Conjunctions

Conjunctions

Middle School

Today's Lesson

• Today's lesson will walk us through the definition of conjunctions, their types, and how to use them to form complex and compound sentences.
• Topic overview
• Topic overview

Learning Objectives

• Define what a conjunction is and its purpose in a sentence.
• Identify the three main types of conjunctions: coordinating, subordinating, and correlative.
• Apply our knowledge of conjunctions to combine sentences and express more complex ideas in our writing.

Introduction to Conjunctions

Have you ever wanted to connect your ideas together in a sentence, but you weren't sure how? That's where conjunctions come in! Think of conjunctions as the glue that holds our words, phrases, and sentences together. They are the bridges that help us move from one idea to another smoothly. Without them, our writing would be choppy and disconnected, like a list of short, simple sentences.

Let's Learn with an Example

Let's look at this sentence: 'I wanted to go to the park, but it was raining.' The first part, 'I wanted to go to the park,' is a complete thought. The second part, 'it was raining,' is also a complete thought. The word 'but' is a coordinating conjunction that connects these two ideas. It shows a contrast between wanting to go to the park and the rain that stopped it from happening. Using 'but' creates a compound sentence and makes the meaning clearer.

Multiple Choice

Which coordinating conjunction best completes the sentence: 'I wanted to play outside, ___ it started to rain'?

• but

• and

• so

• or

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a subordinating conjunction?

• although

• and

• but

• or

Multiple Choice

Which sentence correctly uses a correlative conjunction?

• Both the book and the movie were good.

• I like to read and to write.

• She is not only smart but also funny.

• You can have either cake or ice cream.

Summary

• Conjunctions are words that connect ideas in your sentences.
• Coordinating conjunctions like 'and' or 'but' join equal sentence parts.
• Subordinating conjunctions such as 'if' or 'because' join unequal clauses.
• Correlative conjunctions like 'either/or' are pairs that link ideas.
• Using conjunctions makes your writing clearer and more creative.