Conjunctions are words that connect two words or phrases. They can also join two sentences into one sentence.
The words “and”, “but”, and “or”, are called coordinating conjunctions, but you do not need to know this. You just need to know how they are used and what they mean.
- Use “and” for similar, connected, or related things.
- Use “but” for things that are different or opposite.
- Use “or” to give a choice or alternative.
We can use these between two words or phrases
- I like apples and bananas.
- I like apples, but not bananas.
- You can have a banana or an apple, but you cannot have both.
- She is tall and fast.
- She is not tall, but fast.
- Would you rather be tall or fast?
- I went to France and Germany when I went to Europe.
- I went to France but not Germany when I went to Europe.
- Do you want to go to France or Germany when we go to Europe? We only have time to go to one of them.
- He likes to exercise at the gym and read books.
- He likes to exercise at the gym, but not read books.
- Does he prefer to exercise at the gym or read books?
We can use these words to join two sentences.
- I finished all my work and I made dinner for my family.
- She worked late, but she did not finish all of her work.
- We can work late or we can go home and finish tomorrow.
- She works very hard and she gets along well with all of her colleagues.
- She works very hard, but she doesn’t have a lot of experience.
- Is it more important to work hard or to have talent?
Here are a few more things to remember.
1. We use “and” and “or” at the end of lists that contain 3 or more things.
- She likes hamburgers, pizza, and cookies.
- We can go to Turkey, China, or Japan. It is your choice.
It is also possible to use “but not” this way.
- I like bananas, apples, grapes, oranges, but not blueberries.
2. When “but” is connecting two sentences, we use a comma (,) before “but”.
- I like basketball, but I don’t like baseball.
- She is not ready to give her presentation, but she is out of time.
Learn to speak better English and improve your English grammar by simply doing this basic practice exercise. First, complete the sentences and questions with your own answers, and then practice making your own sentences and questions. Finally, try using this grammar in real life.
I like to _______________ and _______________.
Today, I need to _______________ and _______________.
I want to _______________ and _______________.
If you want to speak English well, then you need to _______________ and _______________.
This job is _______________ and _______________.
I like _______________, but I don’t like _______________.
My job is _______________, but _______________.
She is _______________, but _______________.
My country is _______________, but _______________.
I have time to _______________, but I don’t have time to _______________.
Do you want to _______________ or _______________?
Do you want to eat _______________ or _______________?
He can _______________ or _______________.
We can go to _______________ or _______________ on vacation.
After work, would you like to _______________ or _______________?
