Conjunction

In continuation to the post we provided you on Important Rules of Subject – Verb Agreement, today we are providing you all with some Important Notes & Rules of Conjunctionsfor the upcoming SSC Exam 2016. It is very important to have an understanding of the usage of Conjunctions and their usage in English Grammar. So, we hope that you will like our post.

Important Rules of Conjunctions

A Conjunction is a word which connects two words, two phrases or two sentences.

Example: – I know the girl who is at the door. (This sentence means the girl standing at the door I know her.)

I know the girl, who is at the door. (This sentence means I know the girl and right now she is standing at the door.)

The former is an example of complex sentence while the later is a compound sentence.

Compound Sentence

When two independent clauses are connected by a co-ordinate conjunction.

When a coordinating conjunction connects two independent clauses, it is often (but not always) accompanied by a comma:

Raj wants to play football for his school, but he has had trouble meeting the academic requirements.
Hemingway and Fitzgerald are among the American expatriates of the between-the-wars era.
Hemingway was renowned for his clear style and his insights into American notions of male identity.
Co-ordinate conjunction are:-

FANBOYS: For-And-Nor-But-Or-Yet-So.

Complex Sentence

When a dependent clause is connected to a principal clause by a sub-ordinate conjunction.

A Subordinating Conjunction (sometimes called a dependent word or subordinator) comes at the beginning of a Subordinate (or Dependent) Clause and establishes the relationship between the dependent clause and the rest of the sentence.

Because he loved acting, he refused to give up his dream of being in the movies.
Unless we act now, all is lost


Some Important Rules

A) As soon as the teacher entered the class, everyone fell in silence.
No sooner did the teacher enter the class than everyone fell in silence.
Hardly/scarcely did the teacher enter the class when everyone fell in silence.
No sooner had the teacher entered the class than everyone fell in silence.
In the above examples all three modified sentences of above example are correct.

After No sooner we always use than as a conjunction.
After Hardly/scarcely we always use when as conjuction.
No sooner, hardly or scarcely is always followed by a helping verb.
The verb of the remaining sentence remains same.
B) Unless/Untill
These are used in negative sense.
They come in the place of "if….. not…."
Unless is used for condition and until for time.
If you do not work hard, you will not succeed.
Unless you work hard, you will not succeed.
If you do not reach the airport on time, you will miss the flight.
Until you reach the airport on time, you will miss the flight.
C) Lest
It is used in negative sense.
It replace "so that……not….."
Lest when used in Active sentence is followed by should.
And in passive sentences is followed by should be.
Be careful lest you should be robbed again.
Hurry up lest you should miss the bus.
D) Although/Though
It is used in conjunction with (,/,yet/yet).
Avoid using but/still with although/though.
Two opposite statements are used with it.
Although he is poor,/yet/,yet he is happy.
He is poor still he is happy.(Correct- as although/though is not used)
E) As if/As though
It is followed by were.
And always second form of verb is used.
He behaves as if he were my boss.
He speaks Hindi as though he knew the subject well.
F) Amongst
Used for more than two.
Followed by us/and
Prizes should be distributed amongst us.
The advocates leaked the matter amongst the
G) The reason/The reason why
It is followed by that.
Avoid using because/because of etc.
The reason why he failed in the exam is because he did not work hard.
                (Replace because with that)

The reason for his failure is that he is not working hard.
H) Whoever/Whomever
We will hire him. He is most qualified.
We will hire whoever is most qualified.
We will hire him. You recommend him.
We will hire whomever you recommend.
Whoever is elected will serve a four year term.
Whomever you elect will serve a four year term.
Thank You!