Conjunctions

Without conjunctions, you’d be forced to express every complex idea in a series of short, simplistic sentences: I like cooking. I like eating. I don’t like washing dishes afterward.

What Are Conjunctions?

Conjunctions are words that link other words, phrases, or clauses together.

I like cooking and eating, but I don’t like washing dishes afterward. Sophie is clearly exhausted, yet she insists on dancing till dawn.

Conjunctions allow you to form complex, elegant sentences and avoid the choppiness of multiple short sentences. Make sure that the phrases joined by conjunctions are parallel (share the same structure.

I work quickly and am careful.

I work quickly and carefully.

Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions allow you to join words, phrases, and clauses of equal grammatical rank in a sentence. The most common coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so; you can remember them by using the mnemonic device FANBOYS.

I’d like pizza or a salad for lunch. We needed a place to concentrate, so we packed up our things and went to the library. Jesse didn’t have much money, but she got by.

Notice the use of the comma when a coordinating conjunction is joining two independent clauses.

Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions that work together. Some examples are either/or, neither/nor, and not only/but also.

Not only am I finished studying for English, but I’m also finished writing my history essay. I am finished with both my English essay and my history essay.

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions join independent and dependent clauses. A subordinating conjunction can signal a cause-and-effect relationship, a contrast, or some other kind of relationship between the clauses. Common subordinating conjunctions are because, since, as, although, though, while, and whereas. Sometimes an adverb, such as until, after, or before can function as a conjunction.

I can stay out until the clock strikes twelve.

Here, the adverb until functions as a coordinating conjunction to connect two ideas: I can stay out (the independent clause) and the clock strikes twelve (the dependent clause). The independent clause could stand alone as a sentence; the dependent clause depends on the independent clause to make sense.

The subordinating conjunction doesn’t need to go in the middle of the sentence. It has to be part of the dependent clause, but the dependent clause can come before the independent clause.

Before he leaves, make sure his room is clean.

If the dependent clause comes first, use a comma before the independent clause.

I drank a glass of water because I was thirsty. Because I was thirsty, I drank a glass of water.

Starting a Sentence with a Conjunction

Many of us were taught in school that it is an error to begin a sentence with a conjunction, but that rule is a myth. As mentioned above, a subordinating conjunction can begin a sentence if the dependent clause comes before the independent clause. It’s also correct to begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. Often, it’s a good way to add emphasis. Beginning too many sentences with conjunctions will cause the device to lose its force, however, so use this technique sparingly.

Have a safe trip. And don’t forget to call when you get home. Gertie flung open the door. But there was no one on the other side.

List of Conjunctions

Coordinating Conjunctions

for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

Correlative Conjunctions

both/and, either/or, neither/nor, not only/but, whether/or

Some Subordinating Conjunctions

after, although, as, as if, as long as, as much as, as soon as, as though, because, before, by the time, even if, even though, if, in order that, in case, in the event that, lest , now that, once, only, only if, provided that, since, so, supposing, that, than, though, till, unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, whether or not, while

Gerund

Can you spot the gerund in the sentence “Learning about gerunds is fun”? No, the answer isn’t gerunds. It’s learning.

What Is a Gerund, Anyway?

To understand gerunds, (pronounced JER-undz, by the way) it helps to understand the difference between a word’s grammatical form and its grammatical function in a sentence.

Take the word dancing. Dancing is the present participle of the verb to dance. When used with is or are, it becomes a verb in the present continuous tense:

Gordon is dancing up a storm.

In the sentence above, dancing is a present participle (form) and it’s acting as a verb (function). But there is another way you can use the word dancing.

Dancing is all Gordon can think about.

Dancing looks just like it did before. But in this sentence, the word dancing is not acting like a verb. It’s acting like a noun. In fact, Dancing is the subject of this sentence. It still looks like a present participle (form), but in this sentence, it is filling in for a noun (function).

When a present participle is used as a noun, it’s called a gerund.

What Are Gerunds For?

Gerunds are marvelously flexible. They allow you to talk about an action in an abstract way. And because they act like nouns, you can use them anywhere that a noun would normally go in a sentence.

A gerund can be used as a subject:

Dancing makes Gordon happy.

A direct object:

Gordon loves dancing.

A complement:

Gordon’s main interest in life is dancing.

Or the object of a preposition:

Gordon got those muscular calves from dancing.

In some sentences, a gerund can also take the place of an infinitive.

To dance is Gordon’s only ambition. Dancing is Gordon’s only ambition.

Gordon loves to dance. Gordon loves dancing.

If you wanted to, you could replace dancing with a regular noun like root beer in any of these sentences. Root beer makes Gordon happy. Gordon loves root beer. Gordon’s main interest in life is root beer. Gordon got those muscular calves from root beer. The sentences still work grammatically, even if they are a little nonsensical and make Gordon sound like he needs to get out more.

And that’s all you need to know about gerunds! Didn’t we tell you learning about them would be fun?

NFL Fan Grammar Rankings: How does your team stack up?

Geoff Foster, of The Wall Street Journal’s “The Count” sports column, collaborated with Grammarly, the popular automated proofreader, to put NFL fans to the test. Each official NFL team site was analyzed looking at the top 150 fan comments (10,000+ words) for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.

Grammarly ranked all 32 NFL team fan bases from worst to best. Whose smack talk was the most eloquent? The Detroit Lions fans proved to be the grammar champs. Who not write so good? That dubious honor goes to Washington Redskins fans.

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Please attribute this content to grammarly.com/grammar-check.

You Better Watch Out: Christmas Carols Aren’t as Grammatically Correct as You Might Think

To hear some people tell it, one of the great hallmarks of the holiday season is singing carols–think Jingle Bell Rock, Silent Night, and Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. But interestingly, many carolers don’t actually stop to consider the words of these popular holiday songs.

Commonly misunderstood song lyrics can be hilarious or downright confusing–so as word nerds, the Grammarly team decided to take a closer look.

“Silent night, Holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin, mother and child

Holy infant, so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.”

–Silent Night

“Silent Night” is one of the most popular carols of all time, but many carolers are puzzled by the phrase, “round yon virgin.”  In this case, the lyrics are pretty self-explanatory: “round” in the song just means “around.” “Yon” is a shortened word for “yonder,” meaning “over there.” The lyrics simply state that calm and bright feelings surround the virgin mother and her child. 

“You better watch out You better not cry You better not pout I’m telling you why Santa Claus is coming to town Santa Claus is coming to town Santa Claus is coming to town.”

           –Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Although the song warns listeners, “you better watch out,” grammatically speaking, it should really read, “you’d better watch out.” “You’d” means “you had,” which makes a lot more sense than saying “you better.”

“Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la, la la la, la la la. Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la la la la, la la la la.”

           –Deck the Halls

It might be hard to imagine what it really means to “troll … [a] carol,” but apparently this is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. The sixteenth century definition of “troll” means to “sing in a full, rolling voice; to chant merrily or jovially,” and isn’t that what we are all supposed to do during the holiday season? Some carolers change the word from “troll” to “toll,” thinking that a troll is a little fella found under a dark bridge.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year With the kids jingle-belling And everyone telling you “Be of good cheer” It’s the most wonderful time of the year It’s the hap-happiest season of all With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings When friends come to call It’s the hap- happiest season of all.”

           –It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” uses a lot of made-up words and phrases, including “jingle belling” and “mistletoeing.” Maybe it is true that song lyrics roll off the tongue more fluidly when they rhyme. Accordingly, songwriters may make up words for effect. In this song, we benefit from changing nouns into verbs, for example.

Christmas songs are a great way to bring in the holidays. What is your favorite Christmas song?

5 Famous Cats in Literature

Cats make frequent literary appearances as fascinating, thought-provoking, and sometimes sneaky characters. From early nursery rhymes to contemporary tales, cats are omnipresent stars and sidekicks. To celebrate Adopt-a-Cat month in June, here are five famous cats that feature prominently in some much-loved books.

The Cat in the Hat

One of the best-known title characters in children’s literature, readers can easily identify the Cat in the Hat by his elongated body, striped hat, and red bow tie. In Dr. Seuss’s story, the Cat is notorious for pushing boundaries and questioning the limits of his young charges while their parents are away. As a children’s book, “The Cat in the Hat” tests readers’ limits as well as their reading skills. Though this story is provocative, it’s also a reading primer that’s one of the best-selling children’s books of all time.

Puss in Boots

Puss in Boots, a classic fairy tale and now an animated movie, has its roots in a 16th-century fable by Italian author Giovanni Francesco Straparola. A 17th-century version of the story appeared in the first version of Mother Goose tales, making “Puss in Boots” one of the first nursery rhymes. Its basic premise focuses on the well-dressed cat prompting trickery and deceit to ensure riches and success for his undeserving master. The original story’s emphasis on lying to get ahead has been adapted and downright ignored in later adaptations of the tale.

The Cheshire Cat

The Cheshire Cat, who appears in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland,” is best known for his distinctive smile. In the story, this character can appear and disappear as he pleases, dissolving into nothing but a mischievous grin once he’s had his say. This motif also appears in a carving in a 16th-century English church, believed to be the inspiration for Carroll’s character. Though the cat has a knack for volunteering sage advice amidst confusion, he offers puzzling chatter and mystical sayings almost as often. Nevertheless, the Cheshire Cat represents a pleasantly sane character in a bizarre world.

Mrs. Norris 

This feline character in the “Harry Potter” series has a supporting role as the pet of Argus Filch, the unpopular caretaker of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A true sidekick, Mrs. Norris is known to have a strong connection with Filch, and even looks like him, with a scrawny build, yellow eyes, and gray fur. Mrs. Norris acts as an excellent spy and even a tattletale at times, alerting her master to unusual events on the school grounds. Throughout the series, the title character and his classmates survive narrow escapes from the sneaky cat, whom they believe can see them even when they’re wearing an invisibility cloak.

Richard Parker

A big cat in the contemporary novel “Life of Pi,” Richard Parker co-stars as the Bengal tiger who accompanies the title character throughout the story. The tiger’s name is somewhat of an inside joke, as it appears to be the result of improperly completed paperwork. Despite the mismatch, the name sticks as the story develops. Though the two characters aren’t friends at the beginning of the novel, they learn to coexist with one another after surviving a sunken ship and a series of struggles on a lifeboat. At the end of hundreds of days stranded at sea, Pi and Richard Parker develop a friendship, lending a happy ending to this unique story.

Throughout literature, cats serve as trusted companions and sneaky adversaries. Consider adopting one of your own, and create your unique adventure together. What famous character would be your cat’s namesake?

WriteWorld: Writing Tips: Proofreading

I’m currently finishing up a university degree in journalism, and I’ve been doing journalistic work for newspapers and radio alike for some years now. It’s a line of work wherein proofreading is essential. People are paying to read a piece you’ve written, which means you simply…

Read more: WriteWorld: Writing Tips: Proofreading