# English Conjunctions: A Complete Guide (with FREE PDF) **Channel:** English with Rupert **Source:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F0PqUIYVVU **Transcript page:** https://www.withtranscript.ai/video/4F0PqUIYVVU ## Chapters - 0:00 — Subordinators of Cause and Condition - 5:49 — Time, Contrast, and Purpose Clauses - 12:13 — Coordinating Conjunctions and Adverbs - 17:29 — Result, Comparison, and Time Adverbs - 23:19 — Other Adverbs and Paired Conjunctions ## Transcript **[0:00]:** Are you ready to learn everything you need to know about English conjunctions? This video has everything. Over 150 English conjunctions. And after you've watched this video, your English grammar is going to go to a more advanced level. Let's start with subordinators of cause and reason. I'm going to tell you about a boat trip that I've been on. We took a boat as it was the only way of getting to the island. And the word as here is a subordinator of cause and reason. It introduces the reason for the first clause. We can also use words such as because as a subordinator of cause and reason. I stayed on the deck because I get sick when I sit inside. The boat was perfect in that it stayed steady in the waves. The trip was enjoyable in as much as the weather stayed sunny. I stayed standing in so far as I was able to. **[1:10]:** Seeing as the waves were gentle, I could stand without holding on. Since I was in a hurry, I was the first to leave the boat at the end of the trip. All of these words you can see above me here are subordinators of cause and reason. They introduce the reason or explains why the clause in the other part of the sentence happens. Let's say a bit more about subordinators. So what are they? Well, subordinating conjunctions join an independent sentence and a dependent clause. The dependent clause loses its intended meaning if it isn't connected to the independent sentence. So in all of the sentences that I explained before, separate the two clauses, the clause without the subordinator can exist on its own, but the clause with the subordinator no longer makes proper sense or it doesn't make sense in the way it did when it was connected to the independent sentence. **[2:15]:** you end up with something completely different. The subordinator introduces the subordinating clause and can go at the start or middle of the sentence. Did you notice when we went through these subordinators, some of them were in the middle like as, but some of them were at the beginning like seeing as. And when you have two clauses and one is a subordinating clause, you could normally change the order around. So the subordinating clause can go first or it can go after. Another type of subordinator is a subordinator of concession. And this introduces a clause that indicates there was an obstacle to the activity in the main clause, but the main clause was still able to take place. Let's look at an example here. Although it was cold and wet, we kept our plans to go shopping. So the subordinating clause here is although it was cold and wet and the subordinator is although. **[3:18]:** Let's look at the main clause first. We kept our plans to go shopping. So you would have thought that if it's cold and wet, you might cancel your plans to go shopping. So there was an obstacle. It was cold and wet, but the main clause was still able to take place. It happened. Even though we had the obstacle of it being cold and wet, we still went shopping. And the other subordinators on this list do a similar thing. We found good deals even though the stores were crowded. In spite of the fact that it was expensive, she bought shoes. Not withstanding the fact that the line was long, we stayed patient. Regardless of the fact that it was closing time, we finished shopping. Oh, and by the way, you can also abbreviate although to though. In every one of these sentences, there was a problem, but the problem was overcome. **[4:21]:** Now, subordinators of condition where one thing needs to happen in order for the other thing to take place. We will travel in summer as long as we save enough money. Many people will say that if they're planning a holiday like the one you can see here. You need to save first. The holiday cannot happen without the other condition being fulfilled. And the condition here is as long as we save enough money. We want to go abroad even if the journey is long. So we have a condition here the journey being long. But even if indicates that the other clause will be fulfilled and it doesn't matter about the condition. I would like to fly except if we can travel by train. So the first part of the sentence is what they want to happen but there is a condition that will lead to an alternative with except if. **[5:24]:** If we choose to visit France, we will visit the Eiffel Tower. And if is the most common conditional word that we use for subordinators. It's a very complex area. See if you can find my other video on if on this channel, which has 60 different uses of the word if. We will book the hotel on condition that it has a free breakfast. **[5:49]:** provided that we will rent a car provided that the price is reasonable. Now here you could use provided that as you can see in the example or you could use providing that which you can see on the list of subordinators on the left. So long as we will go to the coast so long as it is not too crowded. Supposing that flights are expensive, we will travel by train instead. We will not confirm plans unless everyone agrees. So this condition must be fulfilled first before anything else. We won't book until my annual leave is confirmed. Now until is a time word, but it can also be used to introduce a condition. The first thing won't happen. The next thing has to happen first. We are still deciding whether to travel in June or September. Subordinators of contrast are similar to subordinators of concession, but with a contrast, it's just a clear indication of a difference. **[7:00]:** It's not that something had to be overcome or there was some obstacle. Here are some examples. Rather than train alone, the team practiced together at the stadium. So, two choices. Practice alone. practice together rather than introduces the opposite of what happened in the other clause. Whereas last season was difficult, this season feels more hopeful. Difficult hopeful are the alternatives. There's a difference. There's a contrast. Whereas introduces it. When the match became intense, the crowd started cheering loudly. While the players were tired, they continued trying their best until the end. For subordinators of purpose, look at this dog and cat. The dog is chasing the cat. The cat is trying to avoid the dog. The cat hid under the sofa for fear that the dog would chase him. He moved slowly in order that he would not make noise. He jumped in such a way that nothing got broken. **[8:11]:** He chose a high high shelf so that he could see everything. Don't move lest I catch you and scratch you. So here are five subordinators of purpose. Four which are quite common. One is not so common anymore. Lest. That's rather old-fashioned. You might see it if you're reading old books, but people don't use it in speech anymore. For fear, that has this added uh meaning which indicates that there is a fear involved. There is worry involved in order that in such a way that and so or so that could all be used as subordinators of purpose. There are lots and lots of subordinators of time. And to help me demonstrate them, I'm going to take you through this story of an astronaut going into space. After months of training, the astronaut prepared to leave the Earth. As the launch day arrived, she felt excited and nervous. **[9:16]:** As long as the weather stayed clear, the mission could continue. As soon as the countdown began, silence filled the control room. Before the locket the rocket launched, she checked her instruments carefully. What happens in the next part of the story? By the time that the engines ignited, her heart was racing. Every time that she imagined being in space, she felt excited. Now that everything was ready, there was no turning back. Once the rocket lifted off, the ground disappeared below. The moment that they left the atmosphere, everything went black. What happens now? The instant that weightlessness began, she did a subrsault. That means to turn over. She kept doing this till she felt dizzy. That means your head feels really strange because you've moved around too much. She floated calmly until the spacecraft landed at the space station. When they opened the doors, she hopped into the space station. **[10:29]:** Whenever she looked out of the window, she saw the blue planet, our Earth. While drifting in space, she thought about home. So, we have a wide range of subordinators of time that we've gone through here. Some of them indicate that the clause happened before another such as the word before or after such as the word after up until a certain point till until such a time as something that gives a specific moment in time telling the listener or the reader it's this exact moment. So as soon as the moment that the instant that others simply introduce the next thing in time such as now that and there are others that simply indicate that two things happen at the same time when while. Now, there are a few more less commonly used English subordinators which you can read about in my PDF which you can download through the video description. **[11:39]:** As well as that, I've got real examples of usage of all the subordinators that I've just mentioned in the previous part of the video. And if you want to take your English level even higher, go to the link for my perfect English grammar course. This covers everything you need to know about English grammar in a 41hour course. It will transform your English if you follow it through to the end. There's a link in the description below this video as well to take you to the course where you can purchase it with a special offer. **[12:13]:** What about coordinating conjunctions? These are more simple because they join together two independent sentences and make them one. They become two clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction. There's just seven of them. Four introduces causal reason. For example, let's imagine you're going on a walk up this mountain. You might say, "We wore boots for the mountain was steep." and either adds or connects similar ideas. We traveled through woods and we climbed over rocks. Nor adds a negative clause. We didn't see water nor did we find any shade. But introduces a contrast to the sentence. The path was rocky but we didn't give up. So one sense it's hard and perhaps we should stop. After the but though we carry on. We don't stop or presents an alternative or a choice. We needed to climb quickly or we would get lost in the dark. That was the alternative if this did not happen. **[13:28]:** Yet shows a contrast. Sometimes a surprising contrast. Clouds covered the sky yet we could see the valley below. Maybe we hadn't expected to. And so gives a result or a consequence. It began to rain, so we abandoned the climb. Let's look at a set of conjunctions known grammatically as conjunctive adverbs. What are these? Well, look at the pictures on the right. First, you have a boy who's failed his exam, but a girl who's passed hers. And the boy says, "I failed the test. However, she passed it." However, is the conjunctive adverb here. Conjunctive adverbs show that there is a connection to the sentence before. Did you notice that there's a full stop between the two sentences? It's not like a subordinator where the two sentence the two clauses are connected. Here there's a separation, but we have a conjunctive adverb to show the connection to the sentence before. **[14:33]:** Now, conjunctive adverbs can either introduce a clause or go after a clause. Here, however, goes at the beginning of the clause. And the particular choice of adverb indicates the type of relationship between this clause and the previous sentence. So, choosing however shows a contrast. It's a conjunctive adverb of contrast. It shows that there's a contrasting idea in the new sentence compared with the previous sentence. Now, there are potentially lots of conjunctive adverbs. So, in this video, I'm going to introduce you to the adverbs that you're most likely to read about or that you're likely to need to use in any form of English life, right up to an advanced C2 level. Let's start with conjunctive adverbs of addition. Here on the left, we have a lady who's been called to a meeting and the two other people are uh bosses of this person and there's been some problems. **[15:41]:** This meeting will discuss complaints about you by colleagues. Additionally, it will address your unacceptable performance. It's not a good position to be in. But what's the purpose of additionally here? Additionally introduces an extra point. So we have the sentence before and then we add a new point that is connected to the previous one in some way. Conjunctive adverbs that work like this are additionally also as well as this or as well as that. Besides, furthermore, further to this or further to that, in addition, moreover, not only that, to this end, all of these words could have replaced additionally in this paragraph that you can see on the left. There are also conjunctive adverbs of intensification. Now, this is another employee with a boss, but the boss is much happier with this employee. I want to thank you for your hard work this year. Above all, your dedication sets the standard for the team. **[16:53]:** Much better news. So, above all intensifies the sentence before this. The first sentence, I want to thank you for your hard work this year. That's one positive. And now we're going to be even more positive. We're going to go into even more detail in the same direction of being positive. above all. And other conjunctive adverbs that do this are all the more, even more, indeed, in fact, not to mention, still more, undoubtedly. **[17:29]:** Then we have conjunctive adverbs of result. Let's stick with this same employee. I want to thank you for your hard work this year. That's the same as what we had in the previous example. But the second part is different. Accordingly, you will be promoted this year. So why will you be promoted this year? Well, because of the hard work. The hard work leads to this particular outcome. And accordingly tells us that we've got an outcome with this particular sentence. Other conjunctive adverbs that could have filled this space are consequently, therefore, thus, hence, as a result, for this reason. Note that thus and hence are rather formal. Now, let's move on to the topic of uh listening and watching videos on YouTube in the English language. Is it useful? Most people would say yes. Listening to YouTube regularly develops your understanding of English. Along similar lines, reading daily improves vocabulary acquisition. **[18:46]:** So along similar lines is a conjunctive adverb of comparison. There's a comparison between the two. And in this case, the comparison is to do with similarity. Here are some other conjunctive adverbs. Along similar lines, by the same token, likewise, and similarly, and also in the same way, introduce something that's similar to what was mentioned before. There's some overlap here with the topic of just being addition. Comparatively, correspondingly, and two also show a comparison. comparatively and correspondingly are more neutral. Two shows something similar which is also an addition. Now notice that to needs to come at the end. I couldn't say listening to YouTube regularly develops your understanding of English to reading daily improves vocabulary acquisition. It had to come at the end. It had to be reading daily improves vocabulary acquisition too. Now for conjunctive adverbs of contrast. My results were disappointing. By contrast, my sister's results were excellent. **[20:07]:** So, we're back to this one again. By contrast introduces the fact that there is a difference in sense between the sentence before and the new sentence. The sentence before disappointing, the new sentence excellent. And other conjunctive adverbs of contrast include conversely, however, in contrast, instead, nevertheless, nonetheless, otherwise, rather, and still. **[20:38]:** There are many conjunctive adverbs which are simply there to introduce examples. Let's take the topic of science. Scientists study animals to learn about behavior. For example, they observe how ants find food. So, for example, introduces an example of what we just mentioned. We could have said for instance, and we could have said namely and specifically, namely, they observe how ants find food. It introduces an example of the sentence at the beginning. Scientists study animals to learn about behavior. Another category of conjunctive adverbs. Just as we had subordinators of time, we have conjunctive adverbs of time. What happens in the process of building a house? Well, right at the beginning, a plan was made to build a new house. Afterwards, the builders cleared the site. So, afterwards indicates a time relationship that this is the next thing. This comes later. And again, there's a whole host of these time conjunctive adverbs. **[21:50]:** Afterwards, that means um later at a later time than at the first sentence. Earlier means before the first sentence. Eventually means after a period of time. Finally means at the end. Meanwhile is at the same time. Next simply means one after the other. And the new sentence is the next thing. Previously takes you back to something that happened before. Simultaneously is also at the same time. Subsequently means after another thing, but there's some sense of connection that one thing needed to happen first for the subsequent thing to happen. Then is like next. And what about conjunctive adverbs of summary? Look at this teacher teaching students. All in all, this lesson has introduced the most commonly used conjunctions in the English language. She would say that if she was teaching a lesson like the one I'm teaching right now. So, all in all introduces a summary of what's come before. **[23:00]:** Other phrases that can introduce a summary are all things considered, briefly, in brief, in conclusion, in short, in summary, on the whole, overall, to conclude, to summarize. All of these phrases could have replaced all in all in this example. **[23:19]:** And here are some other highly common conjunctive adverbs that didn't quite fit in any of the categories I've just shared. alternatively introduces another option by the same token the same way or reason equally a point with the same value as the previous. So here we're adding another point and it's got the same amount of value in a similar manner. The next point will have similarities to the previous. So it's another conjunctive adverb of similarity. in essence restates the key issue more simply. In other words, introduces a clarification. You change the words slightly from before to help the person understand. In the same vein also means likewise. On the flip side, we often use this to introduce an alternative idea or point of view and that is introduces a restatement in different words a little bit like in other words. And now for our last category. **[24:28]:** You may have thought, what are paired conjunctions, let me walk you through them. You can see five main paired conjunctions at the top above me. Here's examples of how they're used. These twins are both creative and highly competitive when they play games. So both and introduce two things that are both true for the twins. The twins either play together or don't play at all. So here there are two options. Either one or the other. Two options. Choose one. Neither nor are two things that are not true. Neither of the twins likes to clean their room. nor do they help with the dishes. Not only, but also. The twins are not only very close to each other, but also share the same interests. We often use not only and but also if we've got two connected points and we want to build them to present a story of two things that make an impact together. **[25:43]:** Not only is this true, but also this as well. and whether or whether it's a sunny day or raining outside, the twins always find a way to play together. So, there's one choice or another choice. Both end up with the same conclusion. So, that's the end of the video, but it's not the end of the learning. If you want a free PDF that gives you detailed examples of all of the conjunctions that I've shared in this video and even more conjunctions still, click on the link to my free PDF. And if you want to improve your English grammar more generally, go to my online course, Perfect English Grammar, that covers everything from levels A1 all the way up to C2. You can begin the course now by clicking on the link below the video as you can see in the description below.