Hi there.
Today, let's discover how conjunctions bring sentences
together, enhancing the flow of your English speech and your writing.
In our Spotify polls, you tell us that you like grammar podcasts.
So I thought we could kick off the new year together, with some good
old-fashioned grammar learning.
Today, we're having a look at conjunctions and how to use them, and at the
particular meanings that they add when we use them to join sentences.
Conjunctions help with your fluency when you use them and
they add nuance, extra meaning too.
So, I'm going to talk about the use of some simple conjunctions that you'll
probably know and that are used in English conversations all the time.
But also, do you want to boost your English writing skills?
If you stick around for the second half of this podcast, I'll also
cover some more advanced conjunctions.
ones that you're more likely to meet in written English.
And as usual, I'll give you lots of examples along the way.
So, plenty of value for English language learners in this podcast.
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So are you ready to dive into conjunctions with me today?
Conjunctions are words which join sentences together and which help both
your written and your spoken English to make more sense and to sound more fluent.
So that's 'conjunction'.
C O N J U N C T I O N.
That's its grammatical name.
So, first of all, let's go through some simple conjunctions.
See if you've heard these in everyday English conversations.
Then I'll talk about some conjunctions, which tend to be used more in the
written context, in written English.
But you can say them as well, of course.
Often, in written English, like an essay or a newspaper article,
conjunctions are used a lot because you're developing an argument.
You're developing a line of thought.
You're combining several sets of ideas, in other words.
Conjunctions are important and necessary, so that your ideas and your meaning flow.
And your English is more understandable.
Let's start with some simple conjunctions.
Are these familiar to you?
and
because
while
after
so
until
but
I'll give you an example of each.
1.
Dogs come in all sizes and there's a big difference between
the largest and the smallest.
So, the 'and' in that sentence just joins together two sentences.
It doesn't really add any meaning.
2.
The weather is better because we are further south.
So, here the conjunction 'because' adds more meaning.
It's saying that the reason the weather is better is because we're further south.
So 'because' is used when we're talking about 'cause and effect'.
3.
Something I might say to my son.
You can play games on your computer after you've completed your homework.
Here, the conjunction 'after' joins the two sentences, but it links them in time.
Homework first, gaming after.
That's pretty clear.
So it does add, again, extra meaning, this conjunction 'after'.
4.
I like to drink coffee.
while writing the podcast.
So the word 'while' is being used as a conjunction here.
It's also a preposition, of course.
And it gives more meaning.
It tells you that the coffee drinking and the podcast writing
are happening at the same time.
5.
I drove my car slowly so I wouldn't skid in the snow.
Here the word 'so' is used as a conjunction.
And it's indicating the intention, the reason behind an action.
So, I drove slowly so that, I didn't skid.
I didn't want to slip in the snow, in other words.
6.
I can't make an appointment until I've returned from my holiday.
Here again, 'until' is used as a conjunction, and it tells
you that one action is going to follow the other in time.
The appointment making won't happen until I'm back from my holiday.
So again, it's giving you more information.
It's conditional.
It's a bit like 'if' and 'unless', which are also conjunctions.
There are conditions, things that must happen first.
7.
You might think of a tomato as a vegetable, but it's actually a fruit.
So here the word 'but' is the conjunction, and 'but' as a conjunction
shows that another idea is coming that potentially contradicts the first.
It contrasts with the first part of the sentence.
So this kind of conjunction like 'but' is useful when you're building
up an argument or a set of ideas.
'This, but also that as well'.
OK, so those were some basic examples of conjunctions.
Were they familiar to you?
I presume they were?
So now, how about some conjunctions that are used more in written English?
You do hear them spoken, of course.
But they're useful to you in written English.
So for those of you who need to write essays, these conjunctions are useful
when you're trying to develop an argument or put together a set of ideas.
So the ones I'm going to cover are:-
however
nevertheless
although
on the other hand
since and
in addition
So, all of these words can be used as conjunctions which join two sentences.
But note also, most of them can be used on their own.
And they might be at the beginning of a sentence.
So, they're perhaps relating to the previous idea that was spoken about or
written about in the previous sentence.
So 'however' is used in a couple of ways.
' However' can be at the start of a sentence.
And it indicates that the idea you're about to talk about contrasts
with what you've just said.
So it might be a different side of the argument.
And of course, 'however' can be a conjunction joining two sentences.
So an example might be:-
Cats make good pets, however their personalities vary a great deal.
So this 'however' moderates the statement that 'cats make good
pets', suggesting there's more to it.
It's more complex.
They're all a bit different.
Which is true, I think!
And of course you could make this two sentences:-
Cats make good pets.
Full stop.
However, their personalities vary a great deal.
Still the same sense there.
The other way we use the word 'however', an example?
You still need to revise for your exams, however intelligent you are.
So this use of 'however' is as an adverb.
And it's telling you the first part of the sentence is true, 'even if' you're
intelligent, 'despite' your intelligence.
So again, two contrasting ideas.
'Even if' and 'despite' are also conjunctions, a bit like 'however'.
Two aspects, two contrasting aspects of a situation are being talked about here.
Another example of this use of 'however'?
We still have enough food, however hungry you are.
OK.
What about 'although', 'nevertheless', and 'on the other hand'?
They're all a bit similar.
' Although', you might use it, 'Although this first fact is true, this
second fact, which contrasts with the first fact, is also true'.
So, an example might be:-
Although I've saved up a lot of money, house prices have risen.
And you could reverse the order there:-
House prices have risen, although I've saved up a lot of money.
Meaning is the same.
So I've saved up money - good.
But house prices have risen - bad.
So two contrasting ideas joined with an 'although'.
You could say 'instead' here:-
I've saved up a lot of money, nevertheless house prices have risen.
Or...
I've saved up a lot of money, on the other hand house prices have risen.
The meaning is very similar.
The last couple of conjunctions - 'since' and 'in addition'?
Well, the first one 'since', S I N C E is a little bit like
'because' in its meaning, when you're using it as a conjunction.
We're talking again about 'cause and effect':-
Since you're shouting at me, I'm going to walk away.
So I'm giving a reason for my action - I'm going to walk away - I'm doing
it since you're shouting at me.
Or I could say, 'Because you're shouting at me'.
Notice the order?
'Since you're shouting at me, I'm going to walk away' - the conjunction is
again at the beginning of the sentence.
But you could reverse it and say, 'I'm going to walk away,
since you're shouting at me'.
Meaning is exactly the same.
Another example of this conjunction, 'since', as a
'cause and effect' conjunction?
Since his job doesn't pay very much, he has to live with his father.
Notice the word 'as' would do just as well here:-
As his job doesn't pay very much, he has to live with his father.
So if you can substitute 'as' for 'since' and the meaning doesn't change, then
'since' is being used as a conjunction.
The more common use of the word 'since' is as a preposition, of course,
and you may have met it like this.
It's used where there's been time passed.
So a couple of examples of time-related 'since' as a preposition?
Since I left my last job, I've been working freelance.
Or...
It's been six months since I've been to that shop.
Lastly, the conjunction 'in addition'.
So yes, conjunctions can sometimes be expressions, more than one word.
And 'in addition' is working in the opposite way to 'however' and
'nevertheless' and 'on the other hand'.
If you hear the conjunction 'in addition', it means the speaker or
the writer is about to give more reasons for the same argument they just made.
They're going to say more things that support the ideas they've just expressed.
So:-
House prices have risen, in addition, fuel costs have gone up too.
On top of that, fuel costs have risen too.
Another way of saying 'in addition' - 'furthermore'.
That's another conjunction that you could use.
You're unlikely to say that, but you could put it in written English.
Other examples of conjunctions that are more than one word?
' Even if'.
'Provided that'.
' Rather than'.
'Just in case'.
Those may be good examples for you to look up yourself, if you don't know them.
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Enough for now.
Have a lovely day.
Speak to you again soon.
Goodbye.