The Conjunction

 Defining a Conjunction, Co-ordinating Conjunctions, Subordinating Conjunction

1. Defining a Conjunction

Read the following sentences :

1. Jack and Jill went up the hill.           

 (and joins two words)

2. A young woman and an old woman.

(and joins two phrases)

3. Is the tea hot or cold?

(or joins two words)

4. Kiran sold the car and put the money in the bank.

(and joins two sentences)

5. He tried to climb the tree, but he could not.

(but joins two sentences)

6. I am sick, so I am not going to school.

(So joins two sentences)

7. The man cannot walk without a stick because he is blind.

(because joins two sentences)

8. We go to a doctor when we are ill.

(when joins two sentences)

In the above examples, and, or, but, so, because and when are joining words. They join words, phrases or sentences.

Such joining words are called Conjunctions.

A Conjunction is a word which is used to join words, phrases or sentence together.

2. Co-ordinating Conjunctions

Study the following pairs of Sentences :

1. The weather was fine. The sea was calm.

The weather was fine and the sea was calm.

2. He rang the bell. No one came to the door.

He rang the bell but no one came to the door.

3. Shut the door. The dog will go out.

Shut the door or the dog will go out.

4. He worked hard. He did not succeed.

He worked hard yet he did not succeed.

5. He is poor. He is happy.

He is poor still he is happy.

Take the first pair of sentences. The sentences The weather was fine and The sea was calm are two independent sentences. They can stand alone. They are of equal rank or order. Neither depends upon the other for its full meaning. If we join these two independent sentences together by the word and, we make one sentence, The weather was fine and the sea was calm.

The word and which is used to join two sentences (clauses) of equal rank or order together is called a Co-ordinating Conjunction.

A Conjunction used to join two independent sentences or two sentences of equal rank or importance is called a Co-ordinating Conjunction.

Co-ordinating means of equal rank or importance.

3. Subordinating Conjunctions

Study the following sentences :

1. We did not go because it rained. (for the reason that)

2. You can go where you like. (at/to the place in which)

3. You can become a good singer, if you practise. (on condition that)

4. Though he was poor, he was happy. (in spite of the fact that)

5. A driver must stop when the traffic lights are red. (at the time at which)

6. As it was getting dark, we had to go home. (because)

7. We sang as we walked along the road. (at the same time that)

8. Do as your mother says. (in the way that)

9. She looked unhappy after she read the letter. (later than the time when)

10. Pump up your tyres before you go. (earlier than the time when)

11. Speak loudly so that I can hear you. (with the purpose that)

12. The town has changed since I was a child. (after the time stated)

The first sentence contains two statements or sentences - (i) We did not go, (ii) because it rained. Are these two sentences independent? Can they be alone? No. The sentence because it rained depends upon the sentence we did not go for its full meaning. In other words, the sentence because it rained is dependent upon the sentence We did not go. That is, the two sentences are not of equal rank or order. They are of unequal rank. One of the two sentences is dependent upon or subordinate to, the other. The joining word (or Conjunction) because which is used to join two sentences of unequal rank or order is called a Subordinating Conjunction.

In the other sentences also the Conjunctions where. if, though, when, as, after, before, so that and since are used to join two sentences of unequal rank or order, are also called Subordinating Conjunctions.

A Conjunction used to join two statements, one of which is dependent on the other is called a Subordinating Conjunction.