3 Common Mistakes Made When Learning Conjunctions

3 Common Mistakes Made When Learning Conjunctions

In this blog, we will be looking at three of the most common mistakes made when learning conjunctions. Learning how to use these words can be tricky and the misuse of them can lead to confusion or unintended meaning.

What is a conjunction?

When learning about conjunctions, it is common for people to make mistakes. A conjunction is a word that connects two words or groups of words. Conjunctions are used to join together phrases and clauses. There are three main types of conjunctions: coordinating, subordinating, and correlative.

Coordinating conjunctions join two equal ideas or elements. The most common coordinating conjunctions are “and,” “but,” and “or.” Subordinating conjunctions connect an independent clause with a dependent clause. The most common subordinating conjunction is “because.” Correlative conjunctions work in pairs to join two ideas that are of equal importance. The most common correlative conjunction is “either…or.”

3 Common Mistakes Made When Learning Conjunctions

One of the most common mistakes made when learning conjunctions is using them incorrectly. Conjunctions are words that join two or more words, phrases, or clauses together. They can be used to connect ideas, make comparisons, or show differences.

However, many people use conjunctions incorrectly, which can create confusion and make their writing sound incorrect. To avoid making these mistakes, here are a few tips:

1. Make sure you know what conjunction you need before using it. There are different types of conjunctions that serve different purposes. For example, if you want to connect two ideas, you would use a coordinating conjunction like “and” or “but.” If you want to contrast two ideas, you would use a subordinating conjunction like “although” or “whereas.”

2. Pay attention to the grammar of the words and phrases that you’re joining together. When using a conjunction, all of the words and phrases must be grammatically correct. Otherwise, it will sound incorrect. For example, joining the phrase “I am studying” with the word “but” would create an incorrect sentence because “but” is a conjunction that can only join complete thoughts (or independent clauses). The correct sentence would be “I am studying but I haven’t started yet.”

3. Be careful not to overuse conjunctions. Using too many conjunctions in your writing can make it sound choppy and difficult to read. Stick to one or two per sentence , and make sure they’re necessary.

If you’re careful to avoid these mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to using conjunctions correctly in your writing.

The difference between coordinating and subordinating conjunctions

One common mistake made when learning about conjunctions is confusing coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. Coordinating conjunctions are used to connect two main clauses, while subordinating conjunctions are used to connect a subordinate clause to a main clause. Subordinate clauses cannot stand alone as a sentence, whereas a main clause can.

Here is a list of some common coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

And here is a list of some common subordinating conjunctions: after, although, as, because, before, even if, even though, if, in order that, once, since, so that, though, until, when ,whenever , where , whereas , whether , while.

To help remember the difference between coordinating and subordinating conjunctions, try this little mnemonic device: FANBOYS . Each letter in FANBOYS stands for a coordinating conjunction: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

The following table will show some examples of correct usage of conjunctions

When learning conjunctions, it is important to understand how and when to use them correctly. The following table provides examples of correct usage for some common conjunctions.

And:
I have a cat and a dog.

But:
I wanted to go out, but it was raining.

Or:
Do you want tea or coffee?

So:
She was tired, so she went to bed early.

If:
If you study hard, you will pass your exams.

Because:
I’m late because I missed my bus.

Although:
Although it was raining, we went for a walk.

Unless:
Unless you hurry up, we’ll be late.

Once:
Once you have finished your homework, you can watch TV.

Thank you for reading!

This was written by me. Bryce Purnell, founder of Learn Laugh Speak.

Check out more on my Medium or send me an email if you’re ever curious about anything at all 

CLICK HERE