Conjunctions Conjunctions Conjunctions are joining words They join

Conjunctions

Conjunctions • Conjunctions are joining words. • They join sets of words called clauses together into longer, more satisfying sentences. • The two sorts of conjunctions we are going to look at in this Unit are called… • co-ordinating conjunctions and • subordinating conjunctions.

Co-ordinating conjunctions The three main co-ordinating conjunctions are… and but or

Co-ordinating conjunctions • We use co-ordinating conjunctions to join two independent clauses. • Independent clauses are groups of words that make complete sense and can be sentences on their own. • Jacques thought the ocean was beautiful • He wanted to share its wonders with the world • We can use the conjunction and to join these two independent clauses together: • Jacques thought the ocean was beautiful and he wanted to share its wonders with the world.

Co-ordinating conjunctions and but or Which cordinating conjunction would be best to join these two independent clauses together? Doctors told Jacques he would not be able to walk He refused to give up Doctors told Jacques he would not be able to walk but he refused to give up.

Subordinating conjunctions There are lots of subordinating conjunctions but some of the most useful are: because that if when

Subordinating Conjunctions • We use a subordinating conjunction to join a subordinate clause to a main clause. • The main clause makes sense all on its own but the subordinate clause only really makes sense when it is joined to the main clause. • Can you spot the subordinating conjunction and the two clauses in this sentence? Jacques had a small submarine called the Sea Flea that he could travel in.

Subordinating Conjunctions • Subordinating conjunctions are a bit different to co-ordinating conjunctions as they can go at the beginning of a sentence as well as in the middle. Because Jacques wanted to take photographs underwater, he made a waterproof camera. Jacques could take underwater photographs because he had made a waterproof camera. • When the conjunction starts the sentence we need to put a comma between the two clauses.