c. I am
short; my brother, however, is tall.
d. I am
short; my brother is tall, however.
(a) and (b) are used more
often than (c) and (d) .
2. Nevertheless
The restaurant is far from here, nevertheless,
it serves the best food in town.
3. Therefore
I was ill; therefore, I
couldn't come.
4. Accordingly
He was too ill to stay; accordingly, we sent
him home.
5. Consequently
The hurricane struck last
night; consequently, it caused a huge loss.
6. Instead
Don't come to school tomorrow; instead, meet me at
the bar.
Compare the sentence below,
which uses ”instead of”.
Instead of coffee, I want tea.
7. Otherwise (Or)
You must study hard; otherwise, you'll
fail.
8. Meanwhile
I was talking to my teacher
in the classroom; meanwhile, my parents arrived there.
9. In
Fact
These running shoes are expensive; in fact, they cost for too much.
10.
Indeed
He did not object
to my proposal; indeed, he gave several
reasons for supporting it.
SAMPLE
PRCATICE EXERCISE
Q. Fill in the
blanks with suitable conjunctions:
(1)
Though he
is not eligible, he got the
post.
(2)
Our team
can
go to Delhi or Nainital.
(3)
Nandini
finished her project before her exam.
(4)
The sun
is hot, but air is cool.
(5)
Though he
ran fast, he missed
the train.
(6)
If you
work hard, you may get an opportunity.
(7)
The guest
will leave till you return.
(8)
He said
sorry because he had slapped her.
(9)
The player
was nervous so he did not do his best.
(10)
You were not
at the office so I
called you.
(11)
They tried but
they did not succeed.
(12)
Since you are called, you must come there at once.
(13)
The boss
said that the
employees must follow discipline.
(14)
She will
wait till you
arrive.
list given here: (Unless, if, when, because,
as if, although, after, before, as soon as)
a)
The train had already
departed When
I reached
the station.
b) Sachin scored more after getting
tips from his coach.
c) I shall contact him as soon as he comes back.
d) You will not get success unless you work
hard.
e)
Seema didn’t come to
college because
she was out of station.
f)
Ashok will get the job because he deserves it.
g)
He was behaving in such
a way as if he
was a king.
h)
Although he got enough time, he
could not complete
his assignment within
time.
i)
You should finish your homework
before I get
back to home.
1.3.3 Sample Exercise for
the usage of Co-ordinating
conjunctions. (Either……or, neither……. nor, not
only…. but also, as……as, if…….then,
whether…..or)
a) If my parents
allow Then I’ll decide
to come
with
you.
b) Dr. Kalam was Not only
a scientist But
also an author
of many famous books.
c) The management will decide whether
to install this machine or not.
d) Ritu is neither tall nor intelligent than Deepa.
e) Either you finish your work Or leave your job.
f) Your company offers
not
only a good salary but also
an opportunity to grow.
