conjunctions
clause +. conjunction .+ clause
conjunction + clause, + clause
1. A conjunction joins two clauses.
- I'm tired and I want to go to bed.
- I tried hard but I couldn't understand.
- His father died, so he had to stop his studies.
- I know that you don't like her.
- I'll sell it to you cheap because you're a friend of mine.
- She married him although she didn't love him.
- We'll start at eight o'clock so that we can finish early.
- I'd tell you if I knew.
And, but, so and that go between two clauses.
Most other conjunctions can also go at the beginning of a sentence.
- Because you're a friend of mine, I'll sell it to you cheap.
- Although she didn't love him, she married him.
- So that we can finish early, we'll start at eight o'clock.
- If I knew, I'd tell you.
When a conjunction begins a sentence, there is usually a comma (.,) between the two clauses.
2. We do not usually write the two clauses separately, with a full stop (.) between them.
- It was late when I got home. (NOT It was late. When I got home.)
But we can sometimes separate the two clauses in order to emphasize the second, especially with and, but, so, because and although.
- James hated Mondays. And this Monday was worst than usual.
And we separate clauses in conversation (when two different people say them.)
- 'John's late.' 'Because he was doing your shopping.'
3. One conjunction is enough to join two clauses. Don't use two.
- Although she was tired, she went to work.
- She was tired, but she went to work.
(NOT Although she was tired, but she went to work.)
- Because I liked him, I tried to help him.
- I liked him, so I tried to help him.
(NOT Because I liked him, so I tried to help him.)
- As you know, I work very hard.
- You know that I work very hard.
(NOT As you know, that I work very hard.)
4. Relative pronouns (who, which and that) join clauses like conjunctions.
- There's the girl who works with my sister.
A relative pronoun is the subject or object of the verb that comes after it. So we do not need another subject or object.
- I've got a friend who works in a pub.
(NOT I've got a friend who he works in a pub.)
- The man (that) she married was an old friend of mine.
(NOT The man (that) she married him was an old friend of mine.)
- She always says thank-you for the money (that) I give her.
(NOT She always says thank-you for the money (that) I give it her.)
Note: The tips in this series are picked from various sources!
~* GS *~
March 12, 2013
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