Why Conjunctions Are the Secret Glue of English

Imagine reading a story that sounds like this:

I woke up. I ate breakfast. I went to school. I studied. I went home. I slept.

It sounds flat and robotic, doesn’t it?
Now compare it to this:

I woke up and ate breakfast. Then I went to school, where I studied until the afternoon. After that, I went home and finally slept.

Conjunctions are the little words — like and, but, because, although — that connect ideas, show relationships, and make our speech and writing flow smoothly.
Without them, English would feel choppy and incomplete.
Learning to use conjunctions helps you create longer, richer, and more interesting sentences, and it makes your English sound natural and fluent. 🌟

🧩 Detailed Explanation: What Are Conjunctions?

A conjunction is a word that connects:

• Words: tea and coffee

• Phrases: at home or at work

• Clauses: I stayed home because it was raining.

✅ Types of Conjunctions

1️⃣ Coordinating Conjunctions

They join words, phrases, or independent clauses that are similar or equal.

There are 7, remembered with the acronym FANBOYS:

Conjunction

for, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So

Use

shows reason / explanation

adds ideas

adds a negative idea

shows contrast

offers choice / alternative

shows contrast, similar to ‘but’

shows result or consequence

Example

I was tired, for I worked late.

She plays piano and sings.

He doesn’t like coffee, nor tea.

I like apples, but not oranges.

Do you want tea or juice?

It was cold, yet she went swimming.

It rained, so we stayed inside.

2️⃣ Subordinating Conjunctions

They join an independent clause with a dependent clause.

Common ones include:

• because, although, if, when, while, since, before, after, until, unless, etc.

Example

I stayed home because I was sick.

She smiles when she sees her dog.

I won’t go out unless it stops raining.

Although he was tired, he finished his work.

Meaning

reason

time

condition

contrast

3️⃣ Correlative Conjunctions

They come in pairs to join balanced words or phrases.

Pair

both ... and

either ... or

neither ... nor

not only ... but also

Example

She is both smart and kind.

You can either stay or go.

He likes neither coffee nor tea.

She not only sings but also dances.

📝 Key Tips:

✅ Use conjunctions to avoid short, choppy sentences.
✅ Make sure the parts you join are grammatically balanced.
✅ Learn FANBOYS and common subordinating conjunctions to improve fluency.

📝 10 Multiple-choice Quiz (Conjunctions):