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Use of Conjunctions in Academic Writing

Published by Alvin Nicolas at August 17th, 2021 , Revised On August 24, 2023

Conjunctions are the glue that holds different parts of the sentence together, including clauses, words, and phrases. There are hundreds of conjunctions in English, including but not limited to  since, for, if, because, for, but, on the contrary, gradually, hence, in fact, another, at last, as soon as, finally, equally, whatever, whoever, however, when, if,  and  in addition.

With conjunctions, you don’t need to write short and choppy sentences. Using simple words like “but”, “however”, or “and”, we can extend our sentences.

The three types of conjunctions are listed below. Each type service its unique purpose, but all help to put together a meaningful  sentence .

• Coordinating
• Correlative
• Subordinating

The following paragraph uses all three types of conjunctions:

Because the student procrastinated for too long, she failed her  essay  and  dissertation  assignments. The tutor provided neither a resit chance  nor any feedback.

How to Use Coordinating Conjunctions in Academic Writing

Coordinating conjunctions are the most common type of conjunctions, and most people are familiar with them.

We use coordinating conjunctions to connect independent clauses,  phrases  and words. With the help of coordinating conjunctions, we can transform short and choppy sentences into longer yet meaningful sentences.

There are seven coordinating conjunctions in English, including  for, and, nor, but, or, yet,  and  so.  You can easily remember them by memorizing the acronym “FANBOYS”.

So what does each of the coordinating conjunctions used for?

For – Explains purpose or reason (does the same job as “because”)

And – Brings two things together.

Nor – Expresses another negative idea concerning an already stated negative idea.

But – Presents contrast.

Or – Shows a choice or a substitute.

Yet – Use to put forward a contrasting idea the flows logically from the preceding idea.

So – Indicates consequence, result, outcome or effect

Coordinating Conjunctions Used in Sentences – Examples

Here are seven sentences using the coordinating conjunctions:

• I love to buy things for my home.?
• I love watching a movie and eating popcorns.
• I am neither happy nor sad.
• I like to get up early in the morning, but it’s painful to wake to the sound of an alarm.
• People often wonder whether they should put a comma before or in a sentence.
• It was early, yet we were all ready for bed after our long hike.
• He could not work from his office, so he worked from home.

Use of Coordinating Conjunctions to Join Words

Coordinating conjunctions can connect two verbs,  adjectives , nouns or other types of word.

• The participants of the research included project managers and site engineers.
• I don’t like to eat crabs orlobsters.
• He was intelligent but careless.

Use of Coordinating Conjunctions to Join Phrases

You can use coordinating conjunctions to join phrases. Following sentences use coordinating conjunctions to join phrases.

• I worked out in the gym and devoured a big meal.
• The results of the study are unquestionably interesting yet eventually unconvincing.
• I love to study at home and eat at a restaurant.

Use of Coordinating Conjunctions to Join Independent Clauses

A clause is a group of words and clauses that can stand on its own as a complete sentence. It includes a verb and a subject.

The researcher contacted several project managers for their research study, but only a handful of them ultimately participated in it.

As evident in the above sentence, the coordinating conjunction “but” demonstrates a relationship between two independent clauses that can stand on their own (expressing a complete thought).

The researcher contacted several project managers for their research study. A handful of them ultimately participated in it.

Use of Punctuation with Coordinating Conjunctions

Never use a comma when connecting two  words  or phrases.

• The data was collected through questionnaire, and interviews.
• I don’t like to eat crabs, or lobsters.
• The data was collected through questionnaire and interviews.
• I don’t like to eat crabs or lobsters.

You should not use the  comma punctuation  with the coordinating conjunctions in the above sentences before the two words or phrases are connected to a single verb (collected and eat).

On the other hand, you will need to use a comma when connecting two independent clauses.

• The data was collected through a questionnaire, and selected respondents also participated in interviews.
• I don’t like to eat crabs, but I do eat lobsters.

The clauses in the above two sentences could stand on their own as completed sentences, and therefore we joined them using comma punctuation.

How to Use Correlative Conjunctions in Academic Writing?

Correlative conjunctions join two equal parts of a single sentence. They are expressed in pairs. You must use both of them at the correct places to make one complete logical and grammatically correct sentence.

Some of the most commonly used correlative conjunctions are as follows:

• Not only/but also
• Neither/nor

In most cases, you should not use comma punctuation with correlative conjunctions. Here are some example sentences using correlative conjunctions.

• Both of them are both emotional and rational.
• Neither Mike nor John knows that I am an FBI agent.
• Not only Amanda but also Neil will miss me.
• I treated them with both love and affection.

How to Use Subordinating Conjunctions in Academic Writing?

The subordinating conjunctions create a relationship between independent and dependent clauses. Essentially, these conjunctions are used to introduce a dependent clause with reference to an independent clause.

Unlike the independent clause, a dependent clause contains a subject and a verb, but it cannot stand on its own as a whole sentence. A dependent clause cannot express a complete and independent thought, so it should always be attached to an independent clause.

• Because I didn’t pay attention to the details. I wasn’t able to achieve the desired grade in the exam.
• Because I didn’t pay attention to the details, I wasn’t able to achieve the desired grade in the exam.
• I wasn’t able to achieve the desired grade in the exam because I didn’t pay attention to the details.

You can notice in the above examples that the clause “I didn’t pay attention to the details” is an independent clause but the subordinating conjunction “because” turned it into a dependent clause. Now the clause “because I didn’t pay attention to the detail” is an incomplete sentence on its own. It should be connected with an independent clause to make a meaningful and grammatically correct sentence.

The following table shows the most commonly used subordinating conjunctions for joining independent and dependent clauses. Please note that this is not the complete list of subordinating conjunctions.

In most cases, comma punctuation is not required with a subordinating conjunction. Don’t use a comma when there is a clear link between the dependent and the independent clause, and the dependent clause encloses the necessary information about the independent clause.

• She will achieve the highest academic grade in her dissertation project, if she follows the guidelines provided by her university.
• Mike panics, whenever he takes an exam.
• She will achieve the highest academic grade in her dissertation project if she follows the guidelines provided by her university.
• Mike panics whenever he takes an exam.

In contrast, you will need to use a comma at the beginning of the independent clause when the subordinating conjunction appears at the start of the sentence.

• If she follows the guidelines provided by her university she will achieve the highest academic grade in her dissertation project..
• Whenever Mike takes an exam he panics.
• If she follows the guidelines provided by her university, she will achieve the highest academic grade in her dissertation project.
• Whenever Mike takes an exam, he panics.?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are conjunctions important in academic writing.

Conjunctions are vital in academic writing because they connect ideas, improve flow, and establish relationships between concepts. They enhance coherence, enabling a clearer, more organized presentation of arguments and helping readers follow the logical progression of your ideas.

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The 4 Types of Conjunctions and When to Use Them

Conjunctions are a part of daily life for anyone who speaks, reads, or writes in English. They are words—or sometimes a small group of words—that join together other words or phrases. In fact, you’ve already read several conjunctions in this paragraph!

Just about all English-based communication involves one of the four types of conjunctions and knowing when to use th. Whether you’re writing a blog or having a simple conversation with a friend, you likely cannot escape using this part of speech. As long as you’re using proper grammar, that is! Correct conjunction usage in written and verbal communication is just as important as appropriate punctuation in writing. And in addition to showing off your mastery of the language, conjunctions help illustrate your unique style of speaking and writing.

So what exactly are conjunctions? How do they differ from other parts of speech? How many different types of conjunctions are there, and what’s the difference between each type? Here’s all the information you need about these crucial sentence elements, as well as advice on how and when to use them.

What are Conjunctions?

You might be a few years removed from the elementary school English class in which you learned about the different parts of speech . So you might not remember that conjunctions are some of the most important building blocks of the English language.

Basically, a conjunction helps clarify your message because it links together your ideas. And since conjunctions join words, phrases, and clauses together, they help you create longer and more elegant sentences. Without these seemingly small sentence elements, your writing and speech would be chopped up into short individual sentences that are completely separate from each other. Here’s an example of how a conjunction or two can really improve your communication:

• I like the band. I went to their concert. I had a great time.
• I like the band, so I went to their concert and had a great time!

As you can see, adding conjunctions to these simple ideas makes one smooth sentence that flows well as opposed to three sentences that aren’t tied together at all. Instead of a staccato way of communicating, conjunctions help add eloquence to the language that you use.

A fringe benefit is that you can show your style by how you use conjunctions. In both your speech and your writing, you choose certain words and phrases that you’re comfortable with and that you feel best convey your message. Each time you add a new conjunction to your repertoire, you are enhancing and expanding your unique style. Think of conjunctions as tools in your lingual toolbox. The more tools you have, the more art you’re able to create. So learn as many conjunctions as you can to broaden your grammatical knowledge!

Conjunctions aren’t the only extremely important elements in the English language. In fact, there are eight main parts of speech—and conjunctions are just one of them.

What are the main parts of speech?

You want to use proper grammar in all your written and verbal communication. And to speak and write elegantly, you should learn about the eight main parts of speech used in the English language.  Since you’ve already been reminded what a conjunction is, here is a quick refresher on the remaining seven important categories of grammar and some advice on their usage:

• Nouns. Use these words to name something, someone, or someplace. Remember that common nouns are general, such as “city” or “musician.” Proper nouns name a specific thing and should be capitalized, as in “Chicago” or “John Lennon.”
• Pronouns. These helpful words describe a person, place, or thing so you don’t have to be redundant. For example, you can substitute “she,” “he,” or “they” instead of constantly using an individual’s name.
• Adjectives. Nothing beats a descriptive word to add richness to your writing or conversation! Adjectives are words that describe the noun you’re talking about. They’re the difference between “a dinner” and “a delicious dinner” or “a dog” and “an adorable, sweet dog.”
• Verbs. You’ve probably never written or spoken a sentence without a verb. These are words that convey actions. Even in a simple statement like “Go home,” you’re using the verb “go.”
• Adverbs. These are also descriptive words. However, instead of describing a noun, adverbs describe and modify adjectives, verbs, or others. For example, you might say “I drove home quickly.” In this sentence, “quickly” is the adverb because it describes how you drove.
• Prepositions. Sometimes you have to show how the words in your sentence relate to each other. And prepositions do that for you! Small words like “in,” “on,” and “for” are commonly used prepositions.
• Articles. You use articles in every grammatically correct sentence. Words like “the,” “a,” and “an” help your listener or reader understand whether you’re referring to something general or specific, singular or plural. Just remember that there are both definite and indefinite articles , so make sure you use the correct one!

Are you having flashbacks to fifth-grade English class? Great! Now that you’ve been reminded of the eight main parts of speech, it’s time to take a deep dive into conjunctions.

The Four Types of Conjunctions and When to Use Them

Many of the different parts of speech can be broken down into categories. Nouns are usually classified as either common nouns or pronouns. Verbs are divided into a handful of groups, including action verbs, transitive verbs, and linking verbs. Even tiny little prepositions can be categorized as simple, double, or compound, to name a few.

Similarly, there are four types of conjunctions are classified into four different types: coordinating, subordinating, correlative, and conjunctive adverbs. Each type is as important as the next. And gaining a thorough understanding of each type and its proper usage can really help improve your communication skills, both in writing and in speech.

What are coordinating conjunctions?

Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, clauses, or even sentences that are equal to each other. In other words, they coordinate to each other. Chances are you use these words a lot, even if you don’t realize it! There are only seven coordinating conjunctions, and you can use the mnemonic device “FANBOYS” to remember them:

Although you likely use these conjunctions on a regular basis, it’s important to make sure you’re using them correctly. Here are a few examples of proper usage:

• I went to the store for chocolate ice cream but ended up buying cookies and cream instead.
• Do you prefer the team’s blue or gray uniforms?

Now that you’ve gotten a taste of how to use coordinating conjunctions, it’s time to learn about the subordinating type.

What are subordinating conjunctions?

A subordinating conjunction links together a sentence’s independent clauses and dependent—or subordinate —clause. This might sound complex, but it’s actually quite simple! A clause is just a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate.

There are a lot of subordinating conjunctions, and some are phrases instead of single words. Here are some common ones:

• Even though

You can use a subordinating conjunction before the dependent clause. If you choose to use it before the independent clause instead, just use punctuation like a comma. Here are some examples for the sentences “My dog has a lot of energy. I take her to the park.”:

• Whenever my dog has a lot of energy, I take her to the park.
• My dog has a lot of energy, so I take her to the park.

As you develop your writing style, you’ll probably find that you prefer one sentence structure over the other. And that’s great! Just keep expanding your linguistic toolbox. A great way to add to your vocabulary is by incorporating some correlative conjunctions into the mix.

What are correlative conjunctions?

In addition to linking words and phrases together, some conjunctions also show how parts of your sentence relate to each other. That’s where the correlative conjunction comes in! These handy tools come in pairs and are separated by other elements in your sentence.

Comparing two different ideas in the same sentence helps your audience understand your message. Whether you’re trying to verbalize an idea or make your written content easier to read , correlative conjunctions can help. Take a look at these examples:

• Neither…nor
• Not only…but also
• No sooner…than
• Rather…than

These tools come in very handy when you want to connect two thoughts. Some examples:

• We’re running late, so either we go to dinner or a movie.
• No sooner did I walk outside than it started raining!

Correlative conjunctions allow you to be creative. They can illustrate similarities or differences between two parts of your sentence, so play around and see what suits your style! Once you’re comfortable with this type of conjunction, you can sprinkle in some conjunctive adverbs and really show off your mastery of the English language.

What are conjunctive adverbs?

The fourth and final type of conjunction is the conjunctive adverb. Remember: adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Similarly, conjunctive adverbs are adverbs that describe or modify full clauses.

Because they often appear in sentences with less commonly used punctuation marks like semicolons, these parts of speech can be a little difficult to grasp. It might help to group them into categories of their proper usage and how they can help you clearly and eloquently express your ideas:

• Furthermore
• In addition
• Consequently
• For example
• For instance
• Nevertheless
• In conclusion

This is far from the full list of conjunctive adverbs available to you. However, before you start researching all your options, try using a few of these in a sentence! Here are some examples of proper usage in a single sentence:

• It is snowing in Chicago; meanwhile, it’s sunny and warm in Orlando.
• Our commute took longer than anticipated; consequently, we were late for dinner.

And here are a couple of sentences using conjunctive adverbs in two different sentences:

• I’ve loved everything that author has published! Indeed, he is my favorite writer.
• I didn’t really like the restaurant’s food. Regardless, it was fun to have dinner with friends.

Don’t worry if you’re still a little unsure of how to use conjunctive adverbs. They are one of the more difficult elements of the English language, and even the most experienced writers can sometimes struggle with them or make mistakes . Fortunately, you just need a little practice to become a conjunctive adverb—and overall English language—master!

Show Off Your Mastery of Grammar by Using All Types of Conjunctions

Even if English is your native language, getting a firm grasp of the different parts of speech can be difficult. And it’s OK to need some help or advice on how to use sentence elements properly! If you’re not sure which conjunction to use or how to tie your content together with correct grammar, we’ve got your back.

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Using the Right Conjunctions in Writing

Conjunctions are words which connect ( conjoin means to join together) two parts of the same sentence. Using conjunctions in writing is essential to form longer, more complex sentences and join two or more ideas. Conjunctions do not only bring ideas and pieces of information together but they also separate or contrast them against each other.

For example:

Mom is going to the grocery store and dad is staying at home to make dinner.

The conjunction "and" helps us give information about what both mom and dad are doing at the moment in the same sentence.

Johnny wants to go to the concert tonight, but Jess has to study.

In this case, the conjunction "but" is used to contrast the plans Johnny and Jess have for the same evening.

More examples:

I worked so hard for three years and I finally fulfilled my dream. Elizabeth, Mark, and Sarah signed up for Spanish classes but they ended up in the French class with me.

Click Here for Step-by-Step Rules, Stories and Exercises to Practice All English Tenses

Why Conjunctions?

In short, conjunctions are linking words. We use them in writing because they make our sentences more interesting and allow us to skillfully provide a greater amount of information in the same sentence. They also improve the diversity of our sentences and paragraphs, making the overall text more pleasant to read.

Types of Conjunctions

We differentiate between coordinating , subordinating , and correlative conjunctions.

Coordinating conjunctions are words which connect equal parts of a sentence that could be either words or phrases. Such conjunctions are "and", "so", "or", "but", "yet". You can remember that they all contain fewer than four letters.

Fred couldn't lie anymore, so he told the truth.

The coordinating conjunction "so" connects two independent parts – the first one informs us that Frank could not lie anymore and the second one informs us that he told the truth.

My favorite bands are Radiohead and The National.

The coordinating conjunction "and" connects an independent phrase about the writer's favorite band with the name of another band.

I feel like eating pizza or a burrito tonight.

The coordinating conjunction "or" connects two food options, implying that only one of them is acceptable.

Subordinating conjunctions bring together a dependent and independent clause. The conjunction comes before the dependent (or subordinating) clause which could not make a complete sentence on its own without the independent clause. These conjunctions include "because", "since", "for", "before", "whenever", "whereas" , and many others.

We couldn't go out because it was raining.

"Because it was raining" could not be a complete sentence without the independent clause "we couldn't go out". The conjunction "because" bridges the two parts and gives us information about why someone could not go out.

Since you are always late, you will have to submit another assignment. Whenever I see a dog on the street, I feel happy.

Correlative means "related".

Correlative conjunctions always come in pairs. Words such as "either/or", "such/that", "neither/nor", and "as/as" bring equal parts of a sentence together. These conjunctions often list options, choices, or ideas among which some or none are valid or achievable. Correlative conjunctions are also useful in comparisons.

We can either leave now or in half an hour.

The conjunction "either/or" tells us which two options are available and implies that only one of them can happen.

Emma is as good in Spanish as she is in Japanese.

The conjunction "as/as" tells us that Emma's understanding of Spanish is equal to her understanding of Japanese.

Conjunctive adverbs , also known as adverbial conjunctions , are words that bring together two separate thoughts or sentences. For this reason, they are placed in the middle of two thoughts. The correct punctuation for a conjunctive adverb is a period ( . ) / semicolon ( ; ) / comma  ( , ) before it, and a comma  ( , ) after it.

You should come with us . Moreover, you shouldn't stay here alone. You should come with us ; moreover, you shouldn't stay here alone. You should come with us , and moreover, you shouldn't stay here alone.

Examples of conjunctive adverbs: moreover, for instance, finally, in addition, nevertheless, however, and many others.

Vegetarian diet has many benefits; for example , vegetarians tend to live longer.

Either of these sentences can be independent and represents a separate thought. They are brought together by the conjunctive adverb "for example" to form a stronger argument.

Jack walked for three hours searching for a perfect present and, finally , he found one in the Chinese quarter. It seemed like I was going to spend the night in the city. Nevertheless , I found a way to go home.

Choosing the right conjunction is essential for several reasons:

1. conjunctions enrich your writing and allow you to bring many ideas together..

I love cooking. I love watching TV. I started loving these activities when I was a child. => Since I was a child, I've loved cooking and watching TV. It is snowing. We have no choice. We cannot walk to the cinema. We also cannot bike to the cinema. => Because it is snowing, we can neither walk nor bike to the cinema.

2. Conjunctions can help you say more in fewer words.

Tom told me he can't go to Germany with us. The reason he can't go is that he doesn't have money. => Tom told me he can't go to Germany with us because he doesn't have money. This morning I brushed my teeth. After that, I drank coffee. After my coffee, I made a sandwich. After all of that, I watched TV. => This morning, I brushed my teeth, drank coffee, made a sandwich, and watched TV.

3. Choosing a wrong conjunction can completely change the meaning of your sentence.

Dana doesn't like beans but she does like peas. => Dana doesn't like beans nor does she like peas.

In the first example, we incorrectly learn that Dana likes peas and not beans. When we replace the conjunction "but" with "nor", we make it clear that Dana doesn't like beans and she doesn't like peas.

4. In addition, misplacing the correctly chosen conjunction can also confuse your readers.

I wake up early, although I am not tired.

This sentence can mean that the writer wakes up early despite not being tired.

Although I wake up early, I am not tired.

Putting the conjunction "although" at the beginning of the sentence clarifies its meaning. The writer now says that in spite of waking up early, she is not tired.

Besides knowing what each conjunction means and where to place your conjunctions, what else should you keep in mind?

Conjunctions Join Parallel Structures

We explained which conjunctions join two independent clauses and which join dependent clauses . However, it is also important to note that conjunctions are meant to connect phrases which have equal structures. For example, you should join two adverbs , two adjectives , or two verbs put in the same tense (unless they are preceded by pronouns or nouns ).

Hannah looked beautiful and elegantly .

The conjunction "and" is placed incorrectly because it joins an adjective (beautiful) and an adverb (elegantly). Instead, it should be phrased:

Hannah looked beautiful and elegant .

In this case, the conjunction joins two adverbs.

My parents lived in Miami in the 1970s but move out due to the weather. => My parents lived in Miami in the 1970s but move d out due to the weather. John got a promotion because he does his job thoroughly and careful . => John got a promotion because he does his job thoroughly and carefully .

Starting a Sentence with a Conjunction

Many English learners are led to believe that starting a sentence with a conjunction is wrong. However, this is not the case. First and foremost, subordinating conjunctions precede dependent clauses, so it is logical for them to be able to stand at the beginning of a sentence.

Whenever it rains, his mood changes.

Other coordinating conjunctions can also be the first word in your sentence. However, they have a much stronger role if they bring different parts of a sentence together, so it is advisable to use them at the beginning of a sentence only occasionally.

Yet , they reached their destination. But also: They were exhausted, yet they reached their destination.

In conclusion, using the right conjunctions in writing is important for several reasons. Remember that conjunctions do the following:

• connect equal parts of a sentence
• bring together two or more independent sentences
• join independent and dependent clauses
• stand in the middle of a sentence separated by commas or a semicolon and comma
• connect equal structures
• can be placed at the beginning of a sentence

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• Writing Tips

Writing Tips: What Are Conjunctions?

• 3-minute read
• 8th December 2019

Even if you’re not sure what conjunctions are, you probably use them all the time. They’re vital to most  sentence types , after all.

It thus pays to know how different conjunctions work. And to help with this, we’ve prepared a guide on how to use them in your written work .

Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence. There are seven of these in English, which you can remember with the acronym “FANBOYS” as follows:

• F or (e.g.,  I will go now,  for  I have an urgent mission. )
• A nd (e.g.,  I am a spy  and  a lover. )
• N or (e.g.,  I cannot fail,  nor  do I want to. )
• B ut (e.g.,  I want to stay at the casino,  but  I need to catch the villain. )
• O r (e.g.,  My options are victory  or  death! )
• Y et (e.g.,  The life of an international spy is dangerous  yet  exciting. )
• S o (e.g.,  I fight the bad guys  so  you don’t have to. )

All the terms above can be used to join two  independent clauses  (i.e., clauses that would work as sentences by themselves). In this case, a comma is usually given before the conjunction. For instance:

However, you don’t need a comma to join two short, simple sentences:

Nor do you need one when joining two words or phrases within a clause:

And you can use a coordinating conjunction at the start of a sentence:

Some people say it is wrong to start a sentence like this . But using a conjunction at the start of a sentence now and then can help writing flow.

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Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions connect independent clauses and  dependent clauses . They indicate the relationship between clauses. For example:

Here, we use the subordinating conjunction “because” to introduce a reason (i.e., being a good spy) for the main clause (i.e., being hated by the bad guys). Subordinating conjunctions have various meanings. Other examples include “although,” “before,” “unless,” and “while.”

Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words that join similar parts of a sentence. The most common of these include:

• Either… or… (e.g.,  We  either  need a plan  or  a lot of luck. )
• Neither… nor… (e.g.,  Neither  the villain  nor  his henchmen can stop me! )
• Both… and… (e.g.,  I am outstanding at  both  spying  and  drinking martinis. )
• Not only… but also… (e.g.,  I am  not only  a great spy,  but also  a keen gardener. )

Note that the terms connected by correlative conjunctions here are of the same type (i.e., noun + noun or verb + verb). This ensures  grammatical parallelism (i.e., it keeps different parts of a sentence in balance).

Conjunctive Adverbs

Finally, we have  conjunctive adverbs . These aren’t conjunctions, but they link sentences in a similar way. For example, the terms “however” and “therefore” allow us to show how two clauses or sentences are related:

These provide an alternative to standard conjunctions if you need to vary the terms in your work. Just make sure you pick the right one for what you want to express! And, when in doubt, you can always ask a proofreader for help.

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What Are Conjunctions?

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A detailed guide to using conjunctions properly

Conjunctions are an integral part of the English language. If used properly, they can improve almost any type of writing. From business writing to academic writing , conjunctions help create better sentences. However, using them incorrectly or not using them at all results in choppy and incoherent writing. This article will explain what conjunctions are and how to use them properly.

Conjunctions explained

A conjunction is a part of speech that functions as a connector between two sentences, clauses, phrases, or words.  We often use conjunctions in speech without realizing it. In writing, they can be effectively used in lieu of starting a new sentence. The proper use of conjunctions allows for more natural flow and rhythm in your writing. The improper use of conjunctions often results in writing that sounds choppy and disjointed.

Look at the following three sentences, for example: "I went to the store. They didn't have apples. They also didn't have hot sauce." While technically not incorrect, these sentences would sound much better as one sentence joined together by conjunctions. "I went to the store, but they had neither apples nor hot sauce."

The previous sentence used two different types of conjunctions: coordinating and correlative. Many people aren't even aware there are two types, but in an editor's world, there are major differences between the two.

Coordinating conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions are the most common form of conjunctions. They are so pervasive in the English language that they are used in nearly every sentence or paragraph in some form or another. Despite the frequency of these conjunctions, their use still results in common ESL mistakes . There are seven coordinating conjunctions in total and it is very likely you’ve heard all of them many times today. While you may not be able to list them off the top of your head, there is a very simple mnemonic that can help you to remember them: FANBOYS.

F – for

A – and

N – nor 

B – but

O – or

Y – yet

S – so

These seven words function to connect two or more items of equal syntactic importance. These items can be words, sentences, or clauses. However, there is a risk associated with using coordinators, as they can lead to what is known as a run-on sentence. This is a sentence that is too heavy and contains multiple subjects. Coordinating conjunctions can lead to rambling and nonsensical sentences if you are not careful; use them sparingly. If you've used more than two coordinating conjunctions in one sentence, you've likely got a run-on sentence.

Correlative conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are slightly more obscure, but you have undoubtedly come across them in your daily speech. A correlative conjunction, as its name implies, is a pair of conjunctions that are joined together to combine two relative parts of speech.

"It was either me or him."

In this sentence, "either" and "or" are the correlative conjunctions. They bind "me" and "him" together, insinuating an inclusive relationship. The following are the primary correlative conjunctions in the English language:

Not only… but also…     as in:  She was not only mean, but also rude.

Neither…nor…              as in: They were neither fun nor exciting.

Both…and…                 as in: He was both pleased and surprised.

Whether…or…              as in: He was not sure whether he was winning or losing.

Not…but…                   as in: They did not want to waste the day, but they stayed inside.

Correlative conjunctions often function as comparative devices. While this is not their sole function, it is the most common context in which you will see them.

Overall…

Conjunctions may breathe creative life into your writing by allowing you to combine ideas and compare clauses without having to break up your sentences into choppy fragments. They can, however, cause problems if not used properly.

If you are having problems with them, or simply want to ensure you have used them correctly, don't hesitate to send your essay or manuscript to our English academic editors . 

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Module 1: Grammar

Conjunctions.

Conjunctions are the words that join sentences and phrases, and connect or coordinate other words together. They are difficult to define abstractly, so we will turn quickly to worked examples of four important categories of conjunctions: coordinating conjunctions, adverbial conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and subordinating conjunctions. As students of INTD 106 and of college writing more generally, you’ll want to feel competent using conjunctions because they often give shape to the transitional logic that links your ideas into a coherent thesis. The idea of connection – of join ing – is at the heart of the term con junct ion, so these are the building blocks of controlled complexity in your writing.

Coordinating Conjunctions

• For  presents a reason (“They do not gamble or smoke, for they are ascetics.”)
• And  presents non-contrasting items or ideas (“They gamble, and they smoke.”)
• Nor  presents a non-contrasting negative idea (“They do not gamble, nor do they smoke.”)
• But  presents a contrast or exception (“They gamble, but they don’t smoke.”)
• Or  presents an alternative item or idea (“Every day they gamble, or they smoke.”)
• Yet  presents a contrast or exception (“They gamble, yet they don’t smoke.”)
• So  presents a consequence (“He gambled well last night, so he smoked a cigar to celebrate.”)

Here are some examples of these coordinating conjunctions used in sentences:

• Nuclear-powered artificial hearts proved to be complicated, bulky, and expensive.
• In the 1960s, artificial heart devices did not fit well and tended to obstruct the flow of venous blood into the right atrium.
• The blood vessels leading to the device tended to kink, obstructing the filling of the chambers and resulting in inadequate output.
• Any external injury  or internal injury put patients at risk of uncontrolled bleeding because the small clots that formed throughout the circulatory system used up so much of the clotting factor.

The current from the storage batteries can power lights, but the current for appliances must be modified within an inverter.

Coordinating conjunctions might seem simple, but, in fact, many undergraduate writers use them imprecisely. They write, “Any external injury and  internal injury put patients at risk of uncontrolled bleeding…” or, “The current from the storage batteries can power lights, and  the current for appliances must be modified within an inverter.” Presumably, this default to “and” as the coordinating conjunction of choice stems from students’ recognition that they want to join related ideas together, but “and” often blurs the precise relationship. If you pile ideas together with “and” and don’t differentiate logical relationships between items and hierarchies, and still expect readers to follow your train of thought, you’re expecting too much: your sentence sounds as if it is gasping for breath and it reads like a list (like this sentence just did). Indeed, a grocery list works fine with “and:” “we need canned tomatoes and pasta and apples and granola bars.” You probably don’t care whether you pick up the apples first, or the pasta, and the items aren’t even ingredients for the same recipe (presumably!). But you really should have a less arbitrary plan for linking ideas together if you want someone to read 5-10 pages of your thoughts about biodiversity or the arts of Oceania. Here’s that sentence again with some more precise conjunctions: “If you pile ideas together with “and” but  don’t differentiate logical relationships between items or  hierarchies, yet  still expect readers to follow your train of thought, you’re expecting too much: your sentence sounds as if it is gasping for breath and it reads like a list.”

At the bottom of this page, after the discussions of the other categories of conjunctions, is a table of conjunctions divided into the logical categories they serve. It’s very useful!

Are the correct coordinating conjunctions being used in each of the following sentences? Explain your reasoning why or why not:

• I love algebra or German. They’re both a lot of fun.
• Martin is pretty good at writing, for Jaden is better.
• Juana had to choose. Would she cut the red wire and the black wire?
• The conjunction  or presents an alternative. However, the second sentence indicates that the speaker enjoys both activities. The correct sentence would use  and : “I love algebra  and  German. They’re both a lot of fun.”
• The conjunction for  presents a reason. It’s unlikely that Jaden being better is the reason Martin is pretty good at writing, so a different conjunction should be used.  But would be a good fit here, since the ideas contrast: “Martin is pretty good at writing, but  Jaden is better.”
• The conjunction  and presents non-contrasting items or ideas. Since the first sentence sets up a choice, we know that Juana can’t cut both wires at once. The conjunction  or presents an alternative and is the correct conjunction to use in this sentence: “Would she cut the red wire  or  the black wire?”

As you can see from the examples above, a comma only appears before these conjunctions sometimes. So how can you tell if you need a comma or not? There are three general rules to help you decide.

Rule 1: Joining Two Complete Ideas

Let’s look back at one of our example sentences:

There are two complete ideas in this sentence. A complete idea has both a subject (a noun or pronoun) and a verb. The subjects have been italicized, and the verbs bolded:

• the current from the storage batteries can power lights
• the current for appliances must be modified within an inverter.

Because each of these ideas could stand alone as a sentence, the coordinating conjunction that joins them must be preceded by a comma. Otherwise you’ll have a run-on sentence.

Rule 2: Joining Two Similar Items

What if there’s only one complete idea, but two subjects or two verbs?

• The first part of this sentence has two subjects:  external injury and  internal injury . They are joined with the conjunction or ; we don’t need any additional punctuation here.
• This sentence has two verbs:  did not fit well and  tended to obstruct . They are joined with the conjunction and ; we don’t need any additional punctuation here.

Rule 3: Joining Three or More Similar Items

What do you do if there are three or more items?

• Anna loves to color-code due dates, Luz loves to get ahead of schedule, and David loves the buzz of an adrenaline-fueled all-nighter.
• Fishing, hunting, and gathering were once the only ways for people to get food.
• Emanuel has a very careful schedule planned for tomorrow. He needs to work, study for his Arabic exam, exercise, eat something substantial, and clean his car.

As you can see in the examples above, there is a comma after each item, including the item just prior to the conjunction. There is a little bit of contention about this, but overall, most styles prefer to keep the additional comma (also called the serial comma). We discuss the serial comma in more depth in Commas .

Starting a Sentence

Many students are taught—and some style guides maintain—that English sentences should not start with coordinating conjunctions.

This video shows that this idea is not actually a rule. And it provides some background for why so many people may have adopted this writing convention:

Are the following sentences conventionally punctuated?

• Ricardo composed one song today and he wants to get three more done by the end of the week.
• My house mates leave their keys all over the house, and forget where they put them.
• I wanted to call my friend, but she lost her phone a few days ago.
• Vesna had already chosen the first presentation slot so I took the second one.
• Do you want to go to the review session or to the bowling alley?
• Ricardo composed one song today, and he wants to get three more done by the end of the week.
• My house mates leave their keys all over the house and forget where they put them.
• Vesna had already chosen the first presentation slot, so I took the second one.

Adverbial Conjunctions

The first artificial hearts were made of smooth silicone rubber, which apparently caused excessive clotting and, therefore , uncontrolled bleeding.

When used to separate sentences, as in the examples below, a semicolon is required before the conjunction and a comma after.

• The Kedeco produces 1200 watts in 17 mph winds using a 16-foot rotor; on the other hand , the Dunlite produces 2000 watts in 25 mph winds.
• For short periods, the fibers were beneficial; however , the eventual buildup of fibrin on the inner surface of the device would impair its function.
• The atria of the heart contribute a negligible amount of energy; in fact , the total power output of the heart is only about 2.5 watts.

Adverbial conjunctions include the following words that you probably use in most argument-based college writing; however, it is important to note that this is by no means a complete list.

Fill in the missing punctuation marks for the sentences below. Type the corrected sentences in the text frame below:

• My house mate decided to drive to campus __ therefore __ she thought she would arrive earlier than she usually does.
• She needed to turn left on Park Street. That street __ however __ was under construction.
• In other words __ she couldn’t turn on the street she needed to.
• There is a complete sentence before and after  therefore . Thus, this sentence needs a semicolon (or a period) before the conjunction and a comma afterward.
• However comes in the middle of a complete idea; it just needs commas on either side of it.
• In other words comes before a complete idea. We just need a comma at the end of the conjunction.

Correlative Conjunctions

The table below shows some examples of correlative conjunctions being used in a sentence:

Rewrite the following items. Your new sentences should use correlative conjunctions. Type your revisions in the text frame below:

• She finished packing right when the moving truck showed up.
• There are two shifts you can work: Thursday night or Saturday afternoon.
• Chemistry and physics are both complex.
• The only correlative conjunction that deals with time is no sooner…than . Your sentence should look something like “ No sooner did she finish packing, than the moving truck showed up.”
• You can work either Thursday night or Saturday afternoon.
• You must choose  whether  you will work Thursday night  or  Saturday afternoon.
• Chemistry is as complex as physics.
• Just as chemistry is complex, so physics is complex.

Subordinating Conjunctions

• The heart undergoes two cardiac cycle periods: diastole, when blood enters the ventricles, and systole, when the ventricles contract and blood is pumped out of the heart.
• Whenever an electron acquires enough energy to leave its orbit, the atom is positively charged.
• If the wire is broken, electrons will cease to flow and current is zero.
• I’ll be here  as long as it takes for you to finish.
• She did the favor  so that he would owe her one.

Let’s take a moment to look back at the previous examples. Can you see the pattern in comma usage? The commas aren’t dependent on the presence of subordinating conjunctions—they’re dependent on the placement of clauses they’re in. Let’s revisit a couple of examples:

• These clauses are both extra information: information that is good to know, but not necessary for the meaning of the sentence. This means they need commas on either side.
• In this sentence, the dependent clause comes before an independent clause. This means it should be followed by a comma.
• In this sentence, the independent clause comes before an dependent clause. This means no comma is required.

The most common subordinating conjunctions in the English language are shown in the table below:

All of the commas have been removed from the following passage. Re-type the passage in the text frame below, adding in the conventional punctuation. Identify all of the subordinating conjunctions as well.

Thales came to the silent auction in order to win the chance to be drawn by his favorite artist. Before anyone else could bid Thales went to the bidding sheet and placed an aggressive bid. He knew he would have to come back and check on it while the auction was still open but he felt confident in his ability to win. He was determined to win the auction even if it took all of his money to do so.

Thales came to the silent auction in order to  win the chance to be drawn by his favorite artist.  Before anyone else could bid  _,_  Thales went to the bidding sheet and placed an aggressive bid. He knew he would have to come back and check on it while  the auction was still open  _,_ but he felt confident in his ability to win. He was determined to win the auction  even if it took all of his money to do so.

Note that the comma following the dependent clause “while the auction was still open” is because of the coordinating conjunction  but , not because of the subordinate conjunction at the beginning of the clause.

• Revision and Adaptation. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Revision and Adaptation. Authored by : Gillian Paku. Provided by : SUNY Geneseo. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Conjunction (grammar). Provided by : Wikipedia. Located at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjunction_(grammar) . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Basic Patterns and Elements of the Sentence. Authored by : David McMurrey. Located at : https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/twsent.html . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Correlative conjunctions. Authored by : David Rheinstrom. Provided by : Khan Academy. Located at : https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/partsofspeech/conjunctions/v/correlative-conjunctions . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Beginning sentences with conjunctions. Authored by : David Rheinstrom. Provided by : Khan Academy. Located at : https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/partsofspeech/conjunctions/v/beginning-sentences-with-conjunctions-the-conjunction-the-parts-of-speech-grammar . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Image of compass. Authored by : Douglas Santos. Provided by : The Noun Project. Located at : https://thenounproject.com/search/?q=coordinate&i=223910 . License : CC BY: Attribution
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• Image of balanced scales. Authored by : Lloyd Humphreys. Provided by : The Noun Project. Located at : https://thenounproject.com/search/?q=equal&i=96785 . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Subordinating conjunctions. Authored by : David Rheinstrom. Provided by : Khan Academy. Located at : https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/partsofspeech/conjunctions/v/subordinating-conjunctions . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
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Understanding Conjunctions (List, Examples, Rules, and More)

Conjunctions are an essential part of speech that helps us to join words and phrases together to create complete sentences. Without conjunctions, our thoughts and ideas would sound incomplete. And would make basic communication difficult to comprehend in the English language.

What are Conjunctions?

Conjunctions are a part of speech that join words, phrases, and clauses to help create better sentences.

They are an important part of the English language and give a better structure to sentence construction. Without them, you will only be able to construct very simple sentences.

Some common examples include ‘and’, ‘or’, ‘for’, ‘although’, ‘because’, and ‘but’.

The most well-known nursery rhyme taught to students has some good examples of the conjunction ‘and’.

Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water.

Jack fell down and broke his crown,

And Jill came tumbling after.

Without conjunctions, the rhyme would be tedious and not lyrical.

Let us look at how conjunctions turn three simple sentences into one much more refined sentence.

• Simple Sentence 1: Malt likes jogging.
• Simple Sentence 2: Seth loves running.
• Simple Sentence 3: Malt and Seth love swimming.

Complex Sentence using Conjunctions:

Malt likes jogging while Seth loves running, but they both love swimming.

Conjunctions are one of the nine parts of speech . The others are Nouns , Pronouns, Verbs , Adjectives, Adverbs , Prepositions , interjections , and Determiners or Articles.

The earliest known use of conjunctions was in the 15 th century as an adjective and in the 17 th century as a noun. Conjunctions were called Connectives until the beginning of the 20 th century.

What Do Conjunctions Do?

Conjunctions help join words, phrases, and clauses to create complex sentences. The words, phrases, and clauses that conjunctions join are called conjuncts.

These conjuncts may be of equal importance and be able to stand on their own as separate sentences. Or they may be of unequal importance, with a dependent clause establishing a relationship with an independent part through the conjunction.

To understand what conjunctions do, it is important to understand the different types of this class of words.

Conjunctions come three forms:

Coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions.

• Correlative Conjunctions

In addition, it is important to know of a type of adverb called Conjunctive Adverbs that act as conjunctions.

We briefly look at each of these four in this section and explore the first three in more depth in the later sections below.

Coordinating conjunctions join words, phrases, clauses, and sentences that are grammatically similar. They are also called Coordinators as they coordinate between two or more words, phrases, clauses, or sentences of similar nature.

• Andy would like to have Italian or Chinese.
• Sam was on leave yesterday for he was unwell.
• It was raining and people were out with their umbrellas.

Subordinating Conjunctions join a dependent clause with an independent one. The dependent clause cannot stand on its own, but it lends an additional value to the independent clause . An important sub-type of subordinating conjunctions is Conjunctions of Time.

• Think a bit unless you have already made your decision.
• Let me know when you are done repairing the jet engine.
• Sam will take part because Karen is taking part in the play.

Correlative conjunctions join words, phrases, clauses, and sentences of equal importance. They usually work in pairs such as ‘both/and’, ‘either/or’, ‘neither/nor’ and ‘not only/but also’.

• We will either start early morning or after 11 am.
• Neither does he look like Danish nor any other person I know.
• It was not only windy but also raining at the hilltop.

Conjunctive Adverbs

Conjunctive Adverbs work as conjunctions and join two independent clauses just like coordinating conjunctions. They show a relationship such as cause and effect , contrast or sequence in a sentence.

• Betty is busy with her exam preparation. Consequently , she will not participate in the festival.
• Ron is a good manager; moreover , he excels at project management .
• You should start exercising. Also , go to a dietitian and plan your meals.

The Three Rules of Using Conjunctions

There are three important rules to remember while using conjunctions:

Rule 1: Connect

Conjunctions connect thoughts, actions and ideas as well as nouns, clauses and other parts of speech. This is the most important use of this part of speech.

• Jack and Jill
• Betty went to the gym and pumped weights.
• Seth likes mangoes but not oranges

Rule 2: Lists

Conjunctions help in creating a structure for making lists within a sentence.

• Marjorie bought flour, eggs and sugar to bake a cake.
• Instead of sugar, you may use honey, Jaggery powder, maple syrup or dates . But not artificial sweeteners.
• The four principles enshrined in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution are Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.

Rule 3: Agreement

All the conjuncts should agree in terms of sentence construction. Do not use a conjunction to join phrases, clauses, or sentences that are constructed in different ways. Change the structure and style as needed to solve this problem.

Incorrect: Harper has an eye for detail and she is speedy.

Correct: Harper has an eye for detail and she is fast.

Incorrect: Milo work hastily yet is careful.

Correct: Milo work hastily yet carefully.

Understanding Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions join words phrases, clauses, and sentences that have similar grammatical syntax or structure, and are of equal importance to the more significant sentence.

There are seven coordinating conjunctions in English language – ‘For’, ‘And’, ‘Nor’, ‘But’, ‘Or’, ‘Yet’ and ‘So’ and they can be remembered with the mnemonic FANBOYS.

Types of Coordinating Conjunctions

English grammar sub-classifies coordinating conjunctions into four types based on their role in the sentence. Let us look at them and try to understand the differences with similar examples.

Cumulative Coordinating Conjunction: As the word cumulative suggests here, the coordinating conjunction is used to add a phrase, clause, or sentence to another.

• Mads went to the doctor and then to her office.
• The outfield was wet and the match was canceled.
• You can study and then watch YouTube.

Alternative Coordinating Conjunction: Here the conjunction is used to offer a single or multiple alternative options.

• Mads realized she could go to the doctor or to office but not both.
• Sandy or Ran can play as the 12 th man.
• You can finish your homework or watch YouTube.

A-d-v-e-r-s-a-t-i-v-e Coordinating Conjunction: This type of conjunction presents opposing ideas and add an element of decision in the sentence.

• Mads went to the doctor but had recovered from her headache by the time she reached.
• Sandy was not well, yet he went to play the match.
• I finished my homework and decided to watch YouTube, but did not feel like it.

I-l-l-a-t-i-v-e Coordinating Conjunction: This conjunction is used to show an inference. Here a fact present in one phrase or clause flows from the other.

• Mads was given medications for she had gone to see a doctor.
• Sandy was rested for the match for he was unwell.
• I finished my homework, so I could watch YouTube.

Some More Examples of Coordinating Conjunctions

• The temperature was lower than yesterday for it had rained heavily last night.
• I spend both Saturday and Sunday sleeping.
• San would like to learn neither Chess nor Go.
• Autumn wanted the laptop but it was beyond her budget.
• Tom wanted either Huck or Becky to go fishing with him.
• John finished his dinner yet he was still hungry.
• Earl wanted to improve his test scores, so he studied an hour extra before bed. 

Understanding Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating Conjunctions join dependent and independent clauses to make a complex sentence . As the name suggests, the dependent clause depends on the independent clause and includes some additional information in the larger sentence. These parts of speech may also be used to introduce adverb clauses.

The conjunction works in two ways within a sentence. Firstly, it highlights the value of the independent clause, and secondly, it provides a platform for the merging of two ideas. This merger establishes a cause-and-effect relationship or a time-based relationship.

The time-based subordinating conjunctions are Conjunctions of Time and establish a connection between the clauses that are centered around timelines.

Examples of Conjunctions of Time

• I left before he arrived.
• The second train arrived after the first one cleared the platform.
• Nancy decided to check the gift shop while John was finishing lunch.

Like the FANBOYS mnemonic used for coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions can be remembered using the mnemonic: ON A WHITE BUS .

O – Once, Only if

N – Now that

A – As, Although, After

W+H – While, When, Whereas, Whenever, Wherever, Whether

I – If, In case, In order to, In the event that

E – Even if, Even though

B – Because, Before

U – Unless, Until

S – So, So that, Since, Supposing

In addition, beginners can use a smaller acronym called SWABI. It is similar to the FANBOYS acronym in the sense that each of the letters in SWABI stand for one subordinating conjunction .

B – Because

Three Key Points for Subordinating Conjunctions

Remember three key points for subordinating conjunctions:

Point #1: Their position is influenced by the dependent clause. They may be at the beginning or middle of a sentence depending on whether the dependent clause was placed before the independent clause or after.

• She cannot leave office until she mails the client.
• Until she mails the client, she cannot leave office.

Point #2: When using a subordinate clause at the beginning, it is important to use a comma right after the dependent clause.

• Until she mails the client, she cannot leave the office.
• Though it was late, we decided to close the project before we left for the day.
• Even though the bell sounded, the students took a while to come out of their classrooms.

Point #3: When using a subordinate clause in the middle, do not use a comma after the word.

• She cannot leave the office until she mails the client.
• We decided to close the project before we left for the day, even though it was late.
• The students took a while to come out of their classrooms after the bell had sounded.

Some More Examples of Subordinating Conjunctions:

• Once he had the coat, he decided he would go to the prom.
• Now that the storm was past , regular activity resumed in the market.
• Although it did not strike anyone at that time, the merger of the two companies made them the top choice for every award in their industry.
• I was up cleaning the house while you were sleeping.
• Holly decided to pack a pair of sweaters in the event that it got cold up there.
• Though the window was open, we did not hear the taxi honk.
• Even though it was great, it took a while to get used to the book.
• Preston cooked because his parents were away at work, and his sister never cooked.
• Unless it rains, the school will be open tomorrow.
• Keep the book since you find it interesting.

Coordinating conjunctions are the third type of conjunctions and help join words, phrases, clauses, and sentences that are of equal importance in the sentence. They are usually found in pairs and work together to bind two parts of the sentence that may portray relatable ideas.

They usually work in pairs such as ‘both/and’, ‘either/or’, ‘neither/nor’ and ‘not only/but also’ with the two words not placed alongside each other.

• Either you or Andy should attend the meeting.
• Despite the traffic, neither did the cab arrive late nor did the driver charge extra.
• Both the dogs and the cats loved listening to music.

Examples of Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions examples:.

• Jag won the race for he had prepared well.
• The weather was warmer for summer was near.
• This college is very good and the faculty is excellent
• Sutton realized Sony a nd Clark were very intelligent.
• I want neither ice cream nor fruit juice.
• Neither the deck nor the cabins were very clean.
• The road was good but the traffic was bad .
• The housing society was well located but it did not have proper access roads.
• Bertha would like to see a movie or a play.
• You can either appear for the army or pursue civil service.
• The movie was good yet it felt incomplete.
• It was a good day for a walk yet most people were indoors.
• Ash wanted to reach office before her team, so she left half an hour earlier than usual.
• It was an interesting concept, so they decided to try it out at home.

Subordinating Conjunctions Examples:

• Once she was settled in, she decided to order her dinner.
• We will able to go to the hill station only if the roadblock is lifted.
• Now that the sanctions were lifted, regular trade could resume.
• As it was late, I decided to go to sleep.
• The painting was an excellent work of art although the price was steep.
• The caterers left after everybody had eaten.
• While Sonia learnt art, John thought he would brush up his guitar skills.
• It was ready when they arrived to pick it up.
• Whereas everyone plans, few start and fewer continue to exercise.
• I will go wherever life takes me.
• Laila thought it made sense to reach late in order to avoid the speeches.
• If you can imagine it, you can do it.
• Though the journey was short, the view made it an experience of a lifetime.
• Even if Dean likes it, he is unlikely to wear the shirt after a few days.
• Even though I checked, I was unable to find the fork anywhere in the kitchen.
• Bryan thought he was right because he followed the instructions in the book exactly.
• Unless we start now, we will be late.
• Improve your handwriting so you get the higher marks you deserve.
• It is good to have a balanced diet so that you remain healthy.
• Supposing we finish the test early, we can use the extra time to practice for the match.
• Since all of you have studied well, you will not have to worry about passing the test.

Correlative Conjunctions Examples:

• Golf isn’t as fun as football.
• There were as many people as possible inside the hall.
• We will take both the selected items and the ones on sale. 
• I want either the chocolate ice cream or the sundae.
• Just as children love the sun in winter, so do adults who love to be outside enjoying the sunshine.
• Neither the dog nor the cat liked to take a bath.
• No sooner had the postman gone than I realized I forgot to ask him the address of the post office.
• I will eat not only the chocolate cake but also the lemon tart.
• Hazel thought she would rather eat boiled vegetables than dance on stage.
• I had scarcely entered the house when I remembered the things I had forgotten to buy and had to run right back out again.
• Such was the din that no one could sleep until the police stopped the music.
• Whether you prefer the long but easy road or the shorter, but harder path will determine your attitude toward most things in life.

Where do Conjunctions Go?

Conjunctions are usually placed at the beginning or the middle of a sentence but never at the end.

For instance, coordinating conjunctions are placed between the words, phrases, or clauses that they join, while subordinating conjunctions are placed at the beginning of the subordinate clause. Subordinate conjunctions may appear at the beginning of a sentence if the dependent clause is placed before the independent clause.

• Jack and Jill went up the hill. ( Coordinating conjunction )
• Even if it were true, gossiping is never the right thing to do. (Subordinating conjunctions with the subordinate clause at the start of a sentence)
• Most people go about their regular work without thinking unless something unexpected happens. (Subordinating conjunctions with subordinate clause after independent clause)

Understanding Conjunctions and Commas

Commas are sometimes necessary while using conjunctions. There are different rules based on the type of conjunction.

Commas and Coordinating Conjunctions

Commas should be placed before the coordinating conjunction when the word is joining two independent clauses. However, it is advisable to avoid the comma if the independent clauses are short and balanced.

In case the sentence contains a list, then commas should be used when the conjunction precedes the last item in a list of three or more items.

It is advisable to keep in mind that this point is a bone of contention for most experts, with some saying it should be used while others advising against it. The rule of thumb is to place a comma before the conjunction. Especially when the list is made of phrases, compound words , or single and compound words. The comma in such lists is called the Oxford Comma .

• Susan threw the ball and her dog ran after it. (No comma needed)
• Susan threw the ball as far as possible over the hedge, and her dog raced after it. (Comma makes the structure better)
• The shopping list included groceries, fruits and vegetables. (Small list and no comma needed)
• The shopping list included paintbrushes, overcoats, cover sheets, sandpaper, and a pair of tongs. (Eclectic list and an Oxford comma make sense)

Commas and Subordinating Conjunctions

A comma should come after the subordinate clause when the subordinating conjunction is placed at the beginning of the sentence. However, it should not be used for the subordinating conjunction when it is placed in the middle of the sentence.

• Before Red arrived, Sam left. (Comma needed as subordinating conjunction is at the start of the sentence)
• Sam left before Red arrived. (No comma is needed as subordinating conjunction is in the middle of the sentence)
• Once I take out the trash, I will go take a bath.
• I will go take a bath once I take out the trash.
• Even if it were true, it will not help us in the long term.
• It will not help us in the long term even if it were true.

Commas and Correlative Conjunctions

Though they look the most complex, the use of commas in correlative conjunctions is simple. Use a comma when the two clauses look like independent clauses, and do not use it in other circumstances.

• The more Kate checked the financials, the more irregularities popped up. (Comma needed)
• Neither did Riley eat breakfast, nor was he able to make it for lunch on time. (Comma needed)
• Jackie had scarcely left school when she was called back for a staff meeting. (Comma not needed)

Conjunctions List

Conjunctions are usually of three types in terms of structure:

• Single words: Comprise of one word
• Compound words: Consist of two or more words
• Correlative words: They are used as Correlative Conjunctions and exist in pairs. They are placed at different parts of a sentence to join equal phrases or clauses together to make a coherent whole. They are not placed alongside each other in the sentence. 

Here are some examples of these different types of conjunctions.

Examples of Single-Word Conjunctions

Examples of compound word conjunctions.

• By the time
• Even though
• In addition to
• In order that
• In the event that
• Provided that
• Rather than
• Whether or not

Examples of Correlative Word Conjunctions

• Neither/Nor
• No sooner/Than
• Not only/But also
• Rather/Than
• Scarcely/When
• Sooner/Then

FANBOYS Method to Understand Conjunctions

It is easy to remember coordinating conjunctions using the mnemonic: FANBOYS

Each of the letters represent one of the seven coordinating conjunctions in the English language.

S-W-A-B-I Method to Understand Conjunctions

In addition to the ON A WHITE BUS mnemonic, S-W-A-B-I is another acronym to remember subordinating conjunctions.

Like FANBOYS, each of the letters in S-W-A-B-I stand for one subordinating conjunction.

• Parts of speech

More parts of speech:

• Conjunctions
• Prepositions
• Possessive nouns
• Irregular plural nouns
• Proper nouns
• Concrete nouns
• Collective nouns
• Possessive and plural nouns

More on conjunctions

• Coordinate conjunction
• Compound sentence
• Complex sentence
• Independent clause
• Subordinate conjunction
• Conjunctive adverb
• Correlative conjunction
• Adverb clause

Subordinating conjunctions join independent and dependent clauses.

Subordinate clauses are also referred to as a dependent clause and follow the same grammar functions.

Because, since, as, although, though, while, and whereas.

• A conjunction is a word like AND, BUT, ALTHOUGH, BECAUSE. The 2 main types of conjunctions are: 1) coordinating conjunctions 2) subordinating conjunctions. Without conjunctions, we could only make very simple sentences…
• Definition of conjunction noun in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
• Conjunct Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster
• Conjunction (grammar) – Wikipedia
• Parts of speech – Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• The 9 Parts of Speech: Definitions and Examples
• Coordinating Conjunctions Definition – Grammar Terminology – Using-English-.com
• Conjunctions: Definition and Examples
• Conjunctions: Grammar Rules and Examples | G-r-a-m-m-a-r-l-y
• What Is a Conjunction | Examples & Exercises
• 4 Types of Conjunctions: Definitions and Examples
• What Are Conjunctions of Time in English? | L-a-n-Geek
• Using Conjunctions | Definition, Rules & Examples
• Conjunctions in English – Explore Meaning, Definition, Types, Usage and Examples
• Coordinating Conjunctions – Examples & Exercises
• Coordinating Conjunctions – Learn What They Are, Their Definition, Usage with Examples
• Cumulative Coordinating Conjunctions is called because they join words
• The Subordinating Conjunction & A Trick
• Subordinating Conjunctions – Learn the Meaning, Definition, Usage with Examples
• GMAT Grammar: Subordinate Conjunctions | Mag-o-o-sh Study Resources
• What is Correlative Conjunction? Examples and List » Only-My-English
• Correlative Conjunctions – Explore Meaning, Definition, Usage and Examples
• Conjunctive Adverbs – Explore Meaning, Definition and Examples
• Introduction to Conjunctions – Definition, Types with Examples
• Conjunctions – English, Grammar
• Commas and Conjunctions – Grammar 101 – Elite Editing
• What are S-W-A-B-I-s in Grammar? – S-peel-i
• Conjunctions in English Grammar: Rules, Types, Uses with Examples
• 60 Conjunction Examples in Sentences

Inside this article

Fact checked: Content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. Learn more.

About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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Conjunctions

Conjunctions, the english learners guide to mastering conjunction usage.

Are you an ESL or English language student? Do you find yourself struggling to remember the various conjunctions and their appropriate uses? Look no further than our Conjunctions Reference Guide. Our team of experienced educators understands the unique challenges that come with learning a new language, and we have developed this guide specifically with English learners in mind. With easy-to-understand explanations and examples, this guide is the perfect resource for anyone looking to improve their conjunction skills. Don’t forget to save or bookmark this page for future reference – you never know when you might need a quick refresher!

How to use Conjunctions

Conjunctions are an essential aspect of the English language, connecting various parts of a sentence and helping to make your writing more engaging and easier to understand. If you’re new to the concept of conjunctions, or just looking to brush up on your skills, this page provides a fantastic overview of everything you need to know. Whether you’re a beginner or a more advanced student, you’ll find examples, word lists, and practice exercises to help improve your understanding of conjunctions. With reference tables and charts to guide you through the process, this resource has everything you need to make the most of your writing skills and take your English to the next level.

Conjunction Definition and Examples

Conjunctions are an essential part of the English language, but what exactly are they? Simply put, conjunctions are words that connect different parts of a sentence. They are used to:

• Form compound sentences
• Connect clauses
• Join words or phrases

This page was created to help learners better understand the definition and examples of conjunctions. By providing clear and concise information, this page makes it easy for learners to grasp the concept of conjunctions and use them effectively in their writing. This page is specially targeted towards students learning English as a second language, as well as anyone looking to improve their grammar skills. Whether you’re writing a paper or just trying to improve your language skills, understanding conjunctions is a key step towards achieving success.

Types of Conjunctions

This page is all about exploring the various types of conjunctions, from:

• Coordinating conjunctions
• Subordinating conjunctions
• Cumulative conjunctions
• Alternative conjunctions
• Adversative conjunctions

We’ve created this page to provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of these grammar tools, so they can improve their writing and communication skills. Whether you’re a student looking to ace your next English exam or a writer crafting your next masterpiece, this page has something for you. This page targets anyone who wants to improve their understanding of conjunctions and take their language skills to the next level.

Coordinate Conjunctions

Welcome to our page all about coordinate conjunctions! This page was created to provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of coordinate conjunctions and how to effectively use them in their writing. This page has everything you need to know, whether you’re a:

• Student looking to improve your essays 
• A professional writer
• In need of a refresher

From the basics of what coordinate conjunctions are – to detailed examples of how to use them in complex sentences, we’ve got you covered. Our page is targeted towards anyone looking to become a more proficient writer, regardless of their skill level or background. So, no matter who you are or what your goals may be, we invite you to explore our page and discover the power of coordinate conjunctions!

Subordinate Conjunctions

Subordinate conjunctions are small but powerful words that help to build relationships between two main clauses in a sentence; they are essential for creating meaningful and impactful prose. This page was created to provide a comprehensive guide to understanding this concept and the different types of subordinate conjunctions. It provides:

• Clear explanations
• Entertaining examples
• Helpful exercises 
• Allows the learner to explore this topic further

This page is designed to help all ages develop their writing skills with confidence; regardless of whether you’re an elementary school student or an accomplished author, this guide serves as an invaluable resource!

Correlative Conjunctions

Are you struggling with understanding correlative conjunctions? Look no further! This page is here to help you. We created this page to provide an in-depth explanation of what correlative conjunctions are and how to use them properly. This page will benefit you, whether you are a:

• Native English speaker 
• Non-native English speaker

Our target audience is anyone who wants to improve their English language skills, specifically, those who are learning or need a refresher on correlative conjunctions. By the end of this page, you will have a stronger understanding of how to use correlative conjunctions and be able to incorporate them into your writing and conversation effortlessly.

Adverbial Conjunctions

Adverbial conjunctions are an essential part of the English language, yet they are often overlooked. That’s why we created this page – to provide a comprehensive resource for learners who want to improve their understanding and usage of adverbial conjunctions. Whether you’re a student or a professional, this page is designed to meet your needs. By exploring the different types of adverbial conjunctions and examples of their usage, you can enhance your writing and effectively convey your message to your audience. Our target audience is:

• Anyone looking to improve their writing skills
• Beginners 
• Advanced learners

So if you’re ready to take your writing to the next level, you’ve come to the right place.

Transitional Conjunctions

Transitional conjunctions are an essential aspect of writing. They are words that help connect ideas and allow for smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs. At this page, we have compiled all the vital information you need to understand transitional conjunctions better. The aim is to assist individuals in enhancing their written communication and allow for better comprehension by readers. This resource caters to:

• Learners at various academic levels
• Those seeking to improve their writing skills in general

By understanding and correctly implementing transitional conjunctions, you can transform your writing from good to great.

Single-word Transitions

Are you tired of using the same transition words over and over again in your writing? Look no further! This page is dedicated to helping you:

• Expand your vocabulary 
• Add variety to your writing
• Provide single-word transition ideas

Whether you’re a student, a professional writer, or someone who simply wants to improve their writing, this page is for you. Our goal is to make writing easier and more enjoyable for all learners, and with the help of our comprehensive list of single-word transitions, you’ll be on your way to creating more engaging and dynamic pieces. So why not take a look and see how our page can assist you in your writing journey?

Phrase Transitions

Have you ever found yourself struggling to connect your ideas smoothly while writing an essay or report? If so, this page on phrase transitions is the perfect resource for you. We created this page to provide learners with a comprehensive guide to using phrase transitions effectively, allowing them to create cohesive and well-crafted pieces of writing. This page is tailored to meet your needs, whether you’re a:

Student working on an assignment

A professional crafting a report

Simply someone looking to improve their writing skills 

With clear explanations and examples, our page targets individuals of all levels of writing proficiency, helping them to become more confident and capable writers.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Conjunctions are one of the most important parts of speech when it comes to constructing clear, concise sentences. They are words that join clauses, phrases or words together and help us to communicate effectively.

Among the many conjunctions that exist in the English language, three stand out as the most common and essential – and, but, or. Each of these conjunctions serves a unique purpose in sentence construction, and mastering their use is an essential part of developing good writing and communication skills.

Whether you’re writing an essay, a business proposal, or simply chatting with friends, these three little words can make all the difference in how effectively you communicate your ideas. So, let’s take a closer look at what makes these conjunctions so important, and how to use them effectively in your writing.

A conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses. Some of the most commonly used conjunctions include and, or, but, yet, so, and for. However, there are many other examples of conjunctions that you may come across in reading or writing. Some of these include nor, neither, either, whether, although, as, whenever, once, and since.

These words are important for creating complex sentences and adding variety to your writing. By using a range of conjunctions, you can make your writing more interesting and engaging for your audience.

When studying language and grammar, it’s easy to get lost in technical terms and definitions. One often-asked question is whether or not “to” is considered a conjunction. Well, the answer is no – it’s not classified as a conjunction. Instead, it falls into its category called a preposition. However, this doesn’t mean it’s any less important in a sentence. “To” is often used to indicate movement, direction, or purpose, and its proper usage can greatly improve the clarity and effectiveness of your communication.

So, while it may not be a conjunction, “to” is certainly a word to keep on your radar when crafting your next sentence.

As a writer, it’s important to understand the nuances of language and grammar to ensure clear communication with your readers. One common confusion is distinguishing between prepositions and subordinating conjunctions.

While both words are used to link clauses or phrases, prepositions typically refer to a noun or pronoun and show its relationship to other elements in the sentence. Subordinating conjunctions, on the other hand, introduce dependent clauses and show the relationship between the clause and the main sentence.

Understanding these differences will not only make your writing more precise but will also enhance your ability to appreciate the intricacies of language.

Understanding the difference between conjunctions and linking words can greatly enhance your writing and communication skills. While both connect ideas in a sentence, conjunctions typically join two equal parts, like two clauses or two sentences, while linking words connect two parts that have an unequal relationship, like a main clause and a dependent clause.

Additionally, conjunctions focus on creating a smooth flow between two ideas, while linking words provides clarity by emphasizing the relationship between the two parts. Ultimately, grasping the nuances between these two types of connecting words can help make your writing more concise, clear, and effective.

Conjunctions are often thought of as small, insignificant parts of speech that link together clauses or words. However, some linguists argue that conjunctions can also act as modifiers, changing the meaning of the words they connect. For example, consider the sentence “She ate the pizza and the salad.” The conjunction “and” not only links together the two objects but also implies that they were eaten together rather than separately.

Similarly, in the sentence “I will go for a run if it stops raining,” the conjunction “if” modifies the verb “go,” signalling that the action is conditional on a specific circumstance. So although conjunctions are usually associated with connecting rather than modifying, they can have a subtle but important impact on the meaning of a sentence.

The English language is full of different types of conjunctions, which are words that connect phrases, clauses, or sentences. One of these types is known as a coordinating conjunction, which includes words like “and,” “but,” and “or.” However, one lesser-known type of conjunction is the correlative conjunction. This type of conjunction includes pairs of words, like “either/or,” “neither/nor,” and “as well as.”

When using “as well as,” for example, you are connecting two ideas that are similar or related in some way. It’s important to understand the different types of conjunctions to properly connect ideas and create clear, cohesive sentences.

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What Are Conjunctions? Joining Words For Stronger Writing And Communication!

Conjunctions are like the glue that holds sentences together, helping us create clear, meaningful, and powerful communication. Within this article, we are going to learn everything about conjunctions (joining words) in English grammar. We will discuss the key points: “ What are conjunctions “, and “ Different types of conjunctions with examples .”  Moreover, we will learn how they work their magic to make our writing super strong.

Content Guide

What are Conjunctions?

Conjunctions are one of the important parts of speech that act as connectors, joining different parts of a sentence. They help us express relationships between ideas, show contrast, add information, and more. For instance, look at this sentence: “I wanted to go to the park, but it started raining.” In this case, the word “ but ” is a conjunction that connects the two ideas and shows the contrast between wanting to go to the park and the unexpected rain.

List of Conjunctions

Let’s take a look at a bunch of these awesome joining words that help us connect ideas and create fantastic sentences!

Here’s a list of conjunctions along with examples:

• And: I love ice cream, and I also enjoy cake.
• But: She wanted to go to the park, but it started raining.
• Or: You can choose pizza or pasta for dinner.
• So: I studied hard, so I aced the test.
• For: He bought a gift for his friend’s birthday.
• Although: Although it was late, I stayed up to finish the book.
• Because: She brought an umbrella because it might rain.
• Unless: I won’t go outside unless the sun comes out.
• Since: Since it’s your birthday, let’s have a party.
• While: I read a book while waiting for the bus.
• Either…or: You can either choose tea or coffee.
• Neither…nor: Neither the cat nor the dog liked the noise.
• Both…and: She enjoys both singing and dancing.
• Not only…but also: Not only does he play guitar, but he also paints.
• Whether…or: Whether it’s sunny or rainy, we’ll have fun.

Types of Conjunctions

Now, let us look at the different types of conjunctions to increase your grasp on conjunctions.

Coordinating Conjunctions:

Coordinating conjunctions are the conjunctions that join similar sentence elements, such as words, phrases, or clauses. They’re like the bridge between two equal ideas, making sure they work together seamlessly. Here are some common coordinating conjunctions: “and,” “but,” “or,” “so,” “for,” etc.

For example:

• I love both pizza and pasta.
• Emma wanted to go to the party, but she had to study.

Coordinating conjunctions add balance and variety to your writing. Remember, when using them, make sure the subjects and verbs agree in number.

Subordinating Conjunctions:

Subordinating conjunctions introduce a dependent clause that can’t stand alone as a complete sentence. Instead, it relies on an independent clause to make sense. These conjunctions give depth and complexity to your writing by showing cause-and-effect relationships, time, condition, and more. Common subordinating conjunctions include “although,” “because,” “unless,” “since,” etc.

• Because it was raining, we had to stay indoors.
• Although John was tired, he continued working.

Subordinating conjunctions help you create complex sentences, enhancing the coherence of your writing. Just remember, when a dependent clause comes before an independent clause, use a comma to separate them.

Correlative Conjunctions:

Correlative conjunctions work in pairs to connect sentence elements. They’re like two friends holding hands, ensuring balance and equality in your writing. These conjunctions emphasize the relationships between ideas and maintain parallel structure. Common examples of correlative conjunctions are: “either/or,” “neither/nor,” “both/and,” etc.

• Either you come with us, or stay here alone.
• Neither the cat nor the dog likes water.

Correlative conjunctions add rhythm and style to your writing. When using them, keep the structure consistent to create a harmonious flow.

Using Conjunctions in Sentences

Incorporating conjunctions into your writing not only enhances your language skills but also makes your communication more effective. Let’s see how you can use conjunctions in sentences.

Combining Two Independent Clauses

When you have two complete sentences that can stand alone, you can join them using a coordinating conjunction. Remember to use a comma before the coordinating conjunction when joining two complete sentences. 

• “Adam wanted to go to the park, but it started raining.”
• “She loves dancing, and she’s great at playing the piano.”
• “Mona wanted to go shopping, and I needed new shoes.”

Joining Dependent and Independent Clauses:

Subordinating conjunctions help connect a main sentence (independent clause) with a supporting sentence (dependent clause). You don’t need a comma when the dependent clause comes after the independent clause. However, you’ll need to add a comma after the dependent clause if it comes before the independent clause.

• “ Unless I clean my room, I won’t be able to watch TV later.”
• “ Because the weather was terrible, we decided to stay home.”

Coordinating Ideas with Correlative Conjunctions:

Correlative conjunctions create symmetry in your writing. They ensure that both parts are similar and balanced.

• “Either…or”: We can have either spaghetti or pizza for dinner tonight.
• “Neither…nor”: Neither the cat nor the dog wants to go outside in the rain.
• “Not only…but also”: Not only did they visit the museum, but they also explored the zoo.

Common Mistakes with Conjunctions

Now that we understand conjunctions well, let’s make sure we don’t fall into some tricky traps when we write. Sometimes, we might make mistakes, but don’t worry! We’re here to help you learn how to avoid them.  

Subject-Verb Agreement Errors:

• How to avoid subject-verb agreement mistakes when using conjunctions:

Sometimes, when conjunctions introduce multiple subjects in a sentence, we can stumble upon subject-verb agreement errors. That’s because the verb needs to match the subject in both number and person. Remember, when two subjects are joined by “and,” the verb should be plural. When joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb agrees with the closest subject.

• Examples of incorrect and corrected sentences:
• Incorrect: The dog and the cat doesn’t get along.
• Corrected: The dog and the cat don’t get along.
• Incorrect: Either she or her friends is coming to the party.
• Corrected: Either she or her friends are coming to the party.

Misplaced Modifiers:

• Understanding the importance of proper word placement: Misplaced modifiers can twist the meaning of your sentence in funny ways. When you use conjunctions, make sure the words that the modifier describes are right next to it. This way, your sentences will be clear and easy to understand.
• How conjunctions can affect the meaning of sentences: Conjunctions play tag with your modifiers, so if you place a modifier next to the wrong word, it can cause confusion. Look at this example:
• Misplaced: I saw a raccoon on the way to the store driving my car.
• Corrected: Driving my car, I saw a raccoon on the way to the store.

By keeping an eye out for these common mistakes, you’re not just becoming a better writer but also a more confident communicator.

Tips for Using Conjunctions Effectively

Using conjunctions in creative ways not only makes your writing interesting but also helps people understand your ideas better. So, let’s level up our writing game with some awesome tips! These tips will help us use conjunctions in cool ways, making our writing super interesting and easy to follow.

Mix and Match for Variety:

To make your writing interesting, use different types of conjunctions. Try combining coordinating conjunctions, like “ and ” and “ but ,” with subordinating conjunctions, such as “ although ” and “ because .” This mix adds a fun rhythm to your sentences.

Imagine your writing as a colorful painting. By using different types of conjunctions, you can add various shades to your sentences.

For instance:

• Coordinating + Subordinating: “I wanted to go to the park, but it started raining because the weather changed suddenly.”
• Subordinating + Coordinating: “ Since it’s a sunny day, we can go to the beach and enjoy the waves.”

Choose the Right Conjunction:

Every conjunction has a special job. Use “ and ” when you want to add similar ideas, “ but ” when you want to show a difference, and “ because ” when you want to explain a reason. Picking the right conjunction helps your ideas flow smoothly.

• “And” for Addition: “She loves swimming and dancing.”
• “But” for Contrast: “He’s quiet, but he’s also very funny.”
• “Because” for Reason: “I brought my umbrella because the sky looked cloudy.”

Create Clear Relationships:

When you use conjunctions, you’re building bridges between ideas. Make sure these bridges are strong and clear. If you’re showing contrast, use “ although ” or “ but .” If you’re giving a reason, go for “ since ” or “ because .”

• “Although” for Contrast: “Although it was raining, we had a great picnic.”
• “Since” for Reason: “Since she loves animals, she volunteered at the animal shelter.”

Keep it Balanced:

Correlative conjunctions work best when you keep both parts of your sentence balanced. For example, “ either…or ” or “ neither…nor ” should have similar elements on both sides. This adds a sense of harmony to your writing.

• “Either…or”: “For lunch, you can pick either a sandwich or a salad.”
• “Neither…nor”: “Neither the pen nor the pencil works, so I need a new writing tool.”

Read Aloud for Flow:

After you write a sentence with a conjunction, read it aloud. Does it sound smooth? Does it make sense? If not, try tweaking your conjunction or rearranging your words until it flows well.

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Grammar: Conjunctions

Basics of conjunctions.

Conjunctions are parts of speech that connect words, phrases, clauses, or sentences. There are three kinds of conjunctions: coordinating, paired, and subordinating.

For more information about conjunctions, also see these webpages:

• Compound Sentences ,
• Varying Sentence Structure , and
• Comma Basics .

Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions connect words or phrases that serve the same grammatical purpose in a sentence. There are seven main coordinating conjunctions in English, which form the acronym FANBOYS:

F: for : The teachers were frustrated, for the school had cut funding for all enrichment programs.* A: and : In this course, I will write a literature review, a case study, and a final paper.** N: nor : The students did not complete their homework, nor did they pass the test. B: but : The study is several years old but still valuable to this study. O: or : At the end of the class, the students can choose to write an essay or take a test. Y: yet : The patient complained of chronic pain, yet she refused treatment. S: so : I have only been a nurse for one year, so I have little experience with paper charting.

* "For" is rarely used as a conjunction in modern English. ** When the conjunctions "and" and "or" connect three or more words or phrases, use a serial comma to separate items in the series.

Transitional words such as "however" and "therefore" can also function as conjunctions:

• The authors agreed on the prevalence of the problem; however , they disagreed on the problem’s cause.
• Several employees complained about the new policies, and therefore , the manager held an all-staff meeting to address their concerns.

Paired Conjunctions

Paired conjunctions consist of two words or phrases that help make a point or establish alternatives. Although paired conjunctions can be helpful in structuring a sentence, they can also make sentences wordier than necessary, so use these conjunctions sparingly.

• The project will require significant investments of both time and money.
• Note: When two subjects are connected by "both…and," use a plural verb (such as "are" or "were").
• Students who did not complete the assignment received not only a poor grade but also a warning from the teacher.
• Not only did the student include full sentences from the source without using quotation marks, but he also failed to properly cite paraphrased material.
• Either the students were unprepared or the assessment was poorly written.
• Participants in the survey could either choose from a list of possible answers or write in their own responses.
• Students who did not complete the project received neither praise nor rewards.
• The staff neither followed the new policy nor asked for clarification.

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions join a subordinate clause to a main clause and establishes a relationship between the two. There are many subordinating clauses, but here are some of the most common:

• as much as/as soon as/as long as
• in order to/in order that
• when/whenever
• where/wherever

There are two ways to structure a sentence using a subordinating conjunction:

• The teacher administered the test after giving instructions.
• The author must avoid bias if she wants to maintain a scholarly tone.
• I will turn in this assignment at midnight whether or not I complete it.
• After giving instructions, the teacher administered the test.
• If she wants to maintain a scholarly tone, the author must avoid bias.
• Whether or not I complete this assignment, I will turn it in at midnight.

"That" as a Conjunction for Noun Clauses

"That" has a few different functions in English. This can lead to confusion because some instances of "that" are more optional than others in academic writing.

One important use of "that" is for embedding (inserting) a certain type of  dependent clause called a noun clause into an  independent clause . Frequently, such "that" clauses serve as the direct object of a reporting verb (such as found, reported, posited, argued, claimed, maintained, and hypothesized) to introduce a paraphrase, summary, or quotation.

Key: Yellow, bold = subject; green, underline = verb; blue, italics = object

For example,

• Smith (2015) = subject
• reported = verb
• that more research was necessary = dependent clause, direct object of the verb "reported"
• The authors = subject
• hypothesized = verb
• that there would be significant results = dependent clause, direct object of the verb "hypothesized"
• Jones (2014) = subject
• asserted = verb
• t hat confidentiality was maintained throughout the study = dependent clause, direct object of the verb "asserted"
• Answer: that more research was necessary
• Answer: that there would be significant results
• Answer: that confidentiality was maintained throughout the study

In formal written English, for clarity, most academic writers choose to keep "that " when it introduces a noun clause (Caplan, 2012). Leaving out "that" can cause the reader to misread (at first anyway) the subject of the dependent clause as being the object of the reporting verb (Jamieson, 2012).

• For example, if readers see the sentence, " Smith (2015) reported more research was necessary (without 'that')," they may understand “more research” as the thing Smith reported and then have to backtrack and reread upon seeing “was necessary.”
• Any structure that leads to misinterpretation, even temporarily, can be an unwanted distraction from the writer’s message.
• In spoken English, however, "that" may be dropped in such sentences. (Intonation patterns—rising and falling pitch—give the listener clues that may not be present in writing.)

Caplan, N. (2012). Grammar choices for graduate and professional writers . University of Michigan Press.

Conjunctions Video Playlist

Note that these videos were created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.

• Structuring Sentences: Compound Sentences (video transcript)
• Structuring Sentences: Complex Sentences (video transcript)
• Structuring Sentences: Combining Sentences (video transcript)

Related Resource

Knowledge check: conjunctions.

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Are conjunctions important in academic writing?

This is the third and final chapter about Conjunctions . To complete this reader, read each chapter carefully and then unlock and complete our materials to check your understanding.   

– Review the five types of conjunction in English and one type of conjunctive adverb

– Discuss how conjunctions can improve academic writing

– Explore 5 common conjunction errors that should be avoided

Chapter 1: What are conjunctions and how do they function?

Chapter 2: What are the five types of conjunction in English?

Chapter 3: Are conjunctions important in academic writing?

Before you begin reading...

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In this final chapter on conjunctions , we turn our attention to the specifics of this word type   in academic writing. We review the six types of conjunction that were explored in Chapter 2, we provide four benefits of improving a knowledge of conjunctions and we highlight five grammatical errors and how to avoid them. Should you wish to check your comprehension and progress and improve your English proficiency after completing this reader, unlock, download and complete our Chapter 1-3 worksheets using your Academic Marks .

What are the five types of conjunction?

It’s important that students are able to identify the five types of conjunction in English as each of these has a different but equally useful function. When studying the list below, note that we’ve included a sixth type which is actually an adverb  and not a conjunction (the conjunctive adverb):

• coordinating conjunctions such as ‘and’ and ‘but’ are used to join words, phrases and clauses together that are of equal importance. [Numerous studies have been conducted into this, but none of them were conclusive.]
• correlative conjunctions such as ‘both…and’ and ‘either…or’ also join words, phrases and clauses of equal importance; however, these may be composed of words or phrases that are placed at separate ends of an expression. [ Both the tutor and the students arrived early to class.]
• subordinating conjunctions such as ‘because’ and ‘although’ join dependent clauses to independent clauses, highlighting the importance of the independent clause in the process. Among other functions, this conjunction type may express cause, comparison and concession. [ Even though the study was a success, the theory is still unproven.]
• temporal conjunctions such as ‘as soon as’ and ‘long before’ are a type of subordinating conjunction that express aspects of time. [The results will be ready as soon as the data has been interrogated.]
• complementisers such as ‘that’ and ‘whether’ are another type of subordinating conjunction, one that joins object dependent clauses to their related independent clauses. [Jones (2020) believed that the results would show a positive correlation.]
• conjunctive adverbs such as ‘however’ and ‘therefore’ join independent clauses together and express functions such as clarification, consequence and contrast. [The results were inconclusive; therefore , the experiment was conducted again.]

How do conjunctions improve academic writing?    

There are four clear ways in which a confident use of conjunctions is able to improve a piece of academic writing: (1) conjunctions can improve grammar by avoiding sentence run-ons , (2) they can make a piece of writing more dynamic through the inclusion of a variety of sentence structures , (3) they can improve coherence and cohesion   by connecting ideas together, and (4) they can show sophistication through the expression of nuanced relationships between ideas. 

To see this in action, compare the second paragraph of our example essay about lithium. While the first paragraph is devoid of conjunctions, the second uses them accurately. Which iteration do you think is clearer, more concise and has a more sophisticated structure and grammar ?

1) Scientists believe something about lithium. It was likely created with the events of the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago. As with many resources, this element was formally discovered in the early 1800s. This was after the development of science. This was also after the development of technology. One thing is now understood. Lithium can be found in two primary environments. One is mines, the other is brine water. The former refers to the lithium found in hard-rock formations such as in spodumene and petalites. Swedish physicist Johann August Arfvedson discovered lithium in 1817 during the analysis of petalites (a type of mineral). It then took approximately fifty more years to isolate the lithium compound. This was done by using an electric current to cause a chemical reaction known as electrolysis. The combination of two things through electrolysis is considered an expensive production process. The first thing is ore mining minerals. The second is extracting the lithium. It was a very expensive predominant method for producing lithium up until the late 1990s. From this point onwards, it then became increasingly common to instead extract lithium from brine water. Producing lithium in this way costs almost half as much as mining it. (201 words)

2) Scientists believe that lithium was likely created with the events of the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago, but as with many resources it was not until the development of science and technology in the early 1800s that this element was formally discovered. It is now understood that lithium can be found in two primary environments: mines and brine water. The former refers to the lithium found in hard-rock formations such as in spodumene and petalites. It was during the analysis of petalites (a type of mineral) that Swedish physicist Johann August Arfvedson discovered lithium in 1817 – although it took approximately fifty more years to isolate the lithium compound. This was done by using an electric current to cause a chemical reaction known as electrolysis. The combination of mining such ore minerals and extracting the lithium through electrolysis is considered an expensive production process. This was nevertheless the predominant method for producing lithium up until the late 1990s. From this point onwards, it then became increasingly common to instead extract lithium from brine water as producing lithium in this way costs almost half as much as mining it.

Which conjunction errors should be avoided?

There are five conjunction errors that students often make that, through a process of careful editing and proofreading , can be avoided. These are listed below.

Error 1: Using the Wrong Conjunction

Because conjunctions carry meanings which identify relationships between the words, phrases and clauses they join, it’s important that students select their conjunctions carefully. Choosing the wrong one simply because it looks right will likely only have a negative impact on the coherence of your writing.

Error 2: Beginning with Coordinating Conjunctions

Another common mistake when it comes to academic style is to begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction such as ‘and’, ‘so’ or ‘but’. While this is certainly possible and common in casual speech, it is considered much too informal for academic writing and should be generally avoided:

Error 3: Incorrectly Punctuating Subordinating Conjunctions

One easy-to-forget rule is that when a subordinating conjunction and its subsequent dependent clause begins a sentence, the dependent clause and independent clause should be separated with a comma  (,). When the independent clause comes first, however, before the subordinating conjunction and the dependent clause, then the absence of a comma is considered grammatical:

Error 4: Incorrectly Punctuating Conjunctive Adverbs

Punctuation also plays an important role when using conjunctive adverbs correctly. To adjoin two independent clauses with words such as ‘however’ or ‘therefore’, for example, students should remember to either us a combination of a semicolon (;) and a comma (,) or a full stop   (.) and a comma (,):

Error 5: Confusing the Reader by Removing the Complementiser

Finally, when introducing object  dependent clauses that take ‘that’ as an optional complementiser, a good rule to follow is to keep that complementiser in place. Though it’s OK to delete the complementiser in speech, in writing you may create ambiguity by doing so that could cause the reader to have to read that sentence again – affecting the coherence of your writing. For instance, in the example below without ‘that’, the reader may for a second understand that Jones believed the results rather than believed that the results would show a positive correlation .

Very well done on completing this short reader on  conjunctions  in English!

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Once you’ve completed all three chapters in this short reader about Conjunctions , you might then wish to download our Chapter Worksheets to check your progress or print for your students. These professional PDF worksheets can be easily accessed for only a few Academic Marks .

Chapter 1 explores the topic: What are conjunctions and how do they function? Our Chapter 1 Worksheet (containing guidance, activities and answer keys) can be accessed here at the click of a button. 

Chapter 2 explores the topic: What are the five types of conjunction in English? Our Chapter 2 Worksheet (containing guidance, activities and answer keys) can be accessed here at the click of a button. 

Chapter 3 explores the topic: Are conjunctions important in academic writing? Our Chapter 3 Worksheet (containing guidance, activities and answer keys) can be accessed here at the click of a button. 

To save yourself 2 Marks , click on the button below to gain unlimited access to all of our Conjunctions Chapter Worksheets. This  All-in-1 Pack includes every chapter, activity and answer key related to this topic in one handy and professional PDF.

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Connectors in English: How to Use Them

Are your essays in English marked poorly despite your grammatically correct sentences?

Have you ever been told that your paragraphs don’t connect to each other even though they talk about the same topic?

This is where English connectors come in—a.k.a., the words I’ve marked in bold above!

Today, I’m going to talk about what connectors in English are, the most common ones you’ll come across and how to practice them.

Once you’re done with this article, I hope you’ll agree that these words and phrases are simply magical!

What Are English Connectors?

English connectors for cause and effect, english connectors for illustration, english connectors for emphasis, english connectors for comparison, english connectors for contrast, english connectors for sequence, english connectors for conclusion, tips for practicing english connectors, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

English connectors are little words and phrases that help you connect sentences, paragraphs and ideas. Used both in spoken and written English, they help make your English sound more logical and structured.

You can think of connectors as like the thread that holds a necklace’s beads (i.e. sentences, paragraphs and ideas) together.

In fact, you probably already use them without even realizing it!

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Note that English connectors are different from English conjunctions . While conjunctions link two or more words or clauses within a sentence, connectors establish that two separate sentences or ideas are related to each other. 

To help you understand further, I’m going to walk you through some of the most common connectors in English and how they’re used. Some are used formally, while others are more casual. Some are even  interchangeable —that is, you can use them in place of similar words.

In everyday conversations , we often need to explain things.

Perhaps you were late for school because your car ran out of gas. Or you want to buy chocolates because you want to surprise your mother on her birthday.

Explaining things will be much easier if you throw in these important English connectors.

Let’s take a look at them!

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Giving illustrations or examples helps us prove our point and convince other people to believe us. These words help people understand what you’re trying to say and can help them see why you believe what you believe.

While discussing an issue or idea, you may want to focus on a particular point or example. To make the listener understand the importance of that specific idea, you can use the following connectors.

Sometimes, we need to draw attention to certain similarities to make a point or explain something. This is especially important in writing!

To make better comparisons, use the following English connectors.

Sometimes, we need to express different or contradicting ideas side-by-side. Doing this helps the listener or reader focus on important differences and makes them aware of the many sides of a topic.

These connectors are useful when you’re giving step-by-step instructions or listing points.

Finally , how do you let your reader know that you’ve reached the end? (See what I did there?)

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There are certain connectors that we usually use during conclusions or when we’ve reached the end of what we wanted to say. When writing or stating conclusions, you usually repeat the most important points.

Here are some quick tips that’ll help you learn English connectors more efficiently.

Make Your Own Sentences

To explain the meanings and uses of different connectors, I’ve provided example sentences for each. However, you’ll remember them much better if you come up with your own examples.

You can start by using connectors in your diary entries, notebooks, essays and the like. Soon, you’ll find yourself using these connectors in everyday speech as well!

Write a Short Story or Essay

To see the huge difference English connectors can make, try writing a paragraph without any connectors and then rewrite it using some of the connectors above. You’ll quickly realize that your sentences will flow better, sound more logical and become easier to understand.

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Learn English with Authentic Content

You probably want to speak English like a native (or at least try to). So why not learn from natives? Try watching a speech in English to get a good idea of how these fit together. Look for the ones with transcripts that you can write notes in, maybe even circling all of the connecting terms as you see them. 

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Do Online Exercises

Finally, to check whether you’ve understood how to use connectors correctly, you can try online exercises from websites that cover English grammar .

For example, the ones on English Daily  and English Grammar are pretty short and can be completed in a few minutes.

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There’s also ToLearnEnglish , which provides a brief list of common connectors before you solve the exercise, making it a great resource for review.

Now that you know the most commonly-used English connectors, you can use them in sentences and paragraphs with great confidence. Try your hand at some of the exercises I’ve suggested for practice.

So what are you waiting for?

Get out there and start incorporating these useful English connectors into your everyday life!

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IELTS Grammar: Conjunctions in writing

Using conjunctions in ielts writing..

Updated April 7th 2022

For a high band score in IELTS writing, it is important to use conjunctions effectively. This shows the examiner you can use grammar precisely and helps the flow of your essay, which makes it easier for the reader. A conjunction is a word used to connect clauses or sentences. These are marked under grammar and are directly linked to coherence and cohesion in the IELTS marking criteria.

If you make mistakes with conjunctions it will affect coherence and cohesion. In fact ‘complex sentences’ can be constructed using conjunctions. Let’s take a look at some of these and how to use them correctly.

Below are some example sentences.

1. though, although, even though, nonetheless

‘Being a parent is often exhausting and stressful, but it is very rewarding.’

Now I can rewrite this sentence in 4 different ways and keep the same meaning.

1. Although being a parent is exhausting and stressful, it is very rewarding. 2. It is very rewarding being a parent. Nonetheless, it is also exhausting and stressful. 3. Being a parent is exhausting and stressful, although it is very rewarding. 4. Even though being a parent is exhausting and stressful, it is very rewarding.

Though, although and even though have the same meaning. Usually ‘though’ is at the end of the sentence.

Punctuation is important here, check the position of the commas in the sentences. ‘Nonetheless’ usually starts a sentence and there is a comma straight after it.

2. in spite of, despite, although

‘Studying overseas is expensive, but it is important for our career.’

1. Although studying overseas is expensive , it is important for our career. 2. In spite of the cost, studying overseas is important for our career. 3. Despite the cost , studying overseas is important for our career.

All the sentences above have the same meaning, after ‘in spite of ‘or ‘despite’ we need to use a noun or a pronoun . So I changed the word ‘expensive’ to ‘the cost’ ,  also notice the position of the comma. Punctuation is a key point here too.

3. unless, providing, as long as

‘The government should take steps to tackle pollution or the environment will not be able to recover’

1. Unless the government takes steps to stop pollution, the environment will not be able to recover. 2. Providing that the government takes steps to stop pollution, the environment will recover. 3. As long as the government takes steps to stop pollution, the environment will recover. 4. The environment will recover, as long as the government takes steps to stop pollution.

In the first example using ‘unless’  the second part of the sentence is negative. Unless is quite often used to give a warning. Usually unless is used to mean ‘except if’ ..for example: ‘ You can’t use this gym unless you have membership.’

Again, punctuation is important and the position of the commas.

4. while, whereas, on the other hand

(very useful in an overview in IELTS writing task 1)

The number of people who ate fast food once a month accounted for the highest percentage. The everyday category showed the lowest figure s

1. The number of people who ate fast food once a month accounted for the highest percentage, whereas the everyday category showed the lowest figure s 2. The number of people who ate fast food once a month accounted for the highest percentage. On the other hand, the everyday category showed the lowest figure s 3. The number of people who ate fast food once a month accounted for the highest percentage, while the everyday category showed the lowest figure s

This sentence was taken from a task 1 academic bar chart to show contrast. These conjunctions are important to use in the overview in task 1 to compare high and low figures. Notice that I use a comma with ‘whereas’ and ‘while’

Using conjunctions for opinions and conclusions

When writing your essay, it is a very good idea to contrast your own opinion with a conjunction. These examples below are taken from various essays such as crime, health, and technology.

• Even though long prison terms are considered the best way to tackle crime, I think that there are other alternatives to bringing the crime rate down.
• Many people would say that obesity is caused by fast food. However, I believe that it is caused mainly by lack of exercise.
• Recently there is a concern that robots will take people’s jobs. In my opinion, as long as people update their skills, such as learning something that can only be done by humans, then this should not be a major cause for concern

Conjunctions in the conclusion

Here are 2 examples of conclusions that have the same meaning taken from a technology essay.

• To conclude, even though there are concerns that people will lose jobs in the future to robots, I hold the view that as long as people can update their skills and offer a service that robots cannot do, then there should not be a cause for concern.
• To sum up, despite concerns that people will lose their jobs in the future to robots, I believe that as long as people can update their skills and offer a service that robots cannot do, then there should not be a cause for concern.

Now it’s your turn to practice.

Can you add some conjunctions to these sentences? the words you need are in the brackets. You may need to add words and make changes to the sentence structure too.

a) Studying IELTS can be stressful but it opens up career opportunities worldwide. (Even though)

b) I occasionally go to the movies but I prefer to download movies from the internet.  (although)

c) My city is really overcrowded and expensive to live in but it has some great restaurants and bars. (Nonetheless)

d) Pollution in developing countries is a serious issue. If action is taken to sort the problem out then this can be solved. (Providing)

e) Pollution in big cities is a serious issue these days. If the problem is not tackled soon it will get out of control. (unless)

f) Obesity is a growing issue in developed countries but there is also a growing awareness of healthy eating. (despite)

g) Overall, Bobs Bakery saw upward trends in yearly income earned. Johns Bakery, which had started with the highest revenue, ended with the lowest earnings by the end of the period. (whereas)

a) Even though studying IELTS can be stressful, it opens up career opportunities worldwide.

b) I occasionally go to the movies; although I prefer to download movies from the internet.

c) My city is really overcrowded and expensive to live in. Nonetheless, it has some great restaurants and bars.

d) Pollution in developing countries is a serious issue. Providing action is taken to tackle the problem, then this can be solved.

e) Pollution in big cities is a serious issue these days. Unless the problem is tackled soon, it will get out of control.

f) Obesity is a growing issue in developed countries. Despite this , there is also a growing awareness of healthy eating.

g) Overall, Bobs Bakery saw upward trends in yearly income earned, whereas Johns Bakery, which had started with the highest revenue, ended with the lowest earnings by the end of the period.

In example c the word Nonetheless starts a new sentence. In example f   I added this to despite. In example g I used whereas in a writing task 1 overview to show contrast

Conclusions practice:  fill in the gaps with conjunctions you have learned in this lesson and then finish the conclusion with your own opinion.

a) In conclusion, ____________ many people say that living in the countryside is boring, my view is that…….

b) To sum up, it is clear that longer prison sentences are appropriate for serious criminals. ___________ I believe that…

c) To conclude, ________ the downsides to using the internet to communicate and develop relationships, I think that….

These are just possible answers, your answer may vary.

a) In conclusion, even though many people say that living in the countryside is boring, my view is that it is far less stressful than living in a big city.

b) To sum up, it is obvious that longer prison sentences are appropriate for serious criminals. Nonetheless, I believe that there are other alternatives to bringing the crime rate down.

c) To conclude, despite the downsides of using the internet to communicate and develop relationships, I think that the chance to interact with others worldwide can lead to positive outcomes for most people.

In each case, I have used a conjunction and then given my opinion.

Any comments?, leave them below.

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Useful Linking Words and Phrases to Use in Your Essays

By: Author Sophia

Posted on Last updated: October 26, 2023

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Linking words and phrases are used to show relationships between ideas. They can be used to join two or more sentences or clauses.

We can use linking words to give a result , add information , summarize , give illustrations , emphasize a point , sequence information , compare or to contrast idea .

Useful Linking Words and Phrases

In this article, you will learn about the most common linking words and phrases:

Giving a Result

Usage : To provide the result of what has been stated or has occurred

Linking W ords :

• As a result
• As a consequence
• Consequently
• For this reason
• His wife left him.  As a result , he became very depressed.
• She has lived in France, and  as a consequence  she speaks French fluently.
• We do not have enough money.  T herefore  we cannot afford to buy the new car.
• We do not own the building.  Thus , it would be impossible for us to make any major changes to it.
• There has been a great deal of rain and  consequently  the reservoirs are full.
• The customer was displeased with her meal,  hence  the chef prepared a replacement.
• For this reason , they are not a good choice for exterior use.
• Due to  a broken wing, this bird can’t fly.

Adding Information

Usage : To add to what has been previously stated

Linking Words:

• Additionally / an additional
• Furthermore
• As well as that
• In addition
• In addition to this
• Apart from this
• Additionally , the bus service will run on Sundays, every two hours.
• He said he had not discussed the matter with her.  Furthermore , he had not even contacted her.
• We are unable to repair this watch.  Also , this is the fourth time this has happened.
• I love wearing earrings. I design and make them  too .
• We went to the park today.  As well as that , we did some shopping.
• Along with  parties and parliaments, elections have lost their charm.
• I can’t afford to go to the concert.  Besides , I don’t really like classical music.
• You haven’t paid the rent yet.   In addition , you owe me money.
• The report is badly presented.  Moreover , it contains inaccuracies.
• John’s grades are terrible because he has been so lazy these days.  In addition to this , his relationship to his parents got worse.
• Apart from this  paragraph, the report contains a number of sensible initiatives.

Summarizing

Usage : To sump up what has been previously stated

Linking words :

• In conclusion
• To summarize
• To conclude
• In conclusion , walking is a cheap, safe, enjoyable and readily available form of exercise.
• To summarize , this is a clever approach to a common problem.
• The food was good and we loved the music.  Altogether  it was a great evening.
• His novels belong to a great but vanished age. They are,  in short , old-fashioned.
• To sum up , there are three main ways of tackling the problem…
• In summary , this was a disappointing performance.
• Briefly , our team is now one of the best in the world.
• To conclude , I want to wish you all a very happy holiday season.

Giving Examples

Usage : To provide examples

Linking words:

• For example/ For instance
• In this case
• Proof of this
• There are many interesting places to visit in the city,  for example / for instance , the botanical garden or the art museum.
• I prefer to wear casual clothes,  such as  jeans and a sweatshirt.
• Including  Christmas Day and Boxing Day, I’ve got a week off work.
• We need to concentrate on our target audience,  namely  women aged between 20 and 30.
• I think I would have made a difference  in this case .
• This building are a living  proof of this  existence, so we must preserve it.
• I also make other jewellery  like  rings and bracelets.

Emphasizing a Point

Usage : To put forward a point or idea more forcefully

• Undoubtedly
• Particularly / in particular
• Importantly
• Without a doubt
• It should be noted
• Unquestionably
• Undoubtedly , the story itself is one of the main attractions.
• I don’t mind at all.  Indeed , I would be delighted to help.
• Obviously , we don’t want to spend too much money.
• I love silver earrings,  in particular  ones from Mexico
• The car is quite small,  especially  if you have children.
• Clearly , this will cost a lot more than we realized.
• More importantly , can he be trusted?
• He’s an  absolutely  brilliant cook.
• I  definitely  remember sending the letter.
• We still believe we can win this series  without a doubt .
• I’m  neve r  surprised at what I do.
• It should be noted  that   if you have something to note, then note it
• Unquestionably , teaching has been a paramount part of his career.
• Above all , this forest is designed for wear and tear.
• This is  positively  the worst thing that I can even imagine.

Sequencing Ideas

Usage : To indicate the order of what is being said

• First/ firstly (Second/ secondly, Third/ thirdly, Finally)
• At this time
• Subsequently
• Lastly and most importantly
• Last but not least
• First and foremost
• Firstly , I prefer the train because I can see the landscape.
• At this time , the young man leapt into the air and flew off towards sunset.
• They arrived on Monday evening and we got there the  following  day.
• I had visited them three days  previously .
• Your name is  before  mine on the list.
• Subsequently , new guidelines were issued to all employees.
• Above all , keep in touch.
• Lastly, and most importantly , you should be optimistic.
• Last but not least , I find I seriously cannot relate to women.
• We will continue to focus on our players  first and foremost .

Comparing Ideas

Usage:  To show how things are similar

• Compare / compare(d) to(with)
• By the same token
• In the same way
• Correspondingly
• Similarly , the basketball and hockey games draw nearly full attendance.
• Equally , not all customers are honest.
• Her second marriage was  likewise  unhappy.
• She’s  just as  smart as her sister.
• Working with housecats is  just like  working with lions or tigers.
• Some people say I have a running style  similar to  him.
• Having a power is not  the same as  using the power.
• He gets the ball off quickly  compared to  two years ago.
• Teenagers should be more respectful;  by the same token , parents should be more understanding.
• Alex enjoys telling jokes;  in the same way/similarly/likewise ,his son adores funny stories.
• Correspondingly , the roles each of them played were soon different.

Contrasting Ideas

Usage : To show how things are different

• Nevertheless
• On the other hand
• Nonetheless
• Despite / in spite of
• In contrast (to)
• Alternatively
• Differing from
• Contrary to
• Unlike  most systems, this one is very easy to install.
• There is little chance that we will succeed in changing the law.  Nevertheless , it is important that we try.
• Laptops are convenient;  O n the other hand , they can be expensive.
• The problems are not serious.  Nonetheless , we shall need to tackle them soon.
• Despite/ In spite of  the rain, I went for a walk.
• In contrast to  the diligent bee, the butterfly flies hither and yon with no apparent purpose.
• The agency will make travel arrangements for you.  Alternatively , you can organize your own transport.
• Northern European countries had a great summer.  On the contrary/conversely , Southern Europe had poor weather.
• Even so , many old friends were shocked at the announcement.
• Differing from  his white colleagues, he preferred instructing his scholars to the ambition of acquiring personal renown.
• The situation in Ireland is quite  contrary to  this principle.

Linking Words for Essays | Images

Below is a handy list of words that are both useful and appropriate to academic language:

Other linking words to give an example or an illustration:

• In  this  case,
• In  another  case
• Take  the  case  of
• To  illustrate
• As  an
• Illustration
• To  take  another  example
• That  is
• As  shown  by
• As  illustrated  by
• As expressed by

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75 linking words for academic writing (+examples)

Linking words play an important role in academic writing: They connect different paragraphs, sections or ideas in a text. Therefore, they considerably improve the readability and argumentation of academic texts such as a thesis, dissertation, essay or journal publication. This list of 75 linking words includes examples of how they can be used in academic writing.

Linking words expressing order and sequence in academic writing

Example: First, I review the existing literature on cross-border collaboration. Second, I explain the methodology …

Example: The event increased public awareness of this issue. Afterwards, politicians debated it more openly.

Example: Before scientists discovered the role of neurons in information processing, they assumed that…

Linking words expressing additions in academic writing

Example: Additionally, the interviewee lamented a lack of attention to his work.

Example: Besides the public outreach component, we wrote a handbook to disseminate the research results in the academic community.

Example: The financial compensation was also appreciated by the study participants.

Linking words expressing cause and effect in academic writing

Example: As the number of studies increases, better conclusions can be drawn.

Example: The literature highlights the importance of age and physical fitness. Consequently, these factors will be investigated further.

Linking words expressing contrasts and comparisons in academic writing

Example: Many scholars have explored this issue. Yet, to date, no inclusive framework exists to explain…

Example: People often stated that they are aware of the rules whereas they behaved as if they did not.

Example: E qually important, however, is the role of personal beliefs in decision-making processes.

If you are looking to elevate your writing and editing skills, I highly recommend enrolling in the course “ Good with Words: Writing and Editing Specialization “, which is a 4 course series offered by the University of Michigan. This comprehensive program is conveniently available as an online course on Coursera, allowing you to learn at your own pace. Plus, upon successful completion, you’ll have the opportunity to earn a valuable certificate to showcase your newfound expertise!

Linking words expressing emphasis in academic writing

Example: Indeed, motivation turned out to be a defining factor of academic success.

Example: More importantly, the findings underscore the importance of conflict resolution.

Linking words expressing illustrations in academic writing

Example: Many interviewees were nervous. For example, when asked to describe the event, some of them started to stutter.

Linking words expressing summaries and conclusions in academic writing

Example: In conclusion, the reviewed literature highlights a clear research gap.

Example: In short, scholars call for more research on climate change mitigation.

Linking words expressing conditionality in academic writing

Example: As long as the conditions do not change, the results should remain stable.

Example: Even if more experiments are conducted, human behaviour remains hard to predict.

Linking words expressing generalisations in academic writing

Linking words expressing concessions in academic writing.

Example: Regardless of their genetic makeup, mice showcased the same symptoms.

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70+ Connective Words To Power Up Your Essays [COMPREHENSIVE LIST]

by Kerri-Anne Edinburgh | Last updated Jul 23, 2024 | First published on Aug 5, 2021 | 1 comment

When you’re writing an essay or assignment, you need to use every trick in the book to maximise your marks. And one of the best tools for radically improving your writing is the power of connective words .

Used correctly, connective words can give your writing new depth and meaning, improve readability (important for your examiner!) and demonstrate the logic of your arguments.

Luckily for you, we’ve got plenty of categories, definitions and connectives examples to help you get started…

Psst – this article uses loads of connectives. See if you can spot them in use: we’ve italicised the best examples!

What are connective words?

Simply put, connectives are words – or phrases – that link parts of your writing together.

You’re probably familiar with the most common connective words: and, as, because, but, if, or, so . In fact, I’ve used a few of them already – did you spot them?

Don’t limit your essay writing to the basics though, because there are hundreds of connectives that can help you to demonstrate different ideas, such as cause and effect , or the chronology of events .

We’re going to explore ten types of connectives below, but first , here’s a quick refresher on the grammar behind connective words:  

Definitions: The grammatical bit

Understanding the grammar behind your writing might not be your thing – but bear with me, because remembering these six definitions will help you know which connective to use when, and where to place them!

(If you’re just looking for examples of connectives, feel free to skip straight past this bit!)

Connectives fall into three grammatical categories: conjunctions, prepositions, and adverbs.

• For example: and, but, for, or, yet .
• Today , I finished my history assignment but forgot to workout .
• Such as: at, in, of, on, under .
• I need to finish the conclusion of my essay before I go to dinner.
• For instance: upwards, quickly, fortunately .
• My deadline is tomorrow. Fortunately , I proofread my thesis chapter already .

Using adverb and preposition connective words adds specific meaning – and thus clarity – to your writing. They are particularly useful for successful essay signposting .

Definitions part 2: Connectives in sentences

When using connectives, it’s also important to remember that not all sentences are created equal in importance . And so , when connecting them into longer sentences, different types of connectives create different results:

• For example: I find French tricky but I love learning Spanish.

On the other hand,

• A subordinate clause relies on the main clause to make sense. Therefore, these connectives give information about the relationship between the clauses by specifying an order or place to events, or a cause and effect link.
• Here’s an example: I need to do my homework if I want to get a good grade .

A useful type of subordinating connective for essay writing is the:

• For instance: Firstly , I carried out the experiment, and secondly , I analysed the results.

And that’s your grammar refresh done!

If you’re struggling with essay-writing grammar, a great tool for checking your writing is Grammarly – we use it at Exam Study Expert because it catches a broad range of mistakes.

The where, what and how of using connectives

So how do you go about using connectives?

In this section, we’re going to discuss the where, what and how …

Where to add connectives:

As we’ve seen , connective words are often found in the middle of a sentence, joining two clauses. But don’t forget you can also use them at the beginning of a sentence to link two consecutive sentences – OR two ideas within your paragraphs (did you see what I did there?).

Some of your connectives will even be linking entire paragraphs and sections – these are often examples of signposting to guide the reader through your section or argument.

What’s more , many connectives are not just single words but phrases. These connectives are particularly useful for essay writing and academic vocabulary. For example: as well as, for an example of this, for instance, in addition to, on the other hand, such as .

What to use connectives for:

When you’re writing an essay or assignment there are plenty of tasks you need to achieve: presenting evidence, making arguments and more.

Happily, connectives can help you achieve all these tasks by clarifying your meaning. You can use connectives for:

• Reinforcing or emphasising a point
• Exemplifying and showing results
• Comparing and discussing points of view
• Constructing a timeline or sequence of events
• Listing points (and signposting them)
• Explaining your argument
• Drawing together conclusions

It’s a long list! So master using connectives and you’ll drastically improve the readability of your writing across all sections of your essay.

How to add in useful connective words:

You’re probably already using basic connectives in your writing.

But if you want to get serious about the benefits to your grades, make sure you’re systematic about how you add them during your essay construction – and (later) proofreading to check they make sense on a large(r) scale!

From experience, I would suggest that the best method for choosing and adding effective connectives is to:

• Sketch out a rough draft of your paragraph or essay section
• Are they separate arguments for the same thing? Or opposite points of view? Do they follow on logically (cause and effect) or chronologically?
• Mark where you want to add signposting connectives to indicate structure
• Check your examples of connective word types and choose options that convey the meaning you need…

And for that purpose, we’ve compiled four lists of connective words for you – including the TOP 70 connectives for effective essay writing! So read on…

The three types of connective words:

So let’s get down to the really useful stuff: examples of connectives you can use in different situations in your essays!

There are three main types of connectives that we’re going to explore in turn:

• Comparative , Causal, and Temporal

Comparative connective words

These helpful words and phrases are perfect both for comparing similarities in data and arguments, and for pointing out their differences and oppositions. Use them to compare, discuss and argue.

When comparing points, you’ll often be adding to your argument, so these connectives are used for “ addition ”. The most common connectives for addition are: and, also, furthermore, moreover .

Here are some examples in practice:

• Leonardo Da Vinci was an artist and inventor, and also an influential Renaissance humanist.
• Exam Study Expert’s psychologist William offers expert one-on-one exam coaching . Furthermore , you can sign up for a free introductory session!
• My empirical data demonstrates that … ; similarly , theoretical models projected …

On the other hand , you might need to demonstrate and contrast your argument with the opposing point of view with a connective for “ opposition ”. The most commonly used are: alternatively, except, however, unless .

These examples all demonstrate opposition:

• Winston Churchill is best known for his wartime leadership of the United Kingdom, yet he was already in his 60’s when he took office.
• Some students find great study motivation from starting the day with their hardest task. In contrast , others find getting the ball rolling with smaller tasks more effective.
• Our first questionnaire was comprised of six questions. However , for our second questionnaire we …

Causal connective words

Causal connectives are effective for discussing cause and effect – relationships that have logical links that you want to point out and prove.

As such , academic writing is often full of causal connectives, and many of them demonstrate a very academic vocabulary (great for bonus points in your assignment!).

Most essays and assignments have a section (or several sections!) where you need to draw together your facts, ideas and arguments and point out the connections. These are the connectives to turn to at those moments!

The most commonly used are: as such, as a result (of), because, consequently, therefore, thus .

Here are some examples:

• The brains of London taxi drivers have a larger than usual area that deals with memory because they are required to memorise and navigate thousands of streets.
• Flashcards are a highly effective learning and memory tool, provided that you use them correctly.
• This study surveyed over 3,000 students. As a result , we were able to …

Temporal connective words

Whether you’re explaining the sequence of events that led to a historical battle, or demonstrating the steps in your experiment, temporal connectives are a highly valuable tool.

They’re all about discussing time and the chronology of events – what happened before, during and after . Therefore , they make for great signposting words too!

These examples explore each of the four sections in our temporal connectives lists:

• The law of gravity was not widely understood until it was mathematically formulated by Sir Isaac Newton in 1687.
• If you’re stressed about your exams, mindful meditation can be a great help. At the same time ,an inspirational quote might give you the boost you need!
• Initially , the experiment was expected to demonstrate … Eventually , we came to the conclusion that …

The TOP 70 connective words for effective essay writing!

To make sure that you’ve got the tools you need to improve your grades, we’ve compiled this epic list of all the best connectives to use in academic writing.

This is just a selection from the hundreds of connective words and phrases available. So there’s no need to make your essay stale by over-using the same one or two!

If there’s nothing else you grab when you’re ticking off Step #4 from the connectives methodology above – make sure you grab this list!

It covers all the stages of essay structuring and writing, from introduction to conclusion . And includes lists of connectives for:

• Signposting and listing
• Comparing and contrasting
• Illustrating your findings
• Demonstrating cause and effect
• Emphasising points
• Qualifying your arguments

We’ve highlighted the best and most commonly used connectives for each section to ensure you’ve got THE best resource to improve the quality of your essay immediately.

To finish off , here are some examples to get your essay-writing inspiration flowing:

• Firstly , it is well-known that retrieval practice is an effective learning method as compared with re-reading study texts and notes.
• I’m feeling tired tonight. Nevertheless , I must finish my homework and I want to take the dog for a walk.
• When it comes to …, however , there are several effective methods to …, in particular , …

Good luck with your essay!

Now you’ve mastered adding effective connective words to your essay you’re ready for the next step. Be sure to check out our guide on proofreading your assignment before you hand it in. Good luck!

And for more expert, science-backed study resources, sign up to the Exam Study Expert newsletter right here:

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How to Write a Persuasive Essay

by Guest Blogger | 0 comments

Start Your Story TODAY! We’re teaching a new LIVE workshop this week to help you start your next book. Learn more and sign up here.

So you've been assigned a persuasive paper and you're staring at a blinking cursor. What do you do first? How do you pick a good topic? Today we're going to learn how to write a persuasive essay, so you can get that assignment done. 

As we continue our back-to-school series on writing essays, today we look at the persuasive essay. 

Today's article is written by guest writer Cora Weems who is a senior at the University of South Carolina. She typically writes narrative poetry, slightly depressing short stories, and effective academic essays. Her hobbies include trying to get through a tall stack of unread books and handcrafts like card-making. Welcome, Cora! 

What is a Persuasive Essay?

A persuasive essay is a piece of writing that aims to convince the reader to adopt a specific viewpoint or take action. To support it, you'll use logical arguments, compelling evidence, emotional appeals, and personalization.

In school, teachers often assign controversial issues, but you can develop your own topic too.

Learning to write a persuasive essay though is terrific practice for all kinds of writing. From public debate to sales letters and marketing, persuasive writing skills can carry you far beyond your school experience.

Let's go through the full process!

How to Write a Persuasive Essay: 6 Steps to Help You Start

Here are six steps to help you get your essay started.

Step 1: Pick a Suitable Topic

Maybe your teacher's already given you a prompt, or a specific topic to follow. Or maybe they've sent you on your way with just the rubric and an example paper to help you with formatting.

When it comes to persuasive writing, you need a position that you develop into a central idea. You'll have to support that position with all your evidence and reasoning.

Ideally, it should be a topic you're already familiar with and interested in. That will give you a better starting position and help keep you motivated to keep researching and writing!

When you are given a topic, you'll still want to develop a debatable position.

Here are three examples of broad persuasive essay topics:

• The Impact of Social Media on Society
• Climate Change and Environmental Responsibility
• The Role of Education in Reducing Income Inequality

It should not be a topic that has a specific single right answer or solution, but rather, a number of positions and solutions that you can take.

Your topic should be one of the very first things you address in your essay, in the topic sentence of your introductory paragraph, so your reader can immediately know what you're writing about. 

To choose a suitable topic, ask yourself if the topic has multiple positions to take, and if you can reasonably research and take one position. That leads us to step 2:

Step 2: Research Both Sides, But Only Pick One

Even though you're only trying to advocate for one side of your argument, you should know the perspectives of both sides. Not only will this give you a better understanding of your topic, but it will help you prepare a counter argument that will make your essay more convincing. 

If you've chosen a controversial topic, then there should be at least two opposing viewpoints that you can read about for supporting evidence. 

Perhaps when you picked your topic, you already had a preferred stance, but researching the other side will give you fresh insight into what you actually believe, rather than relying on what you already knew. 

Strong arguments typically address the opposing side's perspective and acknowledge them, for the purpose of refuting that argument and making your own appear stronger.

Or maybe you think both sides of your argument have valid points, so you think you'll about both and let the reader decide. Don't do that!

Not only is it more work for you, but the reader will be confused about your point.

You can acknowledge the strongest parts of the opposing view while you counter with your own perspective.

Step 3: Craft a Thesis Statement

Writing a thesis statement is a skill that goes beyond just persuasive writing. It's particularly important in this case because it gives both you and the reader a clear vision on how the rest of your paper is going to go. 

You should explicitly state what you position is and what the rest of your paper is going to be about. It's usually a sentence or two long, so don't worry about being thorough or too specific. You'll Expand on it in your body paragraphs.

Typically, your thesis statement is located at the end of your introductory paragraph which allows for a natural transition from introducing your topic to the more specific reasons for your position on that topic. 

You can use this statement to outline the rest of your paper, from what each paragraph is going to addressing the type of evidence you'll be using.

For example, if you choose the topic about the impact of social media on society, you want a thesis statement that covers the position and scope of your paper. Here's an example: 

Social media like Facebook negatively impacts society through the ease of sharing misinformation, and both individuals and social media platforms need to do more to curb the spread of misinformation.

Notice how the position this writer takes is that Facebook negatively impacts society because of how it's used to share misinformation.

Now how would they support that thesis?

Step 4: Use the Right Evidence

Once you take a position, it's the time to show the reader why your viewpoint in particular is the one they should follow.

For academic writing, the most effective evidence is peer-reviewed articles published in academic journals. Peer-reviewed articles are seen as the most credible because they've been viewed and cleared by a number of different people, which means multiple people agreed that this article is reliable. 

If you chose the wrong evidence, your entire argument is at risk of falling apart. You should not be choosing evidence that is false or unreliable, because your evidence is the foundation that your position stands upon. 

Even if you don't want to go searching through databases for jargon-filled journal articles, all the evidence you choose should be from credible sources. It could be an expert opinion or some form of anecdotal evidence that could help personalize the issue for your reader. 

You may have heard the terms “ethos,” “pathos,” and “logos” in class. When crafting something persuasive, you should appeal to authority, emotion, and logic. 

Using evidence from an expert is an appeal to ethos or authority, credibility.

If you cite statistics from a reputable source, that might be an appeal to logic.

A related anecdote that makes the reader angry or sympathetic may be an emotional appeal.

The best persuasive essays use all three.

A persuasive argument is typically supported by a number of different sources that appeal to all parts of the reader, from their logical side to their more heartfelt one. All of those different perspectives will come together to make your argument stronger and more effective. 

For example, in our example above on the impact of social media, the thesis statement reads: “Social media like Facebook negatively impacts society through the ease of sharing misinformation, and both individuals and social media platforms need to do more to curb the spread of misinformation.”

To support, this paper would need to show data about misinformation on Facebook, demonstrate the ways that misinformation negatively impacts society, and then offer the best solutions in the form of individual and company interventions.

Step 5: Use Natural Transitions

As you add evidence to your argument, use transitions that help the reader see the connections you're making.

If you've ever felt your eyes begin to glaze over when you see a wall of text or a bunch of graphs and statistics in one place, the writer lost you in making the needed connections and transitions. You don't want to do that to your reader. 

Introduce a point, then use evidence to support that point, and then expand on that evidence. Whether it's by paraphrasing it so the reader can more easily digest it, or by showing the reader exactly how it connects back to what you're trying to persuade them. 

This not only applies to evidence, but also moving between paragraphs. There should be a topic sentence near the beginning of every paragraph to tell the reader what that paragraph is about, and you should use the last sentence of the previous paragraph to lead into it. 

Doing this helps improve the flow of your essay and keeps the reader's attention. If they never have to stop and wonder how you got to a certain point, then you can keep all their attention purely on your argument. 

Step 6: Make It Applicable

As you bring your essay to a close, most persuasive papers end with some call to action. It might be that you are asking the reader to understand an issue differently. Maybe you want to them to change their minds or donate money or take other action.

Make sure your conclusion answers the question, “So what?” Give your reader something to occupy their mind even after they're done reading. You want to tell them why reading your argument was important, and give them a reason to keep thinking about your argument even after you're done. 

Doing so will leave a lasting impression of your paper on your reader, which will make your essay more persuasive and effective. 

Persuade us!

So there you have it. Some ways to help move that blinking cursor.

It's okay to start with a draft that's just you cramming all your ideas onto a document. Don't worry about formal language yet. Reorganizing and rewriting that rough draft is part of what makes a good paper. 

Plus, writing it all out will let you see what you actually thought the most important parts were, and revision allows you to highlight those strong points and focus on what you think the reader should know. 

Here's a question to help you keep going even after you've finished the messy first draft: What makes this essay important to you?

Beyond the grade it will get in class, beyond how it will affect your GPA or academic standing, what about this essay is important? What about this will affect more people than just you?

Throughout your life, you'll constantly find times where you have to use persuasion. Maybe it won't be in essay format or presented in a Power Point, but finding ways to be persuasive is something that will help you in the rest of your life. 

So let's think of this essay as practice, and learn how to be as persuasive as we can. 

What are your best tips for persuasive writing? Share in the comments . 

Set your timer for fifteen minutes . Choose a persuasive topic that you can take a clear position on. Make a list of the reasons for your current view point. Then, do some research and read possible evidence both in support and in opposition to your view. Choose the strongest two to three pieces. 

If you still have time, craft a thesis statement that distills your argument, and begin writing the essay. While it will take you longer than fifteen minutes to write the essay, sometimes just getting started in fifteen minutes is enough to make a difference!

When finished, post your thesis and current direction in the Pro Practice Workshop , and leave feedback for a few other writers. 

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What are conjunctions?

Conjunctions are words such as and , but , and so that link ideas together in a sentence. They help readers understand the relationship between ideas. For example, but signals to the reader that there is contrast between 2 ideas, as in the classic:

• I did my homework but the dog ate it

Why should you avoid using conjunctions at the start of a sentence in academic writing?

It is not the case that we should avoid conjunctions in academic writing. They are needed. However, in some genres of writing, such as journalism, the conjunctions and , but , and so are used at the beginning of sentences:

• Taxes have been rising for the last two years. But now there is a switch in strategy and they are due to fall significantly
• Many have questioned the government´s strategy. SO , today, the Prime Minister will be outlining his response

This, however, is not what they are grammatically meant to do.

How can you avoid using conjunctions at the start of a sentence?

As stated above, it is not about avoiding conjunctions as we need them. However, it is important that we use them correctly, which means not beginning sentences with them. Instead, at the beginning of your sentences, use what we call conjunctive adverbs. This means replacing and , but , and so with an equivalent i.e. in addition , however , therefore . The sentences above would change accordingly:

• Taxes have been rising for the last two years. However , now there is a switch in strategy and they are due to fall significantly
• Many have questioned the government´s strategy. Therefore , today, the Prime Minister will be outlining his response

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