Conjunctions Notes and Exercise By Kelvin

1. Grammar Lesson - Conjunctions
Without conjunctions,you’d be forced to express every complex idea in a series of short,simplistic sentences:
-I like cooking. I like eating. I don’t like washing dishes afterward.
What Are Conjunctions?
Conjunctions are words that link other words, phrases, or clauses together.
-I like cooking and eating, but I don’t like washing dishes afterward. Sophie is clearly exhausted, yet she insists on dancing till dawn.
Conjunctions allow you to form complex, elegant sentences and avoid the choppiness of multiple short sentences.Make sure that
the phrases joined by conjunctions are parallel (share the same structure).
I work quickly.
I am careful.
-Wrong: I work quickly and am careful.
-Correct: I work quickly and carefully.
Coordinating Conjunctions-to show things similar nature
Coordinating conjunctions allow you to join words, phrases, and clauses of equal grammatical rank in a sentence. The most
common coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so;
you can remember them by using the mnemonic device FANBOYS.
-I did not like pizza or a salad for lunch. We needed a place to concentrate,so we packed up our things and went to the library. Jesse
didn’t have much money, but she got by.
Notice the use of the comma when a coordinating conjunction is joining two independent clauses .
Correlative Conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions that work together.
Some examples are either/or, neither/nor, and not only/but also.
-Not only am I finished studying for English, but I’m also finished writing my history essay. I am finished with both my English
essay and my history essay.
Subordinating Conjunctions- to show cause or reason or contrast or time or concession
Subordinating conjunctions join independent and dependent clauses.
A subordinating conjunction can signal a cause-and-effect relationship, a contrast, or some other kind of relationship between
the clauses.
Common subordinating conjunctions are because, since, as, therefore, for, although, though, while, and whereas.
Sometimes an adverb, such as until, after, or before can function as a conjunction.
-I can stay out until the clock strikes twelve.
1 Here, the adverb until functions as a coordinating conjunction to connect two ideas: I can stay out (the independent clause) and
the clock strikes twelve (the dependent clause). The independent clause could stand alone as a sentence; the dependent clause
depends on the independent clause to make sense.
2 The subordinating conjunction doesn’t need to go in the middle of the sentence.It has to be part of the dependent clause,but the
dependent clause can come before the independent clause.
-Before he leaves, make sure his room is clean.
3 If the dependent clause comes first, use a comma before the independent clause.
-I drank a glass of water because I was thirsty. Because I was thirsty, I drank a glass of water.
Starting a Sentence with a Conjunction
Many of us were taught in schoolthat it is an error to begin a sentence with a conjunction, but that rule is a myth.
As mentioned above,a subordinating conjunction can begin a sentence if the dependent clause comes before the independent cla use.
It’s also correct to begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction.
Often, it’s a good way to add emphasis.
Beginning too many sentences with conjunctions will cause the device to lose its force, however, so use this technique sparin gly.
-Have a safe trip. And don’t forget to call when you get home. Gertie flung open the door. But there was no one on the other side.
List of Conjunctions
Coordinating Conjunctions
for, and, nor, but,or, yet, so
Correlative Conjunctions
both/and,either/or, neither/nor, not only/but,whether/or
Some Subordinating Conjunctions
after, although,as, as if, as long as,as much as, as soon as,as though, because, before, by the time, even if, even though , if, in order
that, in case, in the event that, lest , now that,once, only, only if, provided that, since, so, supposing,that,t han,though, till, unless,
until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, whether or not, while
Grammar Lesson – Conjunctions Prepared by Kelvin 4S4/2019 and Derrick 1L/2019
F = for
A = and
N = nor
B = but
O = or
Y = yet
S = so

2. To show cause
or reason
To show contrast To show things of
similar nature
To show two or more actions
going on at the same time
To express time
1
2
3
4
5
To indicate a
choice
To express two or more
ideas which are not true
To show condition To indicate purpose To show concession
1
2
3
4
Subordinating Conjunction Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about howsubordinating conjunctions work. Choose the best
answer to complete each sentence.
1. _________ the basement flooded,
we spent all day cleaning up.
A. After
B. Although
C. Before
D. Even if
2. I don’t want to go to the movies -
_________ Ihate the smell of popcorn.
A. Although
B. Because
C. Whenever
D. So that
3. I paid Larry, ___________ garden
design work is top-notch.
A. Whenever
B. Whose
C. After
D. If
4. ___________ spring arrives,we
have to be prepared for more snow.
A. Because
B. Until
C. Although
D. Now that
5. _____________ the alarm goes
off, I hit the snooze button.
A. As soon as
B. Because
C. Before
D. Now that
1. _____ Sherri blew out the candles atop her
birthday cake, she caught her hair on fire.
2. Sara begins to sneeze ________ she opens
the window to get a breath of fresh air.
3. ________ the doorbell rang, my dog
Skater barked loudly.
Correlative Conjunctions Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about howcorrelative conjunctions work. Choose the best
answer to complete each sentence.
1. She is neither polite
_______ funny.
A. Or
B. Nor
C. Not
D. Yet
2. _______ that is the case, _______ I’m
not surprised about what’s happening.
A. If / then
B. No sooner/ than
C. Scarcely / when
D. Whether/ or
3. Have you made a decision about _______
to go to the movies _______ not?
A. If / then
B. Either / or
C. Whether/ or
D. What with / and
4. _______ had I put my umbrella
away, ______ it started raining.
A. No sooner/ than
B. If / then
C. What with / and
D. Neither / nor
5. This salad is __
delicious __ healthy.
A. Whether/ or
B. Both / and
C. Scarcely / when
D. Rather / than
1. She is ________ intelligent ________beautiful.
2. I will ______ go for a hike ____stay home and watch TV.
3. Jerry is ________rich ________ famous.
4. He is ________intelligent,________very funny.
5. Would you ________ go shopping ________ spend
the day at the beach?
Coordinating Conjunctions Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about howcoordinating conjunctions work. Choose the best
answer to complete each sentence.
1. Would you rather have cheese _____
bologna on your sandwich?
A. For
B. Nor
C. Or
D. So
2. His two favourite sports are football
______ tennis.
A. Or
B. And
C. Nor
D. For
Grammar Lesson – Conjunctions
Prepared by Kelvin 4S4/2019 and
Derrick 1L/2019

3. 3. I wanted to go to the beach,
_______ Mary refused.
A. But
B. Or
C. So
D. For
4. I am allergic to cats, ______ I
have three of them.
A. Or
B. For
C. Yet
D. So
5. I am a vegetarian, _______ I
don’t eat any meat.
A. So
B. Yet
C. Nor
D. But
6. Thomas will be late to work, _____
he has a dental appointment.
A. but
B. or
C. for
D. nor
7. Jennifer does not like to swim, ____
does she enjoy cycling.
A. and
B. or
C. but
D. nor
8. Jackson wanted to eat another piece
of cake, ____ he was on a diet.
A. for
B. but
C. yet
D. so
1. You can eat your cake with a spoon ________ fork.
2. My dog enjoys being bathed ________ hates getting his nails trimmed.
3. Bill refuses to eat peas,________will he touch carrots.
4. I hate to waste a drop of gas, ________it is very expensive these days.
Conjunctive adverbs
What is a conjunctive adverb?
Conjunctive adverbs are parts of speech that are used to connect one clause to another.
They are also used to show sequence, contrast, cause and effect, and other relationships.
Like other adverbs, conjunctive adverbs may be moved around in the sentence or clause in which they appear. This is just one of
the things you’ll need to remember; additional rules for using conjunctive adverbs follow:
- Always use a period or semicolon before the conjunctive adverb when separating two independent clauses. Conjunctive
adverbs are not strong enough to join independent clauses without supporting punctuation.
- Use a comma if a conjunction such as and, but, or, or so appears between the conjunctive adverb and the first clause.
- Use a comma behind conjunctive adverbs when they appear at the beginning of a sentence’s second clause. The only
exception to this rule is that no comma is necessary if the adverb is a single syllable.
- If a conjunctive adverb appears in the middle of a clause, it should be enclosed in commas most of the time. This is not an
absolute rule and does not normally apply to short clauses.
Conjunctive adverbs List
There are many conjunctive adverbs – in fact, there are many more of these than there are common conjunctions.
Here is a comprehensive list of conjunctive adverbs.
o Additionally
o Again
o Almost
o Anyway
o As a result
o In addition
o Besides
o Certainly
o Comparatively
o Consequently
o Contrarily
o Comparatively
o Consequently
o Conversely
o Elsewhere
o Equally
o Eventually
o Finally
o Further
o Furthermore
o Hence
o Henceforth
o However
o Or else
Conjunctive Adverb Exercise
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how conjunctive adverbs work. Choose the best answer to
complete each sentence.
1. You need to put more effort into
your work; ____________, you
won’t get a passing grade.
A. Moreover
B. Otherwise
C. Unless
D. Instead
2. We wanted to spend the day at the
beach; _____________, it rained
so we stayed home.
A. Moreover
B. Unless
C. However
D. Additionally
3. She is a very smart girl; -
__________________, it’s not at all
surprising that she gets such good grades.
A. Again
B. Besides
C. Contrarily
D. Therefore
4. Jared is a millionaire;
__, his brother Jeremy
is always flat broke.
A. In contrast
B. Accordingly
C. Again
D. Likewise
5. He felt he couldn’t
tell the truth about
what happened; ___,
he lied.
A. In contrast
B. Likewise
C. Undoubtedly
D. Instead
1. Jeremy kept talking in class; ____________,he got in trouble.
2. She went into the store; ____________,she didn’t find anything
she wanted to buy.
3. I like you a lot; ____________,Ithink we should be best friends.
4. Your dog got into my yard; ___________,he dug up my petunias.
5. You’re my friend; ____________, I feel like you’re taking
advantage of me.
6. My car payments are high; ____________,I really enjoy driving
such a nice vehicle.
Grammar Lesson – Conjunctions Prepared by Kelvin 4S4/2019 and Derrick 1L/2019

4. 1. I love to eat toffees;
_____, people often
give them to me at
holidays.
A. nevertheless
B. accordingly
C. however
D. also
2. The tree has developed a
large crack over the years;
_________, it will have to be
cut down for safety’s sake.
A. for example
B. however
C. eventually
D. likewise
3. It would be nice to spend our
vacation on the beach in Jamaica;
_____, it would be fun to hike the
Swiss alps.
A. on the otherhand
B. as a result
C. indeed
D. therefore
4. You need to put more
effort into your work;
________________, you
won’t get a passing grade.
A. or else
B. however
C. eventually
D. if not
Conjunction Exercises
Subordinating Conjunction Exercises
Complete each sentence using the subordinating conjunction from the parenthesis:
1. I visit the Grand Canyon _________ Igo to Arizona. (once, whenever, wherever)
2. This is the place _________ we stayed last time we visited. (where, when, how)
3. _________ you win first place, you will receive a prize. (wherever, if, unless)
4. You won’t pass the test _________ you study.(when, if, unless)
5. I could not get a seat,_________ I came early. (as, though,when)
6. We are leaving Wednesday _________ ornot it rains. (if, whether, though)
7. Pay attention to your work _________ you will not make mistakes. (so that, unless,or)
8. The musicians delivered a rousing performance _________ they had rehearsed often. (though,as, once)
9. She’s honest _________ everyone trusts her.(if, so,when)
10. Write this down _________ you forget. (or, when, lest)
Correlative Conjunction Exercises
Complete each sentence using the correct correlative conjunction pair from the parenthesis:
1. I plan to take my vacation _________ in June _________ in July. (whether / or, either / or, as / if)
2. _________ I’m feeling happy _________ sad,I try to keep a positive attitude. (either / or, whether / or, when / I’m)
3. _________ had Itaken my shoes off_____ I found out we had to leave again. (no sooner/ than,rather / than, whether / or)
4. _________ only is dark chocolate delicious, _________ it can be healthy. (whether / or, not / but,just as / so)
5. _________ Ihave salad for dinner, ________Ican have ice cream for dessert.(if /then,when / than, whether / or)
6. _________ flowers _________ trees grow_________ during warm weather. (not only / or, both / and, not / but)
7. ________ do we enjoy summer vacation,_____ we _____ enjoy winter break. (whether / or, not only / but also, either / or)
8. Calculus is _________ easy _________ difficult _________ (not / but,both / and, either / or)
9. It’s _________ going to rain _________ snowtonight.(as / if, either / or, as / as)
10. Savoury flavours are _________ sweet _________ sour.(often / and, neither / nor, both / and)
Coordinating Conjunction Exercises
Complete each sentence using the correct coordinating conjunction from the parenthesis:
1. My car has a radio _________ a CD player. (but, or, and)
2. Sharon hates to listen to rap music, _________ will she tolerate heavy metal. (but, nor, or)
3. Carol wanted to drive to Colorado, _________ Bill insisted that they fly. (and, or, but)
4. I’m afraid of heights, _________ Iappreciate the view from the top of this building. (and, yet, nor)
5. I have to be on time, _________ my boss will be annoyed if I’m late. (and, nor, for)
6. Do you like chocolate _________ vanilla ice cream better? (or, nor, and)
7. I have to go to work at six, _________ I’m waking up at four. (but, so,yet)
8. I was on time, _________ everyone else was late. (so, but,for)
9. Nadia doesn’t like to drive, _________ she takes the bus everywhere. (but, yet, so)
10. Our trip to the museum was interesting, _________ there were several new artefacts on display. (but, for, yet)
Conjunctive Adverb Exercises
Complete each sentence using the correct coordinating conjunctive adverb from the parenthesis:
1. Bianca wore her rain boots; _________,herfeet stayed dry during the storm. (however, therefore, on the otherhand)
2. I love the colour red; _________,this shade seems a little too bright. (therefore, nonetheless,in fact)
3. You have to be on time; _________,you’ll miss the train. (nonetheless,however, otherwise)
4. Teresa likes to read; _________,hersister Julia prefers to watch TV. (however, in contrast,again)
5. She really wanted to eat ice cream; _________,she had a salad. (however, likewise, instead)
6. We were working hard; _________, Jill and Jerry were lounging by the pool. (meanwhile, instead,therefore)
7. He is a weak leader; _________,he has plenty of supporters.(otherwise, moreover, nevertheless)
8. She has an incredible voice; _________,she will go far in her music career. (otherwise, undoubtedly,similarly)
9. Natalie wanted to make pie but didn’t have apples; _________,she decided to bake a cake. (therefore, namely, in contrast)
10. We had hoped to go to Spain; _________,we ended up in France. (otherwise, instead,again)
Grammar Lesson – Conjunctions Prepared by Kelvin 4S4/2019 and Derrick 1L/2019

5. Fill the blank with the correct conjunction in each of the following sentences.
1. David ________ Hamid are identical twins.
2. _______ they were having breakfast, they saw an accident.
3. They continued playing football _________ it was raining heavily.
4. The family is poor ______ they are happy.
5. Rahman was doing his homework _________ Rita was watching television.
6. She left the office early ____________ she would not miss the bus.
7. Jamal was sad ____________ his father passed away.
8. Do not feed the animal _____ they might fell sick.
9. Zainal drove fast _____________ he would not be late.
10. He will call you ________ his meeting finishes late.
11. Amina could not finish her homework _____ she was tired.
12. They tried to score a goal ______ they were unsuccessful.
13. Grace likes baking cakes _________ Lily prefers gardening.
14. His friend did not come, _______ Jamal watched the movie alone.
15. You can eat __________ the cake _________ the pudding on the table.
16. _____________ he missed the bus,he still managed to attend the meeting on time.
17. I will visit you this weekend __________ he will be sent to another class.
18. He has to pass the examination _____ he will be sent to anotherclass.
19. She scored 8 A’s ______ she was still unhappy.
20. He was upset because ____________ his mother ______ his father came to see him receive the award.
Join the sentences below using suitable conjunctions.
1. The forms are on the table. They may be in the cabinet. ( )
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. He broke his leg. He was playing rugby. ( )
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. She couldn’t do the mathematics problem. Maria also couldn’t do it. ( , )
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. They stayed up late. They could watch the movie. ( )
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. It started to rain. We stopped playing on the field. ( )
_____________________________________________________________________________________
6. I received the letter. I was gardening. ( )
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. My father was upset.I didn’t do well in my examination. ( )
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8. She can speakSpanish. She can also speak Mandarin. ( )
_____________________________________________________________________________________
9. Alice is intelligent. She is beautiful. ( )
_____________________________________________________________________________________
10. She was tired. She managed to climb up the top of mountain. ( )
_____________________________________________________________________________________
11. I will go to the party. I have other plans. ( )
_____________________________________________________________________________________
12. You can eat at this stall. You can eat that one. ( , )
_____________________________________________________________________________________
13. I visit Ipoh. I will definitely visit her. ( )
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Grammar Lesson – Conjunctions Prepared by Kelvin 4S4/2019 and Derrick 1L/2019

6. Answer : Subordinating Conjunction
1. After the basement flooded, we spent all day cleaning up. (A)
2. I don’t want to go to the movies because I hate the smell of popcorn. (B)
3. I paid Larry, whose garden design work is top-notch.(B)
4. Until spring arrives, we have to be prepared for more snow. (B)
5. As soon as the alarm goes off, I hit the snooze button. (A)
1. As Sherri blew out the candles atop her birthday cake, she caught her hair on fire.
2. Sara begins to sneeze whenever she opens the window to get a breath of fresh air.
3. When the doorbell rang, my dog Skater barked loudly.
Answer : Correlative Conjunctions
B. She is neither polite nor funny.
A. If that is the case, then I’m not surprised about what’s happening.
C. Have you made a decision about whether to go to the movies or not?
A. No sooner had I put my umbrella away, than it started raining.
B. This salad is both delicious and healthy.
1. She is both intelligent and beautiful.
2. I will either go for a hike or stay home and watch TV.
3. Jerry is neither rich nor famous.
4. He is not only intelligent, but also very funny.
5. Would you rather go shopping or spend the day at the beach?
Answer : Coordinating Conjunctions
C. Would you rather have cheese or bologna on yoursandwich?
B. His two favourite sports are football and tennis.
A. I wanted to go to the beach,but Mary refused.
C. I am allergic to cats, yet I have three of them.
A. I am a vegetarian, so I don’t eat any meat.
6 – C. Thomas will be late to work, for he has a dental appointment.
7 – D. Jennifer does not like to swim, nor does she enjoy cycling.
8 – B. Jackson wanted to eat anotherpiece of cake, but he was on a diet.
1. You can eat your cake with a spoon or fork.
2. My dog enjoys being bathed but hates getting his nails trimmed.
3. Bill refuses to eat peas, nor will he touch carrots.
4. I hate to waste a drop of gas, for it is very expensive these days.
Answer : Conjunctive Adverb
B. You need to put more effort into your work; otherwise,you won’t get a passing grade.
C. We wanted to spend the day at the beach; however, it rained so we stayed home.
D. She is a very smart girl; therefore, it’s not at all surprising that she gets such good grades.
A. Jared is a millionaire; in contrast,his brother Jeremy is always flat broke.
D. He felt he couldn’t tell the truth about what happened; instead,he lied.
1. Jeremy kept talking in class; therefore, he got in trouble.
2. She went into the store; however, she didn’t find anything she wanted to buy.
3. I like you a lot; in fact, I think we should be best friends.
4. Your dog got into my yard; in addition,he dug up my petunias.
5. You’re my friend; nonetheless, I feel like you’re taking advantage of me.
6. My car payments are high; on the other hand, I really enjoy driving such a nice vehicle.
1 – B. I love to eat toffees; accordingly, people often give them to me at holidays.
2 – C. The tree has developed a large crack over the years; eventually, it will have to be cut down for safety’s sake.
3 – A. It would be nice to spend ourvacation on the beach in Jamaica; on the otherhand, it would be fun to hike the Swiss alps.
4- A and D. You need to put more effort into your work; or else/if not,you won’t get a passing grade.
Answers:
subordinating conjunction
1 – whenever, 2 – where, 3 – if, 4 – unless,5 – though, 6 – whether, 7- so that, 8 – as, 9 – so, 10 – lest
correlative conjunction
1 – either / or, 2 – whether / or, 3 – no sooner / than, 4 – not / but, 5 – if /then, 6 – both / and, 7 – not only / but also, 8 – not /
but, 9 – either / or, 10 – neither / nor
coordinating conjunction
1 – and, 2 – nor, 3 – but, 4 – yet, 5 – for, 6 – or, 7- so, 8 – but, 9 – so, 10 – for
conjunctive adverb
1 – therefore, 2 – nonetheless, 3 – otherwise, 4 – contrast, 5 – instead, 6 – meanwhile, 7- nevertheless, 8 – undoubtedly, 9 –
therefore, 10 – instead
Grammar Lesson – Conjunctions Prepared by Kelvin 4S4/2019 and Derrick 1L/2019