Conjunctions: And, But, Or, Because
Combine ideas smoothly using linking words.
And, but, or
'And' adds information, 'but' shows contrast, and 'or' shows a choice.
- I like tea and coffee.
- She is smart but shy.
- You can call or email me.
Because and so
'Because' gives a reason, and 'so' gives a result.
- I stayed home because I was sick.
- It was raining, so we cancelled the picnic.
Although / even though
Use these to show an unexpected contrast.
- Although it was raining, we went for a walk.
- He passed the test even though he didn't study much.
Punctuation with conjunctions
When joining two full sentences with and/but/or/so, use a comma before the conjunction.
- I wanted to go, but I was too tired.
- She called me, and we talked for an hour.
More examples in context
Conjunctions let you build longer, more natural sentences.
- I was hungry, so I made a sandwich.
- He works hard, but he never complains.
- Would you like tea or coffee?
- She left early because she had a meeting.
- Although he's rich, he lives simply.
- I called her, and she didn't answer.
Common mistakes to avoid
These are frequent conjunction errors, and how to correct them.
- ✗ I like her but because she's kind. → ✓ I like her because she's kind.
- ✗ Although it was cold, but we went out. → ✓ Although it was cold, we went out. (don't use both)
- ✗ He is tired so he didn't sleep well. → ✓ He is tired because he didn't sleep well.
- ✗ I wanted to go I was tired. → ✓ I wanted to go, but I was tired.
Quick practice
Fill in each blank with the correct conjunction, then check your answer.
- I was tired, ___ I went to bed early. (answer: so)
- She likes coffee ___ tea. (answer: and)
- ___ it was late, they kept working. (answer: Although)
- I stayed in ___ it was raining. (answer: because)
- Do you want pizza ___ pasta? (answer: or)