Page 109 - NEW_English_Spring 7
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Let’s study grammar
Read these sentences and focus on the highlighted words.
The sunlight filled my eyes, and I was quite damp with sweat.
He was old and thin, but the spirit within him was young and strong.
I cannot hear anything you say because the breeze is too strong.
Grandpa was not only stubborn about staying up the tree but also determined to
protect it.
These words are called conjunctions.
A conjunction is a word which is used to join two words, two phrases or two clauses
together.
There are three types of conjunctions.
1. Coordinating conjunctions, such as and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so join two
independent clauses.
In the first example, ‘and’ joins
The sunlight filled my eyes
independent clauses
I was quite damp with sweat
In the second example, ‘but’ joins
He was old and thin
independent clauses
The spirit within him was young and strong
2. Subordinating conjunctions, such as when, who, because, till, since, so that,
unless, if join a dependent clause with an independent clause. In the third
example, ‘because’ joins the independent clause – I cannot hear anything you say
and the dependent clause –the breeze is too strong.
3. Correlative conjunctions, such as both...and, either...or, neither...nor, not
only...but also, no sooner...than, whether...or, hardly...when, are pairs of
conjunctions that help to join two balanced clauses, phrases or words. In the last
example, ‘not only……..but also’ join Grandpa was stubborn about staying up
the tree and determined to protect it.
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