Conjunctions

Conjunctions

Conjunctions connect words,phrases and clauses. Conjunctions may be classified as (a) Co-ordinating conjunctions (b) Corelative conjunctions and (c) Subordinating conjunctions.

(a)    Co - ordinating conjunctions

Sit and Leela are sisters ( Noun and Noun)

He works efficiently and intelligently (adverb and adverb)

The garland is made of white and red roses. ( adjective and adjective )

Those who can speak Tamil and belong to SC/ST will be considered. ( clause and clause )

Co-ordinating conjunctions are - and ,or,for,but,still,yet,so,otherwise,nor,neither,as well as

b) Correlative conjunctions

neither-nor,both….and, either…or, not only…but also,no sooner….than, so….as, so…that,such…..that,though yet

The term means conjuctions which are related to each other. Correlative conjuctions occur in pairs. They are also called phrase conjunctions.

Eg. He is neither intelligent nor industrious.

c) Subordinating conjunctions

These join the subordinate clause and the main clause in sentences.

A subordinating conjunction may introduce

1. a noun clause

Eg.He told me that he had passed.

2. an adverbial clause.

I saw him when I went to Mumbai.

Subordinating conjunctions include

When,whenver,while,as,before,as,before,after,since,till,until,as soon as,wherever,if,unless,whether,though,that,so that,in order that,;est,so…that, such…that

1.Both and And

It is a correlative conjunction. It is used to introduce the first of the two alternatives followed by ‘and’

Singh is a politician.

Singh is an economist.

In the above two sentences ‘Singh is’ appears twice. It is repeated in the second sentence also. Conjunctions are used to compact the sentences by avoiding repetition. So we can avoid the second ‘Singh is’. Generally conjunctions are used in between items that are totally different so as to join them together. Thus we get

Singh is both a politician and an economist.

Singh is an economist as well as a politician. (Combined using as well as. Less known item is brought forward to give emphasis.)

Nehru is not only a politician but also an economist. (Combined using not only…but also)

2.Either….or

It is correlative conuction. It is used to introduce the first of the two alternatives followed by ‘or’

Eg I will go to his house or I will remain here.

I will either go to his house or remain here.

Note : Underline all the words repeated. Conjunctions are used to avoid repetition. Hence we have to avoid the second repetition.

Thus

I will go to his house. Or I will remain here.

In the above sentences I will appears twice. So the second repetition can be avoided. The conjunctions are used in between different items so as to join them together. Here go to his house and remain here are different items. So either..or is placed in between them. Thus we get

I will either go to his house or remain here.

1.You can use the ball pen. You can use the ink pen.

You can use either the ball pen or the ink pen.

2. You can go to the laboratory. You can go to the library.

You can go either to the laboratory or to the library.

3.Neither….nor

It is a correlative conjunction used to connect two negative statements.

1.I didn’t see Jose. I didn’t see Karim.

I saw neither Jose nor Karim.

2.The food in the hostel is not very good. It is not very bad.

The food in the hostel is neither very good nor very bad.

4. Not only….but also

Not only and but also are used to connect two positive statements.

Kalidasa was poet. He was also a dramatist.

Kalidasa was not only a poet but also a dramatist.

5. As well as

It is a compound conjunction which is used to add one statement or fact to another.

Raju is hungry. He is thirsty too.

Raju is thirsty as well as hungry.

(Here thirsty is put first to give prominence)

6.As if ; as though

As if (as though) is used to say how someone or something looks/feels/sounds.

1.He speaks convincingly. It seems he knows everything.

He speaks as if (as though) he knows everything.

7.So…….that ( So…..that not)

1.He is very weak. He can’t walk.

He is so weak that he can’t walk.

2. He is very clever. He can understand everything.

He is so clever that he can understand everything.

8. As soon as

It is used to mean at once,quickly,suddenly,immediately etc…

1.I finished my work. Immediately I went out for walk.

As soon as I finished my work I went out for a walk.

2. The bus arrives. At once the passengers rush to get in to it.

As soon as the bus arrives the passengers rush to get in to it.

9.No sooner…….than

Hardly…when/before

Scarcely……when/before

These three expressions are used to suggest that one thing happened very soon after another.

1.The train arrives the station. At once the passengers rush to the compartment.

No sooner does the train arrive the station than the passengers rush to the compartment.

Note : No sooner is a negative adverb. All the negative adverbs are immediately followed by an auxiliary.Hence ‘arrives’ is split into two ( does + arrive)

2.The children saw the policeman. Soon they ran away.

Hardly had the children seen the policeman when they ran away.

Or

Scarcely had the children seen the policeman when they ran away.

10.However

It meant no matter how

1. He ran fast. But he never gets tired.

    However fast he runs he never gets tired.

 Note: Please note that ‘however’ is followed immediately by an adverb or adjective.

11. Although

1.He is intelligent. He does not work hard.

Although he is intelligent he does not work hard.

1.He is very healthy. He cannot walk fast.

Although he is very healthy he cannot walk fast.

12. Too….to

1.It is very hot. I can’t go out.

It is too hot to go out.

2.He is very fat. He cannot walk fast.

 He is too fat to walk fast.]

13. Unless (Unless means  If not . Hence all the rules applicable to conditional clauses will apply for Unless too )

1. Work hard. Otherwise you will fail.

    Unless you work hard, you will fail.

2. Go away otherwise, I will call the guard.

   Unless you go away, I will call the guard.

14.Inspite of

1.His vision is poor. Still he reads books.

Inspite of his poor vision, he reads books.

2. He is very rich. But he is not happy.

Inspite of his richness, he is not happy.

15. So that

1.He borrowed some money. He wanted to buy a car.

   He borrowed some money so that he could buy a car.

2.Raju closed the door. He wanted to be alone.

   Raju closed the door so that he could be alone.

16. Had better       (Had better is followed by bare infinitive)

1. It is better for you to take an umbrella.

   You had better take an umbrella.

2. I would advise you to buy the ticket now.

   You had better buy the ticket now.

3. I think you should lock the door.

   You had better lock the door.

17. Enough

1. You are clever. You understand perfectly

You are clever enough to understand perfectly.

2. The fruit is ripe. We can pick it.

The fruit is ripe enough to pick it.

3. He is strong. He can bend this iron bar.

He is strong enough to bend this iron bar.

4. Mohan has money. He can buy a car.

Mohan has enough money to buy a car.

5. We have chairs. We can seat all the guests.

We have enough chairs to seat all the guests.

6. The Indian team played well. They could defeat the German team.

The Indian team played well enough to defeat the German team.

The rule is that Enough is put before nouns   eg enough money and  it is put after adjectives and adverbs   eg. rich/well enough

 End

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