What Are Conjunctions?

Conjunctions are words that join other words or clauses together.

• God made the country and man made the town.
• He was poor but he was honest.
• She must weep or she will die.
• John and Mary got married.

Conjunctions not only join clauses together; they also show how the meanings of the two clauses are related.

• I decided to consult a doctor because I was not feeling well. (cause)
• He is slow but he is sure. (contrast)
• Ann wrote the letters and Peter posted them. (addition)
• Either take it or leave it. (alternative)
• He is very wealthy, yet very unhappy. (contrast)
• You can have tea or coffee.

A conjunction and its clause can sometimes stand alone. This happens, for example, in answers.

• When are you going to start? When I am ready.
• Why are you crying? Because John beat me.

Afterthoughts may also begin with conjunctions.

• Ok, I did it. – But I didn’t mean it.

Writers and speakers may also separate clauses for emphasis.

Phrase conjunctions

Some conjunctions are made up of two or more words.

• He looks as if he were on the brink of a breakdown.
• It looks as though it is going to rain.
• As soon as I finish this book, I will start another.
• We started early so that we might not miss the show.

Relative pronouns as conjunctions

Relative pronouns (who, which and that) join clauses like conjunctions.

• I saw a beggar who was deaf and dumb.

In the above sentence who stands for the beggar – hence it is a pronoun. It also connects the two sentences I saw a beggar and He was deaf and dumb – hence it is a conjunction.

A relative pronoun is the subject or object of the verb that comes after it. So we do not need another subject or object.

• Trust no man who does not love his country. (NOT Trust no man who he does not …)
• The snake which we could not kill crept into a hole. (NOT The snake which we could not kill it crept …)