What Are Conjunctions?

A conjunction is a word used to join words, phrases, or clauses. It helps in making our sentences smooth, clear, and meaningful.

These join two elements of equal grammatical rank and importance.

There are seven coordinating conjunctions, which you can remember with the acronym FANBOYS.

Conjunction	Meaning
For	Explains a reason or purpose (like "because").
And	Adds one thing to another.
Nor	Presents an alternative negative idea.
But	Shows a contrast or exception.
Or	Presents an alternative or a choice.
Yet	Introduces a contrasting idea that follows logically.
So	Indicates an effect, result, or consequence.

These connect a dependent clause to an independent clause.

They show a relationship like time, cause, or condition. Example: "Because it was raining, we stayed home."

Type	Examples
Time	after, before, when, while, since, until
Cause/Reason	because, since, as
Condition	if, unless, provided that
Contrast	although, though, whereas

These are pairs of conjunctions that work together.

They connect two balanced words, phrases, or clauses. The structure following each part of the pair must be parallel.

Pair	Example
either...or	"You can have either tea or coffee."
neither...nor	"He likes neither cats nor dogs."
both...and	"She is both intelligent and funny."
not only...but also	"He is not only a great singer but also a talented actor."
whether...or	"I am not sure whether to go or stay."

Incorrect: He will either dance or singing.
Correct: He will either dance or sing.