Hello dear readers, I'm pleased to see you back. Reading, listening, speaking, and writing in that order are the correct sequence for learning English.
English is an incredibly important language to learn in today's globalized world, with over 1.5 billion people speaking English worldwide. But it's not just enough to learn the language; it's important to learn it in the correct order of reading, listening, speaking, and writing. This is because each of these skills builds upon the others and helps to reinforce your overall understanding and fluency in the language. For example, if you focus only on reading and writing without developing your listening and speaking skills, you may find it difficult to understand native speakers or communicate effectively in real-life situations. Therefore, it's essential to approach English learning in a comprehensive way that takes into account all four skills.
To improve your English skills, it's important to read a lot, listen a lot, try to speak, and start writing.
Today, I will talk about conjunctions.
Conjunctions.
Below are words called conjunctions or joining words you must know.
For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so, after, as, as long as, as soon as, as though, before, even if, if, if when, inasmuch, just as, now, now that, once, provided that, since, supposing, that, though, until, whenever, whereas, wherever, which, whichever, who, although, as if, as much as, because, even, even though, if only, if then, in order that, lest, now since, now when, provided, rather than, so that, after all, as a result, consequently, for example, furthermore, hence, in addition, in fact, incidentally, instead, likewise, meanwhile, etc.
Conjunctions are words that connect other words, phrases, and clauses together, making simple sentences more meaningful and clear in their meaning and purpose.
There are four forms of conjunctions, which are equally important in composing the right sentence: coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and adverbial conjunctions.
1. Coordinating Conjunctions.
Coordinating conjunctions serve as a coordinator, combining or coordinating two or more other words and sentences that have the nature as the main clauses (independent clauses) with grammatical equivalence.
An independent clause is a complete sentence that can stand alone as a sentence. It contains a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete thought. For example, "I went to the store.”
A dependent clause, on the other hand, is not a complete sentence and cannot stand alone as a sentence. It depends on the independent clause to make sense. It contains a subject and a predicate, but it is introduced by a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun. For example, "Although I was tired, I went to the store." Here, "Although I was tired" is a dependent clause, and it cannot stand alone as a sentence. It depends on the independent clause "I went to the store" to make sense.
Earlier English grammarians invented an acronym to help us remember the types of coordinating conjunctions, which are For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, and So, or FANBOYS.
FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) can be used to join two independent clauses. Example: I wanted to go to the beach, but it started raining.
You can also use FANBOYS to join two dependent clauses. Example: Although it was raining, I wanted to go to the beach, so I packed my umbrella.
Another option is to use FANBOYS to join an independent clause and a dependent clause. Example: I went to the beach, and I brought my umbrella in case it rained.
You can also use other coordinating conjunctions such as "either/or," "neither/nor," and "not only/but also." Example: Either we go to the beach or we stay home.
Finally, you can use coordinating conjunctions to join more than two clauses together. Example: I wanted to go to the beach, but it started raining, so I stayed home and watched a movie.
Examples:
For: Anna is going to the beach early in the morning, for she teaches her students at surfing. Anna was tired when she came home because she had worked hard all day.
And: Anna and Jennifer went to the cinema yesterday while you were sleeping. Anna is making sauces, and Jennifer is grilling the meats. Anna, Jennifer, Jillian, and Meghan are going to the mountain for camping.
Nor: Anna doesn't have a boyfriend, nor do Jennifer, Jillian, and Meghan. Even though Anna is a surfer, she doesn't like to camp at the beach, nor do Jennifer, Jillian, and Meghan. They prefer to camp in the middle of the woods.
But: Anna was going to make a bonfire, but she forgot to bring a match. Luckily, Meghan could do it traditionally. Jennifer tried to climb a tall oak tree, but she didn't make it.
Or: Every night Anna and her three friends sing and dance, or do meditation to unite with the universe. During camping, Anna and her three friends hunt for mushrooms, or explore existing caves.
Yet: Anna was going to make a bonfire, yet she forgot to bring a match. Luckily, Meghan could do it traditionally. Jennifer tried to climb a tall oak tree, yet she didn't make it.
So: So far, Anna has always made time to contact her parents while she was camping, so did Jennifer, Jillian, and Meghan. Anna's birthday is today, so her friends will celebrate it tonight.
Conjunctions are important because they help us connect ideas and convey meaning in a more precise and effective way.
2. Subordinating conjunctions.
Subordinating conjunctions are usually used to start a sentence before the dependent clause, with a comma. However, they can also be placed after the independent clause and before the dependent clause without a comma.
The order of subordinating conjunctions in sentences is as follows:
A subordinating conjunction starts a sentence: subordinating conjunction + dependent clause + comma + independent clause.
Example: Even though the weather was freezing, Anna continued to meditate outside the tent.
Overall structure:
"Even though" is a subordinating conjunction.
"The weather was freezing" is a dependent clause/subordinate clause.
Comma is used before the independent clause.
"Anna continued to meditate outside the tent" is the independent clause.
A subordinating conjunction can be placed after the independent clause and before the dependent clause:
Independent clause + subordinating conjunction + dependent clause.
Example: Anna continued to meditate outside the tent even though the weather was freezing.
Overall structure:
"Anna continued to meditate outside the tent" is the independent clause.
"Even though" is a subordinating conjunction.
"The weather was freezing" is a dependent clause/subordinate clause.
Learning more about subordinating conjunctions is important. These words combine dependent clauses with independent clauses, or vice versa. It's important to keep in mind that they can also play a role in prepositions.
Here are some examples of words that are categorized as subordinating conjunctions:
After, As though, If when, Now that, Supposing, Whenever, Who, As, As long as, Before, Inasmuch, Once, That, Whereas, As soon as, Even if, If, Just as, Now, Provided that, Though, Until, Wherever, Since, Which, Although, Even, In order that, Provided, As if, Even though, Lest, Rather than, As much as, If only, Now since, So that, Because, If then, Now when, As far as, Every time, So, Than, Unless, When, Where, While, etc.
The section on subordinating conjunctions provides a basic understanding of how they are used to join dependent and independent clauses. To better illustrate their use in forming complex sentences, here are a few more examples:
After she finished her homework, she went to bed.
Although he was tired, he stayed up late to finish the project.
Because it was raining, we decided to stay inside.
Since I have a meeting tomorrow, I can't go out tonight.
These examples demonstrate how subordinating conjunctions like "after," "although," "because," and "since" can be used to link dependent and independent clauses together to form complex sentences.
3. Correlative Conjunctions.
If you understand what compound nouns are, you'll find it easier to remember and understand what correlative conjunctions are.
Examples of compound nouns include blockbuster, snowstorm, blackboard, and firefighter.
Compound nouns are two or more words that are joined into one word.
Compound nouns and correlative conjunctions have something in common; they are both pairs of words. However, correlative conjunctions have a different role than compound nouns.
So, what exactly are correlative conjunctions?
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words that work to join equal clauses together. They always work together with their pairs.
The following are examples of correlative conjunctions:
either...or, not only...but also, neither...nor, both...and, whether...or, just as...so, the...the, as...as, as much...as, no sooner...than, rather...than, not...but rather.
Examples in sentences:
Either...or:
Either...or:
Anna and her friends either tidied up their tents or organized their stuff to prepare for their return home from camping.
Not only...but also:
Anna is not only agile but also clever.
Neither...nor:
Neither Anna nor her friends were unhappy when they camped together. They were thrilled and joyful.
Both...and:
Both Anna and Meghan’s team, as well as Jennifer and Jillian’s team, raced down the hill. However, Meghan's team won the race.
Whether...or:
Anna and her friends passed a beautiful and clear lake. They will decide whether to stay one night or more by voting.
Just as...so:
Just as men like to practice boxing, so Anna is deepening her skills in surfing.
The...the:
The more proficient Anna is at surfing, the more obvious it will be that she can conquer the fierce waves in Nazare, Portugal.
As...as:
Anna’s gliding speed when surfing is as fast as a swimming dolphin.
As much...as:
Anna must muster as much courage as possible to face the competition on the beaches of Nazare, Portugal, where the waves are very fierce and high.
No sooner...than:
No sooner did Anna arrive at the beach than gigantic waves greeted her.
Rather...than:
Anna would rather surf than swim, as would her friends.
Not...but rather:
Anna teaches surfing not to those who love it, but rather to those who have a goal of competing.
To help you check your writing, such as writing style, grammar, punctuation, readability, etc., try using the grammar checker software ProWritingAid. It's free.
In the section on correlative conjunctions, they can be used to join words or phrases together, such as "both...and" or "not only...but also." Additionally, examples of how correlative conjunctions can be used to join clauses, such as "either...or" or "neither...nor," would further clarify their usage.
4. Adverbial conjunctions.
Adverbial conjunctions, also known as conjunctive adverbs, are conjunctions that contain adverbs and join words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence in the same way that conjunctions do.
They provide transitions between ideas and can clarify relationships between them.
Below is a list of common adverbial conjunctions, also known as transition words:
After all, As a result, Consequently, Finally, For example, Furthermore, Hence, However, In addition, In fact, Incidentally, Indeed, Instead, Likewise, Meanwhile.
Here are some examples of how they are used:
After all: Anna has to pick up her friends to practice surfing; after all, she’s the only one with a car.
As a result: Anna never stops training herself with new surf tricks every day. As a result, she became the first champion in a surfing competition.
Consequently: Anna is exposed to the sun every day on the beach; consequently, her white skin becomes brownish black.
Finally: Anna continued to slide away from the beach into the middle of the sea; she finally got the waves she wanted to be able to stand on her surfboard.
Meanwhile: Anna’s students are practicing surfing; meanwhile, Anna is watching them from the shore.
Complete! That concludes my review of the four types of conjunctions.
I welcome constructive criticism if there are any shortcomings or mistakes in my writing. Please feel free to leave your comments in the comment section below.
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I hope you have a wonderful day!
Best regards,
Santosa Laksana.
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