List of conjunctions, what is a conjunction, rules in English Grammar and important conjunction words are extremely crucial from the point of view of competitive exams.
Almost all the competitive exams such as SSC, Bank, RRB, Insurance and Government exams have a separate section of Verbal English, as well as descriptive English to test candidates skills in English Grammar.Â
Hence, it is important to gain clarity about basic grammar rules regarding conjunctions, so as to understand the intricacies of the English Language section of competitive exams.Â
This article shall discuss the meaning of conjunctions, types of conjunctions, important conjunction words and the conjunction list PDF.Â
List of Conjunctions PDF:-Download PDF Here
| Table of Contents: |
What is a Conjunction?
A word or group of words that connect two or more words, clauses, phrases or sentences are called conjunctions. Conjunctions are called joining words.Â
Conjunction Examples –Â
- She is good at both cooking and dancing.
- If we leave now, we can be home by 11 p.m.
- He couldn’t be taken before a magistrate for punishment.
- Neither her friends nor relatives joined for the party.
- The legendary dancer is also interested in folk music.
Given below are a few more relevant articles for the English Section of government exams:
- Rules For Prepositions
- Rules For Tenses
- Idioms & Phrases
- Letter Writing Format
- List of Suffix & Prefix in English
- List of Homonyms / Homophones
More concept related article on general English for competitive exams can be found on the given link.
| Put your best foot forward for various Government Exams? Give an edge to your preparation with: |
Types of Conjunctions
Conjunction words are segregated into four types –
- Coordinating Conjunction Words
- Subordinating Conjunction Words
- Correlative Conjunction Words
- Conjunctive Adverbs
Go through the types of conjunctions as well as the list of conjunctions covered under each type. Also, candidates can download the full list of conjunctions, along with the types given in PDF format, both at the top and bottom of this article.
Coordinating Conjunction Words
These join the elements that are the same. Coordination conjunction words are only seven and people remember them by an acronym FANBOYS, i.e. (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So).
Check out the list of Coordinating conjunctions along with examples:
| List of Conjunctions | |
| Coordinating Conjunction Words | Sentences – Conjunction Examples |
| For | He needs to find a job, for he is unemployed. |
| And | Maria loves both ice cream and pizza. |
| Nor | Neither Tuesday nor Wednesday is good for the party. |
| But | She scored good marks but she is not satisfied. |
| Or | Which fruit do you like: mango or apple? |
| Yet | She dances well yet she hesitates to take part in the competition. |
| So | He is unwell so he will not come with us to the movie. |
| English Root Words | Most Asked English Vocabulary Words |
Aspirants of various Government exams can go through the following links for preparation of other sections of the examination.
It joins the dependent adverb clause with the independent clause. Understand it this way, instead of joining two independent clauses of equal importance, Subordinating conjunction words make one clause less important than another.
Conjunction examples –Â
I will drink milk after having this chocolate (I will drink milk is an independent clause; after having this chocolate is a dependent adverb clause).
Similarly, He will come to my home after attending the wedding (here, he will come to my home is an independent clause; after attending the wedding is a dependent adverb clause).
Given below is a list of conjunctions for the above-mentioned type:Â
| List Of Conjunctions | |
| Subordinating Conjunction Words | Sentences – Conjunction Examples |
| After | She went to the parlour after lunch. |
| Although | Although the sun was shining it wasn’t warm. |
| As | She can do her hairstyle as she wants. |
| As if | He behaved as if he has lost it. |
| As long as | The dog would be cooperative as long as you fed him. |
| As much as | He likes football as much as he likes cricket. |
| As soon as | As soon as I get the details I will send the mail. |
| As though | The virus is spreading as though it will end the world. |
| Because | He did the task because he felt it was his duty. |
| Before | The baby sleeps before the massage. |
| Even | He has never even heard the name of the city of Ohio. |
| Even if | Even if you perform your best, you won’t be appreciated. |
| Even though | She doesn’t want to give up even though she knows it won’t better the relation. |
| If | They will party in the garden if the weather is good. |
| If only | She will feel better, if only she sees her son for a moment. |
| If then | If it rains then we will be stuck in traffic. |
| In order that | She will leave the party early in order that I get a cab. |
| Just as | It began to rain just as we got home. |
| Lest | He spent whole days in his room, wearing headphones lest he disturbs anyone. |
| Now | Boston is now a big city while earlier it was a small town. |
| Now since | Let’s discuss the issue now since the manager is right here. |
| Now that | Now that everything is under control, the lockdown can be lifted. |
| Once | Once I pick you up from school we can go to the restaurant. |
| Provided | He will behave properly provided you be polite to him. |
| Provided that | I will go to the party provided that she comes. |
| Rather than | Better, ignore her questions rather than lie. |
| Since | It’s a long time since they met. |
| So that | He joined foreign language classes so that he could learn French. |
| Supposing | He was bluffed into believing his competitors were not prepared. |
| Than | The old man lived for more than 100 years. |
| That | The yellow building you are seeing there, that is my house. |
| Though | Though they were whispering, their voices echoed in the hall. |
| Till | She waited at the coffee shop till 11 pm. |
| Unless | He will not buy you a scooter unless you score good marks. |
| Until | You will not get a driving licence until you turn 18. |
| When | When is your mother coming from Canada? |
| Whenever | Please share the details of your friend, whenever you get time. |
| Where | Where is the bakery store? |
| Where is | If Ram is with this girl, where is his wife? |
| Whereas | The north has a hot climate whereas the south is cold. |
| Wherever | Eat healthy meals wherever possible. |
| Whether | She seemed undecided about whether to stay or go. |
| Which | Which is your favourite colour? |
| While | He did my task while I was away from the office. |
| Who | Do you know the person who is standing near the bookstore? |
| Whoever | Whoever wins will get a cash prize. |
| Why | Why do people throw garbage on the streets? |
Correlative Conjunctions
These work in pairs to join two clauses or sentences. Understand it with examples.
Conjunction examples –
Either you cook me lunch, or I leave.
No sooner he had gone to bed than the doorbell rang.
The table below illustrates the list of conjunctions covered under Correlative type:
| List of Conjunctions | |
| Correlative Conjunction Words | Sentences – Conjunction Examples |
| As / As | His scorecard was not as bad as I thought. |
| Both / and | Both the teams and their coaches worked hard. |
| Either/or | Either eat the cake right now or it will be finished. |
| Hardly / when | Hardly had he reached the stop when the bus started. |
| Neither / nor | Neither the children nor their parents attended the function. |
| No sooner / than | No sooner had the teacher entered the classroom than the students kept quiet. |
| Not only / but also | Not only should you mug up for exams but also understand the basic concepts. |
| Whether / or | She was confused about whether to wear pink or yellow for her engagement. |
| The More / The more | The more he flattered his boss the more incentives he got. |
| So/ as | Her poetry wasn’t so boring as he had thought. |
| Such / that | She is such a beautiful actress that everyone is her fan. |
| Rather / than | He would rather cook at home than go out for dinner. |
These are also called transition words. They join sentences or words or phrases just like words on the standard conjunction list can. A few examples of such type include; in addition, as a result, however, hence, etc.Â
Go through the list to understand the adverbial conjunctions:
| Conjunctions List | |
| Conjunctive Adverbs | Sentences – Conjunction Examples |
| After all | After all the efforts we put in the result was not appreciable. |
| As a result | As a result of the new job, he relocated to a new city. |
| Consequently | She worked hard and consequently got a good appraisal. |
| Finally | They quarrelled for hours and then finally there was all silence. |
| For example | Take, for example, you are the CEO of Google. How will you help the nation? |
| Furthermore | She was tired and cold, and furthermore she was hungry. |
| Hence | Schools are closed due to lockdown. Hence, teachers are taking online classes. |
| However | He will buy that car, however, he will have to use all his savings. |
| In addition | In addition, all his planning is paying off. |
| In fact | She is taking advanced classes; in fact, she is an expert now. |
| Indeed | A soldier’s life is indeed a difficult life. |
| Instead | We cooked at home instead of going out. |
| Likewise | Grateful to him, she was likewise excited to go on a tour of Europe. |
| Meanwhile | He spent his time studying for Engineering and in the meanwhile, joined work at the bank. |
| Incidentally | Incidentally, have you seen the new shopping mall they are putting up? |
Candidates can download the PDF of the list of conjunctions based on its types given below.
List Of Conjunctions PDF:-Download PDF Here
Conjunctions – Sample Questions for English Section
To understand the importance of knowing the conjunctions and important rules pertaining to them, it is imperative to know the types of questions asked in the examination, which makes it necessary to build up knowledge regarding conjunctions.
Given below is a sample question asked in the English section of competitive exams for conjunctions:
Direction: Sentences are divided into parts. Spot the error in the sentences. If there is no error mark your answer as ‘No Error’.
Q1. The teacher is neither(1) free or interested in(2) teaching the students(3).
- Part 1 is incorrect
- Part 2 is incorrect
- Part 3 is incorrect
- No error
Answer (2) The conjunction neither is always followed by nor.Â
Q.2. No sooner does the principal(1) enter the class(2) then the students stand up(3).
- Part 1 is incorrect
- Part 2 is incorrect
- Part 3 is incorrect
- No error
Answer (3) The conjunction pair of No Sooner is Than.
Q.3. She has a dog(1), a cat(2) who dislike each other(3)
- Part 1 is incorrect
- Part 2 is incorrectÂ
- Part 3 is incorrect
- No Error
Answer (2) Coordinating conjunction (and) is missing.Â
Q.4. Read to contradict(1) or to believe(2) and not to weigh or consider(3)
- Part 1 is incorrect
- Part 2 is incorrectÂ
- Part 3 is incorrect
- No Error
Answer (1) correlative conjunction (either) is missing.
Q.5. Ram lost not only(1) his wallet(2), but also his watch(3).
- Part 1 is incorrect
- Part 2 is incorrectÂ
- Part 3 is incorrect
- No Error
Answer (4) No error
The above-given questions are a sample of error spotting questions asked in the exams. Other types of questions like rearranging the sentences based on conjunctions are also asked.Â
Similarly, knowing about the conjunction rules is imperative for questions like Reading Comprehension, Essay/Letter Writing, Precis Writing, etc. Hence, given below are important rules of conjunctions in English grammar for competitive exams.Â
Conjunction Rules in English Grammar
Candidates preparing for any competitive exam must be well versed with the rules of conjunctions, so as to avoid losing marks because of minor mistakes in the examinations.
Given below are a few important rules of conjunctions in English Grammar, which will be helpful for both the objective as well as the descriptive section of the English language.Â
Rules of Conjunctions:
Rule 1. The conjunction so/as and as/ as is used to make a comparison. But, so/as is used in negative sentences whereas as/as can be used for both negative and affirmative sentences.Â
Example:Â
As you behave so you have to bear.
She is not as beautiful as you/ She is as beautiful as you.
Rule 2. The conjunction Both is always followed by the conjunction and.Â
Example:Â
Both Rajat and Meera went for shopping
She is both pretty and intelligent.
Rule 3. Lest is a negative word and is always followed either by should or first form of the verb. Remember, the words (not, no, never) cannot be used with lest.Â
Example:Â Â
Dance carefully lest she should fall.
Dance carefully lest she falls.
Rule 4. The conjunction Though/Although is always followed by a comma(,) or yet.
Examples:
Though She put in a lot of effort, she didn’t crack the exam.
Although the diamonds are costly yet people buy them because it adds to status.
Rule 5. Unless and Until is negative words. Unless is action-oriented while Until is time-oriented. Remember, do not use the words (never, not, no) with the clause containing until and unless words.
Example:
The father asked his daughter to wait until he returned.
Unless the employee works hard, the company will not progress.
Candidates preparing for the various government exams can refer to the detailed syllabus in the links given below:
| Bank Exam Syllabus | SSC Syllabus | RRB Syllabus |
| LIC Syllabus | UPSC Syllabus | UPSC CAPF Syllabus |
Rule 6. Always use the correct pair of conjunctions. Like not only with but also and more.
Hardly__ when or before
No sooner__than
Barely__when or before
Scarcely__when or before
Examples:Â
No sooner had he finished his speech than the audience applauded.
The Thief not only stole jewels but also took away the gizmos.
Rule 7. The conjunction doubt/doubtful is followed by that in negative or interrogative sentences whereas in affirmative sentences these are followed by if or whether.
Example:Â
He doubts if he can come to drop you.
I don’t doubt that he is hardworking.
She is doubtful whether she will attend the party.
Rule 8. The conjunction From is followed by to and Between is followed by and.Â
Examples:
It is difficult to choose between gold and silver
He keeps playing the guitar from morning to evening
Rule 9. When more than two persons or things are involved, then (none of/ one of) is used instead of (neither/either)
Examples:Â
One of the employees complained about the manager.
None of the employees complained regarding the theft.Â
Rule 10. The conjunction Rather/Other is followed by Than.
Examples:
You have no other option than to go back to school.
He would rather give a car than a necklace.
Candidates who are preparing for the upcoming government exams must carefully go through the concept of conjunction rules and list of conjunctions, as candidates tend to score the least in the English Language section.
For further questions or information regarding competitive exams, study material or best books for preparation, candidates can turn to BYJU’S.Â
